How to hire a counseling director

How to hire a counseling director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step counseling director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a counseling director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new counseling director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a counseling director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a counseling director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A counseling director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, counseling directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of counseling director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Counseling Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Counseling Director	Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.	$21-68
   Program Lead	A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands... Show more	$28-82
   Activities Leader	An activity leader's main duty is to offer sports programs and exercises that are riveting in a positive manner. The activities typically assigned to leaders are the ones they understand for the smooth promotion and planning of events... Show more	$9-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Human Resources
   • Litigation
   • Legal Advice
   • Legal Issues
   • Business Development
   • Risk Management
   • Intellectual Property
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Professional Development
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Substance Abuse
   • Group Therapy
   • Financial Aid
   • FDA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the dispute resolution/litigation process; responding to and resolving threaten litigation; responding to subpoenas and regulatory inquiries and investigations.
   • Advise companies and employers on legislative and regulatory issues and business matters including contracts, transactions, property acquisitions and litigation.
   • Train on first aid and CPR.
   • Maintain guidelines set by HIPAA.
   • Obtain FDA approval for new products.
   • Conduct daily HMIS intakes on all new guests, update and maintain accurate records.

   More counseling director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the counseling director job description is a good way to get more applicants. A counseling director salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a counseling director in Arkansas may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level counseling director. Additionally, a counseling director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average counseling director salary

   $80,811yearly

   $38.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level counseling director salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

   Average counseling director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$140,219	$67
   2	District of Columbia	$131,686	$63
   3	Massachusetts	$128,566	$62
   4	California	$123,418	$59
   5	Oregon	$119,476	$57
   6	Delaware	$115,394	$55
   7	Colorado	$114,608	$55
   8	Maryland	$106,228	$51
   9	Washington	$102,799	$49
   10	Pennsylvania	$101,881	$49
   11	Illinois	$93,279	$45
   12	Michigan	$86,749	$42
   13	Ohio	$78,055	$38
   14	Florida	$77,975	$37
   15	Georgia	$68,761	$33
   16	Texas	$67,188	$32

   Average counseling director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Palo Alto Networks	$175,101	$84.18
   2	CNA Insurance	$140,213	$67.41
   3	Applied Materials	$138,754	$66.71	8
   4	Deutsche Bank	$130,249	$62.62
   5	First Republic Bank	$120,519	$57.94
   6	Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group	$116,130	$55.83
   7	OhioGuidestone	$115,457	$55.51
   8	Univision Communications	$106,847	$51.37
   9	UBS	$105,794	$50.86
   10	Arrow Electronics	$100,679	$48.40
   11	Florida Mortgage Corporation	$96,429	$46.36
   12	Santa Clara University	$95,612	$45.97
   13	Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.	$95,350	$45.84
   14	Thermo Fisher Scientific	$92,089	$44.27
   15	The City University of New York	$91,044	$43.77
   16	Middlebury College	$89,456	$43.01
   17	The Bancorp	$81,564	$39.21
   18	Carrington Mortgage Services, Mortgage Lending Division	$79,583	$38.26
   19	Acadia Healthcare	$76,927	$36.98
   20	Advance Green Energy	$72,396	$34.81

4. Writing a counseling director job description

   A counseling director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a counseling director job description:

   Counseling director job description example

   This role will help support ViX and ViX+, our new global Spanish-language streaming products. More specifically, this role: (1) will negotiate and draft both product platform, partnership, and content licensing agreements; and (2) will support regulatory compliance and other legal considerations for our streaming products. The role requires an attorney with experience in complex transactions with good drafting and project management skills.
   ABOUT THE ROLE & TEAM:
   
   + Project management support in connection with all legal guidance provided for TelevisaUnivision's streaming products and deal management for the content licensing business
   
   + Manage, negotiate, and draft distribution deals for TelevisaUnivision's current and future streaming products with partners such as television companies, app platforms, wireless telcos, and other content distributors, app partners, social media platforms, and smart device manufacturers
   
   + Work collaboratively with TelevisaUnivision's business divisions in creating/launching new products and licensing content, as well as TelevisaUnivision's relevant legal teams, in order to comply with our existing agreements
   
   + Coordinate with TelevisaUnivision's inbound content licensing team to ensure consistency across inbound and outbound deals
   
   + Coordinate with TelevisaUnivision's privacy and data handling team to ensure compliance with applicable policies and laws
   
   YOU HAVE:
   
   + Juris Doctor degree
   
   + Current license to practice law in at least one state; eligible to practice in California, Florida or New York
   
   + Minimum of 4 years of day-to-day experience negotiating and drafting complex commercial agreements, preferably in the areas of content licensing
   
   + Fluent in Spanish, including the ability to negotiate and draft contracts in Spanish
   
   + Experience negotiating deals with television and other content companies, app platforms, social media platforms, and smart device manufacturers
   
   + Knowledge of applicable consumer laws and regulations
   
   + Working knowledge of media-related technology, such as app platforms
   
   + Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and strategically with business divisions to launch new products and craft innovative deals
   
   + Demonstrated organization, facilitation, communication, and presentation skills
   
   + Experience presenting high-stakes issues in a professional and proactive manner to clients
   
   + Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple, cross-functional projects
   
   OUR BENEFITS:
   
   TelevisaUnivision believes that a happy, well-balanced employee is what makes our culture thrive. We offer a wide selection of perks and benefits including PTO; tuition reimbursement; wellness and employee support programs; 401K; and life and other insurance plans. This is all in addition to our comprehensive and competitive health benefits package featuring medical, dental and vision coverage options.
   
   Univision requires that all U.S. and Puerto Rico employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. This position will require the successful candidate to submit proof of vaccination. The Company is an equal opportunity employer, and will reasonably accommodate a qualified candidate, who may be unable to be vaccinated, consistent with federal, state, and local law.
   
   Univision is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right counseling director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with counseling directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit counseling directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your counseling director job on Zippia to find and recruit counseling director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit counseling directors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new counseling director

   Once you've decided on a perfect counseling director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a counseling director?