SALARY SCALE: PU 7 NON-SCIENCE
REPORTS TO: DEAN OF STUDENTS
POST PROFILE FOR THE STUDENTS’ COUNSELOR (01)
The Students’ Counselor shall be responsible for offering students ethical, professional counseling that supports their mental well-being, academic resilience, and personal growth at Makerere University Business School.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
i. Provide individual and group sessions for academic stress, mental health, relationships, career decisions, and life transitions; prioritizing rapport, safety, and student-paced
disclosure, grounded in Ugandan counseling ethics and trauma-informed practice.
ii. Conduct thoughtful psychosocial assessments and risk evaluations; develop interventions that respect the time trust takes to build. Coordinate warm, timely referrals to specialized services (e.g., psychiatric care, NGOs) when needed.
iii. Co-create orientation, mentorship, and wellness initiatives like workshops on stress, resilience, sexual health, substance use that are culturally relevant, student-informed, and
skill-building.
iv. Collaborate with academic staff, Health Services, Disability Resource & Learning Centre, and external providers to ensure coordinated care sharing information only with consent and clear purpose.
v. Maintain confidential case notes in approved systems, ensuring accuracy, minimal necessary detail, and compliance with Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019.
vi. Gather anonymized insights on student welfare trends to inform programming, policy, and resource decisions, reporting concisely while safeguarding individual identities.
vii. Advocate for counseling approaches that honor diversity, reduce stigma, and reflect MUBS’s commitment to ethical, well-rounded graduate formation.
viii. Engage in clinical supervision, continuing learning, and reflective practice as essential self-care and professional integrity. Contribute to unit learning through case reflection or
student success initiatives.
ix. Participate in on-call rosters, emergency response, and campus wellbeing efforts, responding to urgent concerns with calm competence, while knowing when to seek support.
x. Perform any other related duties as may
DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES:
i. Ability to connect professionally with students through listening without judgment, responding with empathy and emotional maturity, while consistently upholding confidentiality, ethical boundaries, and professional trust.
ii. Skilled psychosocial assessment, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based counseling approaches, adapted thoughtfully to honor each student’s background, identity, and lived experience within the Ugandan context.
iii. Demonstrates sound decision-making under pressure: assessing risk, de-escalating with care, coordinating referrals, and managing sensitive information; always balancing student safety, autonomy, and dignity.
iv. Ability to partner naturally with academic staff, Health Services Centre, and external providers to support the whole student.
v. Actively engages in peer learning, and sustainable self-care as part of professional practice.
vi. Expresses insights with clarity, whether in counseling sessions, interdisciplinary meetings, or written reports; ensuring information is accurate, respectful, and actionable while protecting student privacy.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
Mandatory Requirements
1. Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Guidance & Counseling, Social Work, Education (Counseling Option), or a relevant related field.
2. Minimum 3 years of post-qualification experience in student counseling, youth psychosocial support, or clinical/community counseling.
3. Demonstrated understanding of Ugandan counseling ethics, confidentiality standards, data protection principles, and university student welfare policies.
4. Must be a citizen of Uganda below the age of 50 years at the time of application.
Added Advantage:
1. A Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, or Guidance & Counseling is strongly preferred.
2. Experience in a University setting is highly advantageous.
Deadline for submission: 15th July 2026 by 5:00 p.m. East African Time (EAT).