The School

Vistamar School, founded in 2005, is an independent college preparatory day school serving grades 9-12 in El Segundo, CA. The Vistamar experience is guided by its core values and its mission which rests on three pillars: challenging academics that engage and inspire students; an intimate atmosphere that supports students with caring relationships; and a diverse community that encourages the authentic exchange of perspectives and leads students to be comfortable crossing cultural boundaries.

Vistamar is governed by a 16-person Board of Trustees comprised of current and alumni parents, alumni, educators, and members of the community at large. The institution draws from a variety of public, charter, independent, and parochial schools from the South Bay of Los Angeles and has a diverse population of 223 students in which approximately 49 percent of students identify as people of color. Of the 53 faculty and staff members, roughly 45 percent identify as people of color and 80% of them have advanced degrees. Vistamar has an annual budget of $11 million and provides $2.7 million in the Moderated Tuition Program supporting 36 percent of the student body. The student/teacher ratio is 7:1. Vistamar is accredited by California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Today, Vistamar has graduated 17 classes, beginning with the class of 2008. Alumni have been accepted at the nation’s best colleges and universities and are making their mark as global citizens on their campuses and in their fields.

The Opportunity

Vistamar School announces a search for the Director of Life Planning (DLP) to begin on July 1, 2025. The DLP will immediately be leading a reimagining of the structure of the department and the scope of its responsibilities to more fully realize the promise of an ambitious Life Planning Program. Life Planning equips students in grades 9 – 12 with the tools they will need to do meaningful work, be engaged with their communities, and sustain fulfilling relationships with others. With the support and guidance of the Life Planning department students build their life skills, understand their strengths, shape their story, and develop a post-secondary plan aligned with their values. College planning at Vistamar is intentionally embedded in the broader context of Life Planning.

In order to accomplish the full breadth of Life Planning over the 4 year period, the DLP will not only guide the Life Planning Counselors, but also involve faculty advisors and interested community members to help students explore, reflect, and shape their personal and scholarly identities. The students will develop, refine, and share their distinctive stories as a result of a series of meaningful experiences in classes, extracurricular activities, and opportunities in the community. These purposeful engagements may crystallize into compelling college applications, or they may launch a student and family into an alternative fulfilling venture. The DLP will orchestrate and champion what promises to be a signature program of Vistamar, a significant reason as to why a prospective family might choose to apply and enroll, or why an educator would want to join the team. This will be a clear demonstration that Vistamar is “what high school should be”.

The Position

Reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Life Planning (DLP) integrates the curricular and co-curricular experiences of the students and channels that towards their purposeful post-secondary lives. From the vantage point of being the expert in the college admissions process, the DLP serves on the Department Chairs Council to shape the comprehensive curriculum and guide course offerings and academic policies. The DLP leads the Life Planning Program by communicating its philosophy in writing, presentations, and online, and by supervising the Life Planners. The DLP will collaborate with the Dean of Student Life to design opportunities and curriculum for students’ exploration and reflection throughout their four years.

The DLP, with the Life Planning Counselors, is responsible for College Counseling and Academic Planning at Vistamar. The DLP carries a caseload of approximately 30 students per grade, working specifically with seniors and juniors on the college application process. The DLP arranges and offers workshops for students in building resumes, writing essays, standardized test prep and the range of considerations, including affordability, when exploring college options. The DLP provides individual counseling to students to develop and tell their story in the most compelling way and to pursue college options that suit their specific interests and circumstances. The DLP ensures that the Life Planning Program meets the needs of all Vistamar students.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for the DLP position will be an expert in a comprehensive college counseling program and a visionary to see that Life Planning involves intentional cultivation of student skills, demeanors, and experience. This person will be a change agent who builds on previous strengths of the Life Planning Program and reinvigorates and broadens it to engage all students and families over the course of their four year journey at Vistamar in meaningful experiences. The DLP utilizes research, data, and a network of colleagues to design and teach curriculum. Since the Life Planning Program touches curricular, co-curricular, and community partnerships, the DLP must be a strategic and systems thinker. The ability to inspire, delegate, train, and hold accountable the people supporting the students in Life Planning is essential. Vistamar is a highly relational environment where all of the people involved in meeting the vision of Life Planning want to feel prepared, recognized, and successful. The DLP will not only

champion the program but also cheerlead for the people who are taking on new responsibilities. In support of the school mission and ethos, the DLP will continue to evolve the work of creating systems for access, inclusion, and student success.

Strong candidates will be dedicated to helping each student chart a path towards personal and academic success, and in preparing them for success in college and in life. They will have demonstrated practice of cultural responsiveness and evidence of efforts to increase access and opportunities for historically marginalized communities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

Lead annual strategic planning efforts for the Life Planning Department and ensuring the alignment of these efforts with Vistamar’s mission and broader objectives;

Collaborate with and supervise a team of two veteran Life Planners with experience in college counseling, financial aid, and admissions

Strategize, execute and assess utilizing feedback mechanisms and data collection a reimagined Life Planning Program that involves stakeholders from Life Planning, the faculty and staff, and outside community members

• Engage students, parents, and community members through presentations (including Open Houses, Discover Vistamar Days, Class Meetings), newsletters, and social media regarding the opportunities and purpose of the Life Planning Program

Coordinate programs and projects across multiple academic and non-academic departments with other leaders of school life including admissions, student services, teaching and learning, etc

Manage the Life Planning Resource page of the school website

Serve on the Department Chairs Counsel to guide curriculum development and academic policy, and to share trends in academic preparation for college admissions

Represent Vistamar School within professional organizations, peer networks, and professional development conferences

College Counseling

Counsel students and families to approach the college search/post-secondary planning in a developmentally appropriate way that takes into account varying interests, abilities, and needs

Maintain a caseload of approximately 30 students per grade level

Serve as a liaison to colleague partners in college admission offices across the country and around the world and host college representatives on campus, including Multicultural College Fair

Lead and/or arrange student and parent workshops (College Application Workshop, Test Prep, Financial Aid, etc)

• Support the faculty to generate compelling, student-specific recommendation letters Visit college campuses individually, on college-sponsored trips, and as a chaperone on spring break college tours

Academic Planning

Guide students in course selection to optimize student success and to build a resume aligned with future aspirations

Lead the capstone Senior Project program connecting students to community opportunities

Oversee standardized testing programs (PSAT, SAT/ACT, AP)

Life Planning

• Develop curriculum to facilitate student goal setting, exploration, reflection Collaborate with the Director of Student Life to integrate Life Planning, Advisory, G-Blocks

Cultivate and activate a set of community opportunities – apprenticeships, internships, mentorships, entrepreneurial endeavors, interviews – that welcome Vistamar students

Desired Candidate Qualities

A bachelor’s degree (B.A.). An advanced degree in educational leadership, youth services, social work or related field is preferred.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in college admissions or college counseling at secondary school or collegiate level.

At least 5 years of supervisory or management experience.

A collaborator who cultivates strong, collegial relationships with all community members Demonstrated commitment and competency in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging An interest in supporting current co-curricular programs and professional learning communities.

A network and readiness to engage outside agencies and individuals to support student experience beyond the classroom

An educator who uses student-centered approaches to teaching along with a depth of content expertise to design meaningful Life Planning experiences that foster a passion for engagement in students in line with the school’s Four Attributes of Excellent Teaching

A thought leader who can keep Vistamar on the cutting edge of best practices related to college admissions and post-secondary student opportunities as well as equity, access, success, and belonging for all students

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Proficiency with technology and various web-based college counseling tools (Scoir, Blackbaud, etc.).

Compensation

Anticipated compensation is $120,000-$150,000 depending on experience. The school offers a highly competitive benefits package for employees and dependents. This position is a 12-month administrative position, classified as full-time, exempt.

To Apply

To apply, submit the requested documents listed below at

https://www.vista marschool.org/about-us/employment by February 18.

A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position; A current résumé;

A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission) to:

Remote interviews will be conducted upon receipt of applications in late January and February. References will be requested and contacted after the first round of remote interviews. Onsite finalist interviews will take place in late February.

Vistamar School is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants. We administer all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or domestic partnership status, disability, protected veteran status or military status, genetic information, or any other category protected under applicable law.