Employment Opportunities

Blair Academy seeks an Associate Dean of College Counseling for full-time employment beginning in August 2019.  The Associate Dean of College Counseling, in collaboration with the college counseling team and colleagues across the School, will foster a student-centered college selection process that prepares students to move to higher education with confidence and competence.

Candidates must enjoy working with adolescents and must possess an exceptional work ethic, strong communication skills, a commitment to collegiality and a healthy sense of humor. Strong preference will be given to candidates with significant experience in counseling and/or admissions at selective independent schools, colleges and/or universities.  A demonstrated talent for and interest in working with bright, motivated students is essential, as is the ability to communicate proactively with parents and address any questions and concerns is also important.   

Position:
The Associate Dean reports to the Dean of College Counseling, takes a share of the main responsibilities of this team-oriented office, and:

●       Provides direct counseling and guidance to approximately 40 students and families

●       Writes clear, personalized, and effective letters of recommendation

●       Assists students in meeting admissions and financial-aid deadlines

●        Plans and coordinates group and individual meetings for parents and students, college visits and fairs, and speaker events

●        Serves as the point person for introducing lower school students and families to the College Counseling process and timeline.

●        Represents the school at national and regional conferences, visits colleges and universities to promote knowledge of the school, and hosts representatives from colleges and universities

●        Assumes appropriate level of routine faculty duties to include some combination of dormitory duty, extra-curricular activities and/or coaching.

●        Support a portion of the junior class on an annual basis in the role of academic monitor.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess the following skills, experiences and qualities:

●        Robust college admissions experience, either as a college admissions officer or high school college counselor (five or more years of experience in such settings is preferred)

●        Be well-versed on the college admission and financial aid landscapes and current trends; be comfortable with data analysis, data management platforms and technology associated with the college process (including the Google suite)

●        A passion for counseling students who possess a wide range of academic and extracurricular interests, abilities and backgrounds, as they identify college options where they will thrive intellectually and personally 

●        Be emotionally intelligent, energetic, empathetic, optimistic, organized, good-humored, collaborative, collegial, and confident; this includes the ability to have nuanced and sometimes difficult conversations with students and families

●        Excellent communication skills and demonstrated attention to detail

●        Willingness to travel to colleges and universities or conferences

●        Ability to cultivate and nurture relationships with college admission officers

School Setting:

Founded in 1848, Blair Academy is a dynamic, coeducational boarding school located in northwest New Jersey, 65 miles due west of New York City. As members of a caring and vibrant community, some 450 students from diverse backgrounds pursue a superior college preparatory education and explore their passions in the arts, athletics, academics and service. Strong faculty-student relationships foster personalized learning opportunities and high academic achievement, while a comprehensive leadership education program empowers students to become persons of accomplishment and character. Blair graduates regularly distinguish themselves in college and beyond as leaders in their professions and in their communities.

How to apply:

Résumé, letter of interest, current transcript (which may be unofficial) and two to three letters of recommendation should be forwarded to Director of Human Resources, P. O. Box 600, Blair Academy, Blairstown, N.J.  07825-0600 or, by email, to HR@blair.edu.  

Blair Academy, in the treatment of employees and applicants for employment, is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination.

Blair Academy seeks a Dean of Teaching & Learning for full-time, twelve-month employment beginning July 1, 2019. The Dean of Teaching & Learning is charged with fostering a culture of professional growth and learning in line with Blair’s mission and strategic vision. This person will collaborate with the Academic Team, the department chairs and the faculty to research, design, align and implement best practices in curriculum and pedagogy for Blair’s academic program. Through conversation, observation and training, the Dean of Teaching & Learning will help faculty identify and meet their ongoing professional goals over the course of their careers at the school. 

The person in this role will leverage the newly developed Blair Academy Framework for Effective Teaching as a primary tool for goal-setting and professional development in partnership with the department chairs. Moreover, the Dean of Teaching & Learning will be an influential and inspirational leader for the school on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, especially the development of identity-safe classroom spaces and inclusive curricula. The Dean of Teaching & Learning reports to the Assistant Head of School and works in close partnership with her and the Dean of Academics, as well as being an enthusiastic collaborator with the Head of School and the broader administrative team. 

Expectations and responsibilities of the position include: 

In addition to the areas of oversight above, the Dean of Teaching & Learning will:

• Support the faculty in the development, planning and execution of best practices for teaching and learning at Blair, including direct management and/or oversight of certain projects as required;
• Design and implement Blair’s professional development program in consultation with the Assistant Head and Dean of Academics, including chairing the Professional Development Committee and developing/presenting on-site workshops over the course of each academic year;
• Oversee logistics of external professional development opportunities, including graduate school programs as well as budgeting for, maintaining and promoting to the faculty a list of conferences aligned with the goals of the school;
• Act as the school’s Folio administrator, overseeing the annual recording of goals, classroom observations and professional development details in the software;
• Propose, design and execute the June and August week-long Summer Institute programs for faculty;
• Run the professional development group for faculty at the beginning of their careers in independent schools;
• Collaborate with the Assistant Head, Dean of Academics and Department Heads in providing supervision and feedback to teaching faculty in the form of formative & summative evaluation;
• Teach one section;
• Carry out additional professional responsibilities (e.g., coaching, dormitory duty) to be determined on an individual basis.

Qualifications: 

• Significant independent school teaching experience, preferably at a boarding school;
• Experience designing learning opportunities for adults in a school setting,  (e.g as a department chair or curriculum coordinator);
• A master’s degree or higher in education, organizational leadership or related field;
• Experience designing and assessing curricula for effectiveness in the classroom setting;
• Experience contributing to diversity, equity and inclusivity programming for a school;
• A strong background in educational scholarship or action research, displaying an ongoing commitment to attending conferences and networking with other educators;
• A strong understanding of or background in STEAM is a plus.

Qualities:

• Collaborative and collegial;
• Optimistic and affirming;
• Enjoys working with adults and adolescents;
• Passion for learning;
• Detail-oriented;
• Strong work ethic;
• Demonstrates a growth mindset;
• Awareness of trends in education and enthusiasm for forward-thinking practices, coupled with an ability to manage details and logistics;
• Warm, visible and engaged leader.

School Setting:  

Blair Academy is a co-educational, grade 9-postgraduate boarding school situated on 460 hilltop acres just minutes from the Delaware Water Gap and approximately one hour west of New York City.  The school is 80 percent boarding, possesses exceptional facilities and faculty housing, and is committed to the continuing education of the faculty. Learn more about our campus and programs at the School’s website at www.blair.edu.

Blair Academy seeks and supports faculty members who enliven and strengthen our community through their contributions to our classrooms, extracurricular activities and their desire to bring people together in a welcoming, inclusive community.  We are committed to hiring people from a diversity of backgrounds. We do not discriminate against any applicants, as we ensure equal employment opportunities for all. 

Blair Academy is looking to hire an enthusiastic, student-centered, collegial and mature French teacher with immersion classroom experience for a leave replacement position, which runs from late March to early June. The position involves teaching two sections of French 1, and two sections of French 3.

How to Apply: Send a résumé to Lorry Perry, Dean of Faculty, at perryl@blair.edu, followed by a letter of interest, transcripts (which may be unofficial) and two to three letters of recommendation.

Blair Academy, in the treatment of employees and applicants for employment, is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination.