COLLEGE COUNSELOR/ENGLISH Teachers: Be part of building a world class IB school

Job overview

Do you want to be part of building a world class IB school in one of the nicest cities in Japan?

Kumamoto International School is an IB World School for the DP and PYP.

We are looking for a qualified professional to serve in a dual role:

• 50% College Counselor - Guiding students through university applications, running our Future Focus Program, and helping students map their educational and career pathways

• 50% English Teacher (L&L / Language Acquisition)- Teaching English, providing language support, and delivering targeted intervention for students in Grades 6-12 (MYP and DP)

This position is ideal for someone who:

• Has demonstrated experience in college counseling, particularly with international university admissions

• Understands the complexities of both IB Diploma Programme admissions and non-IB pathways (SAT, TOEFL, etc.)

• Is passionate about teaching L&L and supporting diverse language learners

• Wants to make a direct impact on students' futures both academically and in their career preparation

• Thrives in a collaborative, team-oriented environment

• Has a DEMONSTRATED history of ensuring exceptional educational outcomes for their students

Our goal is simple:

To be a world-class school and to have a great time while doing it.

Working hard and having fun together, we want all members of the school community to love being part of what we are creating.

About Kumamoto International School

Kumamoto International School (KIS) is located in Kumamoto, on the Island of Kyushu, in western Japan. KIS is an accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

Our preschool division, Picasso, opened in 2003, and our primary school division opened in 2018. Our junior high school opened in April, 2023. We recently built a much larger campus / new school building for our primary, junior high and high school divisions (which opened in April, 2025). As a growing school, there is significant potential for advancement as we open additional divisions and grade levels.

Are we a good fit?

You:

Do you want to work for a smaller school that you can grow with?

Are you relentless in your commitment to providing exceptional educational outcomes for students?

Do you want to work at a school that shares your passion for excellence?

Do you want to live and work in a smaller Japanese city (~750,000 people) that offers exceedingly high quality of life and a much lower cost of living than the major metropolitan areas of Japan?

Do you like the idea of walking or biking to work rather than commuting on a cramped train?

Do you want to work at a growing school that offers numerous growth opportunities in a variety of roles?

Do you want to be a “change agent” who literally changes the lives of the children you teach?

Do you like the idea of being coached on your journey to becoming the best teacher you can be?

Do you love the idea of being part of a collaborative like-minded team focused on delivering amazing educational outcomes for your students?

Do you respect Japanese culture, values, traditions, and ways of thinking?

Do you never want to feel like a cog in a big organization?

Us:

Are relentless about continuous improvement on our journey to becoming the best international school in Japan

Believe that one great teacher is worth three average teachers

Work to create a tight-knit team of professionals 100% focused on delivering the best educational outcomes for our students

Believe that one great teacher can impact the life of their students forever

Support our teachers 100% to allow them to do their best work

Coach our teachers to become true master educators who change the lives of the students in their care

Built around one of the 3 most famous castles in all of Japan, Kumamoto boasts one of the highest qualities of life anywhere in the country: the air and water are clean, the weather beautiful (300+ days of sunshine / year), and there is easy access to abundant and pristine nature. If you love nature and the outdoors, you’ll love Kumamoto. In addition, the active volcano Mt. Aso is only an hour away, and Osaka is only 3 hours away via a direct bullet train: weekend getaways are easily arranged. Thanks to the numerous farmers in Kumamoto prefecture, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat are also easy to come by and cheap: 1/2 the price in Tokyo!

We opened 22 years ago with our preschool division, Picasso Preschool, and we currently have a total of 60 staff across all of our divisions. Our goal is to find great staff and build a great team. Our philosophy: we don’t teach people to be nice and work hard; we hire hard-working, nice people. Our longest-serving Japanese staff have been with us for 20 years, and several other teachers have been with us for more than 10 years. In many cases, staff socialize outside of work, and the school serves as a great base from which to find your bearings in Japan and make friends. We place a high priority on staff cohesion and cooperation, and there is always someone there to help as necessary. You will never be treated as, or feel like, a cog in a large organization. In addition, there is significant potential for teachers to advance their career by continuing to acquire new skills and taking on new roles as the school grows.

To support our teachers as they adjust to life in Japan, we also offer free Japanese language lessons on campus.

Our school is a very positive, bright, high-energy environment. Only teachers who want to be part of, and will actively contribute to, such an environment, should apply! If that’s you, you’ll love it here!

Website

School website: https://kumamotointer.jp/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiskumamoto/

To Apply:

Please apply via this Google Forms link: https://forms.gle/33Y86fNQG12kCM5QA