Tsukuba International School

Tsukuba, Japan

Position Type: Guidance Counsellor

Contract Type: Full-time

School: Secondary

Campus: Tsukuba

Apply by: June 23, 2023

Job Start: August 1, 2023

The School

Tsukuba International School (つくば・インターナショナル・スクール, TIS) is an IB World School in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. We are a compassionate learning community, centered in nature, celebrating diversity, equality, and opportunity. Since our founding in 1992, we have been dedicated to promoting international-mindedness in the northern Kanto Region.

Tsukuba Science City, a place where critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration are highly valued, provides the backdrop for our unique programmes. The school provides a warm and welcoming environment for students of all nationalities.

We offer a rich educational program for students from pre-kindergarten (age 3) to Grade 12 (age 18), with one class per grade. We have around 300 students in our school. We are authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB). IB World Schools share a common philosophy — a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit the International Baccalaureate website.

We are accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS). We are registered as an educational organization (学校法人各種学校) by Ibaraki Prefecture. This is the standard category for international schools in Japan that are registered as schools in their local prefecture. (We are the only international school registered in Ibaraki Prefecture.) We are also a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) and the Japan Council of International Schools (JCIS).

The Position

We are currently seeking a full-time Guidance Counsellor (academic and career counselling) to start on August 1, 2023.

The successful candidate will have the following responsibilities.

Developing the guidance curriculum at all grade levels as directed by the school leadership team.
Working with teachers to implement and review the guidance curriculum.
Helping students, including students with additional learning needs, and parents develop a plan for future academic and career options that correspond with students’ skills and interests.
Helping students to evaluate their own attributes and assist them in realizing their objectives.
Planning and managing individual guidance conferences for students (including alumni) and parents.
- Explaining the IB continuum from PYP to DP.
- Explaining the differences between public schools and international schools.
- Explaining application systems for schools and universities (overseas and domestic).
- Providing information on scholarships (application documents, information, preparation for interview and essays, etc. ).
Making and maintaining relationships with other schools, universities, and companies.
Managing guidance documents, such as pamphlets, emails, etc.
Checking application documents made by students.
Working with students to prepare for and practice interviews, essays, and exams for entrance to individual universities.
Offering guidance orientation and the outline of guidance documents to students and parents.
Reporting on application results internally and externally.
Attending meetings for guidance counsellors run by the prefecture, Ministry of Education.
Planning and negotiating with companies about internships and job experience.
Helping students create resumes and practice interviewing for getting jobs.
Making and maintaining connections with alumni.

The guidance counsellor will share additional responsibilities (for example, pastoral care of homeroom students, organizing school events) with the other teachers at the school.

As TIS is an IB World School, guidance counsellors with International Baccalaureate experience will be given preference, although qualified guidance counsellors with a strong understanding of the Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme will also be considered.

Please note, the position may be filled before the application deadline if suitable candidates are found, therefore we encourage interested applicants to submit their applications early to ensure that they are considered.

Pledge of Non-Discrimination

Tsukuba International School is an equal opportunity educator and employer. We will not discriminate against any student, prospective student, employee, or job applicant on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We will take measures to ensure against such discrimination in all of our services and practices.

Child Protection

All successful candidates will be required to to adhere strictly to the terms of the Child Protection Policy, and to sign the school's Child Protection Code of Conduct.

Child Protection Policy

Child Protection Code of Conduct

All successful candidates will be required to submit a criminal history background check, or similar, for all countries that they have worked in, as a condition of employment.

All successful candidates will be required to undergo a further background check by an external provider, and agree to cooperate fully with the external provider.

Eligibility

The following are non-negotiable credentials for applying for this position.

Native-level proficiency in either English or Japanese (English/Japanese bilingual candidates are highly preferred)
University degree
Training and experience as a guidance counsellor.
Valid and up-to-date first aid and CPR certifications (or willing to obtain or update certification within a few months of starting)

Range of Experience

We will give preference to candidates with the following kinds of experience.

Experience as a guidance counsellor in Japanese public schools and/or international schools
Experience working at an international school, or in a multicultural environment
Experience working with non-native speakers of English
Experience living in Japan, or living abroad

Working Conditions

Salary: based on experience
School Year: late August to June
Benefits: commuting allowance, housing allowance, enrollment in the school’s insurance plan (私学共済), employment insurance
Vacation: 10 days paid personal leave, most Japanese national holidays plus fall, winter, spring, and summer vacations
Visa sponsorship: available
Relocation: will pay for flight to Japan (for applicants who are currently residing overseas) and assist in finding accommodation

Please click the link below to learn more about living and working in the city: Living in Tsukuba

Please submit the application form below to apply for this position.

