Director of Ethics at The National Board for Certified Counselors

Brief Description

The Director of Ethics serves as the principal authority on ethics for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and its affiliates, providing leadership, oversight, and strategic guidance on ethical standards, policy development, and professional advocacy. This role supports the integrity of the counseling profession by contributing to the development and maintenance of NBCC and affiliate codes of ethics; conducting ethics-related investigations in accordance with established ethics case procedures; and ensuring consistent, fair, and effective ethics administration across multiple organizational settings.

The Director of Ethics acts as a key liaison between the Executive Office and internal and external stakeholders, including the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) and the NBCC Foundation, and other national counseling organizations, on ethics and ethics-related counseling trends. The position also supports professional counseling initiatives by providing subject matter expertise and coordination, as well as representing NBCC in national and state-level presentations. In addition, the Director oversees Ethics staff, monitors performance, and recommends personnel actions to ensure a high-functioning ethics operation aligned with NBCC's mission and standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as Director of Ethics for NBCC and its affiliates
• Provides overall leadership, strategic direction, and subject matter expertise for all ethics-related activities of NBCC and its affiliates
• Ensures ethical standards, policies, and procedures are consistently applied and aligned with NBCC’s mission, values, and public protection responsibilities
• Advocates for professional counseling projects
• Supports and advances initiatives that promote the counseling profession, ethical practice, and professional identity
• Provides ethics-based guidance to internal projects and initiatives to ensure alignment with professional standards, regulatory expectations, and best practices
• Provides input into the development and maintenance of codes of ethics offered by NBCC and CCE
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to develop, review, revise, and interpret codes of ethics
• Monitors emerging ethical issues, legal developments, and trends in professional practice to inform ongoing updates and ensure continued relevance and rigor of ethical standards
• Acts as liaison from the Executive Office regarding professional counseling efforts
• Represents the Executive Office on matters related to ethics, professional counseling practice, and standards development
• Communicates ethics-related priorities, decisions, and guidance across departments and with external partners as needed
• Serves as liaison from NBCC to CCE, the NBCC Foundation, and other counseling organizations on ethics-related issues
• Coordinates ethics-related communication and collaboration with affiliated organizations and professional partners
• Provides consultation, guidance, and shared resources on ethics, advocacy, and professional standards to support alignment and mutual goals
• Conducts ethics-related investigations as required by NBCC and its affiliates’ Ethics Case Procedures
• Oversees and conducts investigations into alleged ethics violations in accordance with established policies and procedures
• Ensures investigations are fair, thorough, timely, and well-documented, and prepares findings, reports, and recommendations as required
• Maintains and applies a strong working knowledge of ethics administrative processes in a variety of settings
• Demonstrates expertise in ethics administration, including complaint intake, case management, due process, confidentiality, documentation, and decision-making frameworks; applies this knowledge across diverse organizational, regulatory, and professional contexts
• Monitors and evaluates the performance of Ethics staff and recommends personnel actions
• Supervises Ethics staff by setting performance expectations, providing coaching and feedback, and conducting evaluations
• Recommends and implements personnel actions, including hiring, training, professional development, recognition, discipline, and termination, in accordance with organizational policies
• Reviews and contributes to policies, procedures, and governance documents related to ethics and professional conduct
• Reviews, evaluates, and contributes to the development, revision, and interpretation of organizational policies, procedures, and governance documents related to ethics and professional conduct; ensures these documents reflect current professional standards, legal and regulatory requirements, and best practices, and supports consistent application across NBCC and its affiliates
• Maintains accurate records and data related to ethics cases, trends, and outcomes; prepares reports for leadership and governance bodies
• Oversees the accurate documentation, maintenance, and confidentiality of ethics case records and related data
• Analyzes trends, outcomes, and emerging issues to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
• Prepares clear, comprehensive reports and summaries for executive leadership, boards, committees, and other governance bodies as required
• Represents NBCC in professional meetings, committees, and conferences related to ethics, counseling practice, and professional standards
• Serves as an official representative of NBCC at professional meetings, committees, conferences, and external forums
• Contributes expertise on ethics, counseling practice, and professional standards, while promoting NBCC’s mission, ethical framework, and leadership role within the counseling profession
• Ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and best practices related to ethics administration and investigations
• Ensures that ethics administration, investigations, and decision-making processes comply with applicable federal, state, and international laws, regulations, and professional standards
• Monitors legal and regulatory developments and recommends procedural or policy updates to maintain compliance and mitigate organizational risk
• Collaborates cross-functionally with legal counsel, certification, compliance, and communications staff as needed
• Works collaboratively with internal departments, including legal counsel, certification, compliance, and communications, to address ethics-related matters
• Coordinates efforts to ensure accurate interpretation of ethical standards, effective case management, consistent messaging, and alignment across organizational functions
• Monitors national and international trends in counseling ethics, licensure, and professional regulation
• Actively monitors and evaluates emerging national and international trends in counseling ethics, licensure, credentialing, and professional regulation; uses this information to anticipate challenges, inform policy development, guide strategic planning, and support the continued relevance and leadership of NBCC’s ethical standards
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Undertakes additional responsibilities consistent with the scope and level of the position to support organizational goals.
  
  

Required Education/Experience:

• Master's degree (MA) in counseling required
• 4 years of counseling and/or ethics experience required
• National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential in good standing required
• Ability to pay close attention to detail for accuracy and thoroughness in completing work
• Willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction
• Ability to encourage and build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members
• Ability to develop specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work
  
  

Preferred Education/Education:

• Licensure as a professional counselor by a state regulatory board preferred
• 2 years of supervisory experience preferred
  
  

Equipment

• Microsoft Office Suite
• Adobe
  
  

Work Location:

• Primarily hybrid with a minimum of 2-3 days per week in the office.
  
  

Travel Requirements:

• May require domestic and international travel.
  
  

Why join NBCC?

NBCC fosters a collaborative work environment filled with people dedicated to advancing mental health services across the globe. Through credentialing, examinations, continuing education, legislation, scholarships, and grants, we are passionate about supporting counselors and mental health providers, reducing stigma surrounding mental health, and expanding mental health services to underserved areas and populations.

Some of our amazing benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(K) retirement plan with a 6% company match
• Discretionary profit sharing of 2%
• Daycare assistance - dependent care FSA employer contribution
• Medical health savings account - employer contributions
• Employer paid Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Basic Term Life AD&D
• Paid time-off programs (sick, vacation, personal, floating)
• 10 observed paid holidays
• Paid winter holiday break
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Costco or Sam’s Club membership
• Employer paid LifeLock identity theft protection
• Calm app subscription