Student Wellbeing & Psychological Counsellor (3-5 month contract)

BRITISH UNIVERSITY VIETNAM (BUV)

British University Vietnam (BUV) is the first and only international university in Vietnam to directly award British degrees from the prestigious University of London and other UK universities. BUV is rated a 5 Star university of excellence by the world recognised QS accreditor and is also recognised with a University-wide accreditation from the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

BUV has three main brand drivers:

• Offering accredited British and international higher education and training in Vietnam.
• Providing 5-star university campuses, learning spaces, and services.
• Including a Personal and Social Growth (PSG) Program that prepares students for the future of life and work.

Established in 2009, BUV provides teaching for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Employability rates for students are exceptionally high with 100% of graduates from BUV either employed or continuing higher education within 3 months after graduation.

Students study at BUV’s award winning campus in the Ecopark township near Hanoi. With its state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities and an iconic design, BUV is recognised as one of the best educational environments in Southeast Asia.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Student Wellbeing Counsellor plays a key role in supporting the holistic development and success of students at the University by promoting psychological wellbeing, emotional resilience, and personal growth throughout their university journey. The role provides both individual counselling and group activities, delivers preventative wellbeing programmes, and contributes to building a healthy, safe, and inclusive learning environment across the University.

Working closely with the Head of Student Engagement, the teammate and and relevant departments, the position holder will help identify emerging wellbeing needs among students, provide timely support and interventions, and design initiatives that strengthen students’ capacity to manage academic, personal, and social challenges.

The Counsellor will also contribute to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of counselling policies, procedures, and service standards, ensuring alignment with best practices from UK partner universities, international higher education standards, and Vietnamese regulatory requirements (including MOET regulations).

Through counselling services, educational workshops, awareness campaigns, and cross-department collaboration, the role supports the University’s mission of nurturing graduates who demonstrate kindness, resilience, compassion, integrity, and respect.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Counselling and Student Support

· Provide confidential individual and group counselling to students experiencing social, emotional, psychological, or behavioural challenges.

· Support students in managing issues such as academic stress, anxiety, relationships, identity development, emotional regulation, and social integration.

· Conduct wellbeing screenings, assessments, and risk evaluations to identify potential concerns and provide appropriate support or intervention.

· Provide early intervention and case management for students facing wellbeing challenges, ensuring appropriate follow-up and documentation.

· Refer students to relevant internal services or external professional support where necessary.

2. Wellbeing Programmes, Workshops and Events

· Design and deliver wellbeing workshops, talks, campaigns, and awareness initiatives on topics such as mental health literacy, resilience, stress management, emotional intelligence, and healthy relationships…

· Plan and implement a structured annual wellbeing activities calendar aligned with the University academic cycle and student needs.

· Collaborate with student clubs, academic and operations departments, and university units to integrate wellbeing themes into co-curricular and student life activities.

· Support the delivery of wellbeing-related sessions during orientation and induction programs, Personal and Social Growth Programme and PSG Weeks, recruitment events, parents’ events, and university engagement activities where appropriate.

3. Service Development, Quality Assurance and Best Practice

· Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of the University’s counselling services, including policies, procedures, and operational frameworks.

· Ensure counselling practices align with professional ethical standards, UK partner university guidelines, and MOET regulations.

· Benchmark and adopt best practices from UK partner universities and international higher education wellbeing services.

· Support the development of new initiatives that improve student access, engagement, and awareness of wellbeing services.

· Maintain accurate and confidential counselling records in accordance with data protection and professional standards.

4. University-wide Wellbeing Promotion

· Work collaboratively with academic staff, student services teams, and university leadership to promote a whole-institution approach to student wellbeing.

· Support the development and implementation of preventative wellbeing programmes that contribute to a positive campus environment.

· Promote policies and initiatives that enhance student safety, inclusiveness, and respect across the University community.

· Provide consultation to university staff regarding student wellbeing concerns where appropriate.

5. Monitoring, Reporting and Administration

· Collect and analyse data relating to counselling services usage, student wellbeing trends, and programme outcomes to inform service improvement.

· Prepare weekly case updates, semester reports, and annual wellbeing reports for the Head of Student Engagement.

· Develop and manage semesterly wellbeing activity plans and budgets for events and initiatives.

· Support departmental communication, including newsletters, student communications, and wellbeing awareness materials.

· Ensure timely and professional responses to enquiries from students, parents, and university stakeholders.

6. Safeguarding and Student Protection

· Maintain strict confidentiality and professional ethics in handling all student cases.

· Remain vigilant to signs that a student may be at risk due to bullying, harassment, mental health concerns, abuse, or other safety issues.

· Escalate safeguarding concerns appropriately and coordinate with relevant university units when necessary.

7. Other Duties

· Assist in supervising and supporting students during university events and activities where wellbeing oversight is required.

· Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of Student Engagement or University management.

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS

Essential Qualifications and Experience

· Vietnamese national with professional working proficiency in both Vietnamese and English.

· Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Psychology, or a related field from a recognised institution. A postgraduate qualification in counselling or mental health is an advantage.

· Demonstrated experience in providing counselling or psychological support to young people or university-aged students (18–24).

· Experience working with individuals facing mental health challenges, emotional difficulties, or social disadvantages.

· Knowledge of psychological assessments, emotional intelligence frameworks, and student development approaches relevant to young adults.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills in English to support counselling, workshops, and collaboration in an international university environment.

· Ability to work effectively with students from diverse cultural, social, and educational backgrounds.

· Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage counselling services, wellbeing initiatives, and student programmes simultaneously.

Core Competencies (Skills and Abilities)

· Excellent interpersonal, listening, and empathy skills with the ability to build trust with students.

· Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity in working with diverse student populations.

· Ability to design and deliver wellbeing workshops, campaigns, and student engagement initiatives.

· Strong planning and organisational skills, particularly in coordinating wellbeing events and activities.

· Ability to analyse student wellbeing trends and identify emerging support needs.

· High level of professional ethics, confidentiality, and integrity in handling student cases.

· Ability to work collaboratively across departments in a multi-stakeholder university environment.

Behavioural Competencies

· Student-centred mindset with a strong commitment to supporting student wellbeing and success.

· High level of professional responsibility and accountability.

· Detail-oriented with strong case management and documentation practices.

· Proactive, adaptable, and able to respond effectively to emerging student wellbeing needs.

· Creative and solution-oriented in developing wellbeing programmes and engagement initiatives.

· Professional, approachable, and service-oriented in interactions with students and colleagues.

BENEFITS

• Highly competitive salary package, monthly remuneration starts from 21.000.000 VND, depending on qualifications/experience;
• Transportation support;
• Various staff events throughout the year (outings, year-end party, sports activities and other events);
• Onsite fitness and sports centre;
• Opportunity to work within a professional and multicultural environment.

Interested candidates should prepare an up-to-date CV and application letter indicating for which position you are applying. Please then select SUBMIT YOUR CV button on our JOBS AT BUV webpage or email to hr@buv.edu.vn. We will invite short-listed candidates for interviews. Recruitment will remain open until the position is filled.

Important Notice:

To strengthen communication and protect candidates from increasingly complex fraud risks, please note that BUV will never request any fees or payments during the recruitment process. Be cautious of scams that ask for money to apply.

The Human Resources Department (HRD) of BUV only uses the official email address hr@buv.edu.vn. If you are ever unsure about the authenticity of any information or request, kindly contact HRD at hr@buv.edu.vn or by phone at +84 2216 250 250 during office hours for verification and support.

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