Chief Counseling Officer - Army Continuing Education System (ACES) -- Centralized Education Support S

Job Description

Job Description

The Chief Counseling Officer (CCO), serving as the Educational Lead, is the senior authority on all educational counseling services, academic advising, Army Personnel Testing (APT), DANTES testing, and Functional Academic Skills Training (FAST/BSEP). The CCO is responsible for approving educational standards, ensuring compliance, and guiding the quality of counseling, which reinforces their leadership role within the program.

The CCO oversees programs such as Army Tuition Assistance, the Army Credentialing Assistance program, which covers over 1,900 credentials, the Educational Development Plan (EDP) process, and Functional Academic Skills Training programs that prepare soldiers for testing and basic skills education. They collaborate with stakeholders, including program managers, counselors, and training staff, to maintain counselor quality, ensure proper training and certification, and uphold the overall integrity of the educational guidance provided to soldiers.

Clearance and citizenship

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Secret clearance eligibility is required at a minimum. Active or current Secret clearance preferred. Favorable Tier 3 (NACI/NACLC) trust determination required for CAC issuance and Army Ignited ED system access at award.

Education

• A master's degree from an accredited institution in counseling, education, higher education administration, educational leadership, counseling psychology, student affairs, or a closely related field is required.
• Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., or D.B.A. with education emphasis) preferred but not required.

Experience

• Minimum eight (8) years of professional counseling, education, or academic-advising experience, of which at least five (5) years are in delivering education counseling services to military Service members, military Family members, or transitioning veterans.
• Demonstrated experience in a senior counseling or education leadership role - including supervision of professional counselors, oversight of counseling program quality, or curriculum design and approval - across multiple sites or installations.
• Demonstrated direct experience with the Army Ignited platform, the Army Credentialing Assistance Program (covering more than 1,900 credentials), the Tuition Assistance Top-Up workflow, and the Educational Development Plan process.
• Demonstrated experience with DANTES testing administration, Test Control Officer (TCO) certification standards, and Army Personnel Testing protocols.
• Prior service as an Army Education Counselor, Army Education Service Officer, contractor lead on a previous ACES contract, or equivalent role on the Air Force AECP, USARC ACES, or Navy/Marine Corps voluntary education program is strongly preferred.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of AR 621-5 (Army Continuing Education System) and related implementing memoranda.
• Working knowledge of the Army Credentialing Assistance Program guidance and the ACAPO workflow.
• Working knowledge of the GI Bill (including Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, and Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance), VA education benefits processing, and Veterans Affairs education counseling resources.
• Working knowledge of accreditation standards under the major regional accrediting agencies and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
• Working knowledge of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) ethical standards and Career Development Facilitator (CDF) competencies.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver counselor training programs to a geographically dispersed counseling workforce.
• Demonstrated ability to write authoritatively about education counseling - for SOPs, training materials, and Government deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively with active-duty Service members, military Family members, and transitioning veterans on educational and career-development matters.
• Working proficiency with Army Ignited, MilGears, the DANTES testing platform, Microsoft 365, and standard counselor productivity tools.

Certifications

• Current state licensure in counseling (LPC, LMHC, or equivalent), or current National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential through the National Board for Certified Counselors, OR Career Development Facilitator (CDF) credential through the Center for Credentialing & Education, OR equivalent professional counseling credential.
• Current DANTES Test Control Officer (TCO) certification preferred