Click here for the full job description - PDF file

Application Form

Section 1

1. Personal Details

Email address*

First name*

Last name*

Middle name

Maiden name (if applicable)

Date of birth (YYYY-MM-DD)*

Gender* Male Female Other

Nationality*

Place of birth*

Marital status*

Number of dependent children (if applicable)

If married/partnered, state full name, profession of spouse/partner, number of children, with names and DOB

Will the above accompany you to Japan?* Yes No

Telephone number with country code

Skype ID

Current Address

Current Country*

2. Teaching Qualifications

Do you have a teaching qualification? Yes No

If yes, what qualification do you have?

If you attended Official IB Professional Development Events, enter the names, the dates and the location of the events / workshops.

How long have you taught since qualifying as a teacher? (years)

Have you ever taught in an international school? Yes No

If yes, for how long? (years)

Teaching Qualification Ref. No. (or national equivalent) and date of qualification if available

3. Education

Include (Most recent first)

Institution Name	Degree Awarded	Dates		Action
Institution Name	Degree Awarded	From (YYYY-MM-DD)	To (YYYY-MM-DD)	Action

Recent Professional Development Courses attended (include the year when attended)

Section 2

1. Current Employment Details

Current employer (school/organization) name*
Current employer postal address*
Current employer country
Current employer website
Current post held (e.g. teacher, head of department, coordinator, etc.)
Annual gross salary in USD
If teaching overseas, annual gross salary in local currency
Other benefits
Type of school
Number of students in school
Starting date of first contract at the current school/organization (YYYY-MM-DD)

2. Previous Teaching / Employment Experience (most recent first)

Type of School	Country	Name of School/Organization	Post Held	Grades/Subjects Taught	Dates		Action
Type of School	Country	Name of School/Organization	Post Held	Grades/Subjects Taught	From (YYYY-MM-DD)	To (YYYY-MM-DD)	Action

If you'd like to share with us a video or other material of you teaching, please add the link here (this is entirely optional)

3. Personal interests, including extracurricular activities

SECTION 3

1. Referees

Referee A: Current head of school / employer

Name*
Position*
School Name / Company Name*
Address
Telephone/Fax
Email*
Professional relation to you*
May we take this reference now?*	Yes No

Referee B

Name*
Position*
School Name / Company Name*
Address
Telephone/Fax
Email*
Professional relation to you*
May we take this reference now?*	Yes No

Referee C

Name*
Position*
School Name / Company Name*
Address
Telephone/Fax
Email*
Professional relation to you*
May we take this reference now?*	Yes No

2. Availability

Please indicate your preferences for interview scheduling (e.g. weekdays, weekends, early morning before school starts, during the day, in the early evening after school ends, etc.)

SECTION 4

As this is a post that requires working with children and young people, you are required to declare whether you have any criminal convictions (or cautions or bind-overs) including those which are “spent”. In some countries or jurisdictions certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected' and are not subject to disclosure to employers, and cannot be taken into account, for example in the UK this would include convictions covered by the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013). It is your responsibility to seek legal guidance for when this could apply according to the laws of your home country, the country in which the conviction was given, and the laws of Japan. Lack of disclosure could lead to the termination of your contract.

Have you ever been the subject of any court order, judgment or decree in any country or jurisdiction, which was not subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated? Do you have convictions, cautions, reprimands, final warnings or criminal records from any country that are not protected by national laws? If yes, please give details here.

Have you ever been the subject of questions, allegations or concerns, or the subject of an official investigation, either by a school or workplace, local or national authorities, or any other agency, in respect to your behaviour around working with children and young people, sexual related crimes, unethical conduct, abusive conduct or any other misconduct? Have you ever been subject to a bar or partial bar from working with children and young people, or any other disciplinary sanction, as a result of such an investigation? If yes, please give details here.

Do you consider yourself disabled? That is to say, do you have a substantial or long term physical or mental impairment or health issue which could adversely affect your ability to carry on normal day to day activity and/or the functions of this post? If yes, please state the nature of your disability. Declaring a disability will not affect or bias your application, however, the school will need to discuss with you whether or not the school is able to meet your needs in order for you to perform the functions of the post.

Visa Status and validity period (if currently in Japan)

Upload Documents

Please make sure your file names contain only alphanumeric characters (no special characters).

Upload Cover Letter (maximum 5MB file)*

Upload Resume or CV (maximum 5MB file)*

Upload Recent Photograph (maximum 5MB file)*

NOTE:

- All successful candidates will be required to submit a criminal history background check, or similar, for all countries that they have worked in, as a condition of employment.

- We apologize, but only those candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. Documents that are submitted to the school will not be returned.

- Only complete applications, including all the documents listed above, will be considered. It should be understood that nothing in this form constitutes a contract.

- Tsukuba International School is an equal opportunity educator and employer. We will not discriminate against any student, prospective student, employee, or job applicant on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We will take measures to ensure against such discrimination in all of our services and practices.