Director of College Counseling

Sage Hill School seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its next Director of College Counseling. Since its founding in 2000, Sage Hill has experienced remarkable growth and success, rightfully earning a reputation as the leading independent school in Orange County. The next Director will succeed the 13-year-long leadership of their predecessor and will inherit a strong and stable team. The Director will also join Sage Hill at a critical and exciting moment, as the School prepares for the opening of a new Middle School in August 2026. As part of this expansion, the Director will serve as a visionary leader for Sage Hill’s college counseling strategy in a 7-12 environment. Sage Hill is relatively young and nimble, and that agility extends to a college counseling office unafraid to pivot, iterate, and test new approaches on the cutting edge of college counseling. This leader must resonate with that dual approach of high quality and high innovation, and a commitment to data analysis.

Sage Hill boasts a vibrant, 28-acre campus with inviting classrooms, wide-open spaces, and state-of-the-art athletics and arts facilities. At present, Sage Hill offers a dynamic, college-preparatory curriculum to its 600 students in grades 9-12, designed to inspire independence, creativity, and critical thinking skills. An average class size of 14 enables students to challenge themselves and nurture relationships with motivated peers and an excellent, dedicated faculty. Sage Hill plans to expand this successful approach to 7^th and 8^th grades, with a Middle School on the main campus that will be well integrated into the wider Sage Hill community. Like the Upper School, the Middle School will encourage students to foster a sense of independence; learn to accept responsibility; develop a love of learning; and use that knowledge creatively, compassionately, and courageously throughout one’s life.

As the only independent, non-denominational high school in Orange County, and soon to be the sole 7-12 independent school in the county, Sage Hill competes with well-regarded public and parochial schools, and it constantly reevaluates its value proposition and competitive advantage. Simultaneously, Sage Hill has enjoyed strong, stable leadership in its Head of School, enabling it to maintain steady enrollment numbers and a robust financial outlook. In the fall of 2023, the school launched the largest capital campaign in its history, with a goal of $25 million, for the construction of the Middle School. Only one year into the campaign, the school had successfully raised $18 million of that goal, evidencing the community’s support of the school and its ambitious goals.

The Director of College Counseling, reporting to the Assistant Head of School for Academics, will lead the continued evolution and articulation of the college counseling program. The successful candidate must demonstrate a strong commitment to Sage Hill’s mission and core values and will be a proven leader within the field of college counseling. Specifically, the incoming Director will shape and refine a college counseling strategy that includes grades 7 and 8; build strong relationships with students and families; partner with the broader Sage Hill community; serve as a voice in the national college counseling landscape; leverage the use of data analytics; and support and mentor a strong college counseling team. This leader will bring a high level of emotional intelligence, the ability to think on their feet in high-pressure situations, a problem-solving mindset, and a desire to be actively involved in the daily life of Sage Hill.

The anticipated salary for this position is between $170,000 and $200,000 annually, commensurate with the successful candidate’s experience.

Berkley Braden is leading this search with Jonathan Sanchez and Rachel Banderob.

Sage Hill School is an equal employment opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit, qualifications and competence. The School does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, pregnancy and breastfeeding), race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming), sexual orientation (including heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality), age (40 and over), marital status, military or veteran status, genetic characteristic or genetic information, physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, termination and other conditions of employment.