Senior Counsellor

Location: 3 Worcester Street, Oxford, OX1 2BX
Salary: Grade 8: £49,119–£58,265 per annum (including Oxford University Weighting), pro rata
Hours: 22.5 hours per week (3 days), term time only (30 weeks per year)
Contract: Permanent – earliest start date February 2027

About Us

The University of Oxford is a world-leading institution committed to excellence in research, education and student wellbeing.

Student Welfare and Support Services (SWSS) brings together the Counselling Service, Disability Advisory Service, Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service, and Peer Support and Mental Health Awareness programmes to provide integrated support. The Counselling Service supports around 3,200 students each year, delivering brief therapeutic interventions primarily informed by psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches.

Our vision is to help all students flourish personally and academically, developing the resilience and skills to thrive.

What We Offer

Working at Oxford includes:

• 38 days' annual leave (including public holidays), with the option to purchase more.
• One of the UK's most generous family leave schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working options.
• Excellent contributory pension scheme.
• Personal and professional development opportunities.
• A 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Programme.

About the Role

As Senior Counsellor, you will combine expert clinical practice with leadership in service development, training and supervision. You will deliver high-quality psychodynamic or cognitive behavioural therapy, undertake complex assessments and risk management, and manage your own caseload within the BACP Ethical Framework.

You will assess referrals, respond to urgent matters, deliver individual and group therapy, facilitate workshops, and provide culturally responsive support to a diverse student population.

You will also:

• Supervise trainees and associate counsellors.
• Lead a specialist area, contributing to service development and innovation.
• Undertake service evaluation and small-scale research.
• Design and deliver training for University staff.
• Contribute to Peer Support training and supervision.

The role includes weekly team meetings and one evening per week during term time. You will work with considerable autonomy while contributing to strategic developments in student mental health provision.

About You

You will hold BACP Individual Accreditation, UKCP Registration or equivalent. Clinical or counselling psychologists must be eligible for BPS chartership.

We welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented or minoritised backgrounds who meet the essential criteria.

You will bring:

• Significant experience delivering psychodynamic or cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Experience adapting therapeutic approaches for brief interventions and complex presentations.
• Experience designing and delivering training, workshops or groups.
• A strong understanding of student mental health in higher education.
• Experience contributing to service development or evaluation.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complex clinical concepts.
• Emotional resilience and confidence working in a demanding environment.
• Experience delivering therapy and assessments online.

Experience providing clinical supervision and contributing to organisational development would be advantageous.

Sponsorship and Right to Work

This role is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship. We welcome applications from candidates who already hold, or are eligible to obtain, the right to work in the UK through another immigration route.

Application Process

Please submit:

• A covering letter/supporting statement.
• Your CV.
• Details of two referees.

Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 14 August.

Group interviews are expected on Wednesday 2 September. Successful candidates will then attend an individual interview on Tuesday 8 or Wednesday 9 September. All interviews will be held face to face; please ensure you are available on all three dates.

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