Location: Barcelona, Spain

Department: Student Affairs

Position: Full-time

Reports to: Head of Student Life

About ACM-IAU Barcelona

ACM-IAU Barcelona is an international higher education institution committed to providing students with a supportive, inclusive, and enriching educational experience. Our Student Affairs team supports students’ academic, personal, cultural, and emotional wellbeing throughout their time in Barcelona.

We are seeking a compassionate, proactive, and culturally responsive professional to join our Student Affairs team in a dual-role position combining student support and counseling services.

Position Overview The Student Affairs & Wellness Coordinator will divide their time between general Student Affairs responsibilities and the provision of student counseling and wellbeing support.

The successful candidate will be approachable, organized, and comfortable working with an international student population. They will support students navigating personal, emotional, health, cultural, and practical challenges while also contributing to a welcoming and inclusive campus environment.

This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, sound professional judgment, discretion, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to respond appropriately to both routine student concerns and more urgent situations.

As the primary counseling language will be English, exceptional spoken and written English communication skills are essential. The successful candidate must be able to communicate with students confidently, naturally, and with a high degree of emotional and cultural sensitivity.

Key Responsibilities

Student Affairs Responsibilities — Approximately 50%

- Serve as a supportive and accessible point of contact for students experiencing personal, health, emotional, cultural, or practical concerns.
- Provide student support, guidance, and follow-up throughout the semester.
- Assist students in navigating local healthcare, mental health, and other community resources.
- Coordinate referrals to external medical, counseling, and wellbeing providers when appropriate.
- Support students experiencing illness, personal difficulties, homesickness, adjustment challenges, or other concerns affecting their experience abroad.
- Assist with student absence and wellbeing follow-up in collaboration with the Student Affairs team.
- Respond appropriately to student emergencies and participate in the institution’s emergency support procedures.
- Maintain accurate,



confidential records and communicate relevant information to appropriate colleagues in accordance with institutional policies and privacy requirements.
- Contribute to student orientation, wellbeing initiatives, workshops, and educational programming.
- Support initiatives related to inclusion, diversity, belonging, and intercultural adjustment.
- Collaborate with colleagues across Student Affairs, Academics, Housing, and other departments to promote student success and wellbeing.
- Participate in occasional student events, meetings, and activities outside standard office hours when required.

Counseling & Wellness Responsibilities — Approximately 50%

- Provide individual counseling and emotional support to students experiencing personal, emotional, relational, cultural, or adjustment-related concerns.
- Conduct initial consultations and assess students’ needs, making referrals to specialized or emergency services when appropriate.
- Support students experiencing anxiety, homesickness, stress, grief, relationship difficulties, identity-related concerns, and other common challenges associated with studying abroad.
- Provide short-term, student-centered counseling within the scope of professional training and institutional procedures.
- Recognize and respond appropriately to safeguarding, risk, and crisis concerns, including following established procedures for students presenting with significant mental health or safety concerns.
- Maintain professional boundaries, accurate documentation, and confidentiality in accordance with applicable professional and institutional standards.
- Develop and deliver wellbeing workshops, awareness campaigns, and preventative programming on topics such as stress management, adjustment, resilience, healthy relationships, and mental health.
- Promote mental health resources and help-seeking among students.
- Collaborate with external mental health professionals and referral partners when students require ongoing or specialized care.
- Contribute to the development and evaluation of the institution’s student wellness services.

Required Qualifications and Experience

- Native-level or fully professional fluency in English, both written and spoken, with exceptional communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, naturally,



and sensitively with English-speaking university students in complex or emotionally challenging situations.
- A relevant professional qualification in counseling, psychology, psychotherapy, social work, mental health, or a related field.
- Experience providing counseling, student support, mental health services, or related services, preferably in a higher education, international, or multicultural environment.
- Experience working with young adults and/or university students.
- Knowledge of mental health support, safeguarding, crisis response, and referral procedures.
- Strong understanding of confidentiality, professional boundaries, and ethical practice.
- Cultural competence and sensitivity when working with students from diverse backgrounds.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience working with international or study-abroad students.
- Professional working proficiency in Spanish is desirable but not essential.
- Training in Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, or related areas.
- Experience developing wellbeing workshops or preventative mental health programming.
- Familiarity with healthcare and mental health services in Barcelona.
- Experience working within a higher education or residential student-support setting.

Personal Attributes The idóneo candidate will be:

- Warm, approachable, and empathetic
- Professional, discreet, and trustworthy
- Culturally responsive and open-minded
- Calm and capable in challenging situations
- Proactive and solutions-oriented
- Organized and dependable
- Comfortable working with students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds
- Committed to student wellbeing, inclusion, and belonging

What We Offer

- The opportunity to support an international student community in Barcelona
- A varied role combining student support, counseling, and wellbeing programming
- Collaboration with a committed and multidisciplinary Student Affairs team
- Opportunities to contribute to the development of student wellness initiatives
- A welcoming, multicultural working environment

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and a brief cover letter explaining your interest in the position and relevant experience in student affairs, counseling, mental health, or student wellbeing.

Applications should be sent to [email protected] by October 1st, 2026.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

📌 Student Affairs & Wellness Coordinator (España)
🏢 The American College of the Mediterranean
📍 España