Associate Head of School for Academics

Description

SUMMARY

Greenhill School seeks an experienced and thoughtful educator to serve as the inaugural Associate Head of School for Academics. Reporting directly to the Head of School, this senior leadership position provides strategic leadership for the School’s academic program and works collaboratively with school leaders to advance a cohesive educational experience from Preschool through Upper School. The Associate Head fosters instructional excellence, curricular integrity, and a culture of continuous improvement while ensuring that Greenhill’s day-to-day academic operations reflect the School’s mission and values. 

The Associate Head serves as a member of the Administrative Team and directly supervises the Head of Preschool and Lower School, Head of Middle School, Head of Upper School, Head of Arts, Director of Design and Innovation, Head of Athletics and PE, and the Dean of Faculty. In this role, the Associate Head helps shape the School’s strategic direction by providing thoughtful leadership, supporting academic innovation, and ensuring a coherent and purposeful educational experience across the School. 

This is a full-time, 12-month, exempt position. Some evening and weekend work is required.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Instructional Leadership

• Champion a schoolwide culture of excellent, research-informed teaching and learning across all academic divisions and programs.  
• Provide thought leadership on pedagogy, assessment, and the evolving landscape of independent school education.  
• Support division heads and the Dean of Faculty in creating the conditions for teachers to do their best work.  
• Partner with the Director of Equity and Inclusion to ensure that the curriculum and instructional practice reflect Greenhill’s commitment to equity and inclusion and that all students have access to a rigorous and affirming educational experience.  

Curriculum Coherence: Academics, Arts, and Athletics  

• Oversee curriculum design, review, and renewal across all divisions and departments, ensuring vertical and horizontal alignment and programmatic coherence from Preschool through Upper School.  
• Partner with the Head of Arts and the Head of Athletics and PE to ensure that arts and athletics are woven into a coherent educational experience. 
• Proactively shape the academic program to meet evolving student needs, emerging disciplines, and best practices in independent school education 
• Partner with divisional leadership and department chairs to translate curricular vision into classroom practice.  
• Serve as a visible and credible voice for the academic program within the community, including presenting at meetings and forums on curriculum, instructional priorities, and academic initiatives.

Supervision and Evaluation

• Supervise the School’s division heads and other direct reports, establishing clear expectations, supporting professional growth, and conducting annual evaluations.
• Steward and continuously improve Greenhill’s faculty evaluation model, ensuring that observation and feedback processes are meaningful, equitable, and tied to professional growth.  
• Collaborate with the Dean of Faculty to ensure that classroom observation is consistent, purposeful, and connected to schoolwide instructional priorities.  
• Partner with the Head of School, Administrative Team, department chairs, and the Director of Human Resources on faculty hiring, retention, and development.  
• Address faculty performance concerns thoughtfully, equitably, and in accordance with School policies and values. 

Academic Operations and Scheduling

• Oversee the academic calendar and master schedule, ensuring that structure serves the educational program.  
• Manage academic policy development and implementation, including handbook language governing academic expectations, academic integrity, and student support.  
• Coordinate academic accreditation processes and lead data-informed program review cycles.  
• Serve as the point of contact for parent and guardian concerns that rise to the academic leadership level, managing these relationships with clarity and care.  

Requirements

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

• Ability to learn quickly and navigate the complexity of a multidivisional school.
• Imagination and future orientation necessary to build a vision and bring others on board.
• Ability to honor Greenhill’s traditions while bringing fresh ideas and new possibilities to the academic program.
• Willingness to flexibly adjust areas of responsibility as part of establishing a position new to the school.
• Ability to listen deeply, build trust across a wide range of constituents, and navigate disagreement with warmth and candor.
• Commitment to the potential of colleagues and direct reports and to creatively providing resources and mentorship for growth.

Specific Skills and Abilities:

• Commitment to sustaining Greenhill’s diverse and inclusive community and to fostering a sense of belonging in every member.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to speak effectively in public and engage positively with a wide range of constituents.  
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to inspire, support, and evaluate faculty and academic leaders.  
• Strong collaborative instincts and the ability to work effectively across divisions and departments.  
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.  
• Strategic thinker with diplomacy, judgment, and the ability to make decisions in the best interests of students and the School.  
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to supervise and support staff and to manage budgets, schedules, policies, and operational processes.
• Experience with or an interest in the operational dimensions of academic leadership, including scheduling, policy, and cross-divisional coordination.  

Education Qualifications and Experience

• An advanced degree in education or a related field.  
• A minimum of 3-5 years of administrative and supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated experience as an academic leader in an independent school, with a track record of leading curriculum, instruction, and faculty development.  
• Experience supervising and evaluating educational leaders and classroom teachers.  
• A deep understanding of how learning develops across the full span of a student’s school experience.