Senior Associate - Students Counselor

Position Summary

The Student Counselor provides confidential counseling and student wellbeing support to postgraduate students at the KAPSARC School of Public Policy (KSPP). The role supports students’ personal and psychological wellbeing, academic success, adjustment to postgraduate study, and retention and progression toward timely degree completion.

The Counselor provides individual and, where appropriate, group counseling; conducts initial assessments of student needs; identifies students at risk of distress or academic disengagement; provides academic and professional development guidance within the scope of the role; and refers students to qualified internal or external specialist services when required.

The role also includes designing and delivering preventive wellbeing programs, workshops, and awareness activities, as well as supporting postgraduate orientation and student engagement.

The Counselor works collaboratively with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, faculty, and relevant institutional functions while maintaining strict confidentiality and adhering to professional counseling ethics, institutional policies, and applicable national regulations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Student Counseling & Wellbeing

• Provide confidential individual counseling to postgraduate students addressing academic stress, research and coursework pressure, adjustment, work–life balance, interpersonal and personal challenges affecting student success.
• Conduct initial assessments of student needs and develop practical, time-bound support plans within the scope of the role.
• Provide limited group counseling or group support sessions where appropriate and based on student needs and service capacity.
• Support students through key postgraduate milestones, including coursework transitions, comprehensive examinations, and thesis or dissertation stages.
• Maintain professional boundaries, strict confidentiality, and professional counseling ethics at all times.
• Explain to students at the outset the nature of the counseling service and applicable limits of confidentiality.

2. Academic & Student Success Support

• Provide academic coaching on study habits, time management, productivity, stress management, and adjustment to postgraduate study.
• Identify and support students at risk of academic disengagement, delayed progression, or withdrawal in coordination with Academic Affairs and program leadership.
• Support students in resolving academic or supervisory difficulties through appropriate institutional channels.
• Provide guidance on personal factors affecting academic progression without assuming responsibility for academic decisions, supervision, assessment, or grading.
• Provide career and professional development guidance relevant to postgraduate pathways and refer students to specialist career resources where appropriate.

3. Referral, Crisis Support & Safeguarding

• Identify students who may require specialist psychological, psychiatric, medical, or social support and refer them to qualified internal or external providers.
• Respond to student distress and crisis situations within the scope of the role, applying appropriate risk identification and immediate safety measures.
• Escalate immediate safety concerns without delay to designated institutional authorities and licensed clinical or emergency services in line with approved protocols.
• Follow up appropriately after referral while respecting student confidentiality and the boundaries of the referral.
• Maintain and periodically review a network of licensed external mental health and specialist service providers.

4. Preventive Programs, Workshops & Outreach

• Design and deliver workshops, seminars, and awareness sessions for postgraduate students on topics such as research resilience, stress management, time management, and productivity.
• Promote awareness of counseling and wellbeing services, reduce stigma, and encourage early help-seeking.
• Evaluate participation levels and student feedback and refine program content accordingly.

5. Orientation & Student Engagement Support

• Contribute to postgraduate orientation and support students’ transition into postgraduate study.
• Support ongoing student engagement and wellbeing initiatives in coordination with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs.
• Provide targeted adjustment support to international students and students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

6. Ethics, Confidentiality, Documentation & Policies

• Maintain accurate, secure, and confidential counseling records in line with institutional requirements and professional standards.
• Contribute to the development and updating of policies and procedures relating to student wellbeing, counseling, referral, safeguarding, and confidentiality.
• Practice in line with recognized professional counseling ethics and within the practitioner’s licensed scope of practice under applicable national regulations.
• Monitor day-to-day activities to ensure compliance with stipulated policies and procedures.

7. Reporting, Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Collect anonymized service data and student feedback on counseling and wellbeing services.
• Prepare periodic reports covering service utilization, workshops delivered, referrals made, and recurring student-support themes without compromising individual student confidentiality.
• Contribute counseling and student-support evidence required for accreditation, program reviews, and quality assurance, in line with NCAAA expectations.
• Identify improvement opportunities and contribute to service evaluation and continuous improvement of student support services.
• Perform any other duties as required by the organization.

Qualifications & Experience

Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum of 5–8 years of professional counseling experience, preferably within a university or higher education setting.
• Demonstrated experience working with postgraduate students or adult learners, addressing academic stress, wellbeing, and career development issues.
• Experience designing and facilitating workshops or student wellbeing programs.
• Experience working in multicultural or cross-cultural environments.
• Bilingual proficiency in Arabic and English is preferred.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, or Psychology with a relevant counseling specialization.
• PhD in a relevant discipline is preferred but not required.
• Professional classification and registration with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) under an appropriate psychology/counseling scope of practice, or eligibility to obtain it, where required for the services provided.
• Training in evidence-based counseling approaches, such as CBT and solution-focused counseling, is preferred.