Job Details

Head of Upper School

Position Number: 6082952
Location: Hillsborough, CA
Position Type: Presidents and Chancellors

Head of Upper School

Job Location
Crystal Upper School - Hillsborough, CA

Description
Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Crystal Springs Uplands School is a 6-12 co-educational, independent day school located on two distinct campuses in Hillsborough and Belmont, CA with 125 employees. Our deeply connected culture and community celebrates scholarship, strives for balance, and fosters inclusion. The Professional Adult Community (PAC) is an experienced, collaborative group of employees who are committed to the mission and core values of the school. Crystal is full of kind, curious learners (adults and students alike) who are passionate about the school's mission of transformative teaching and meaningful connections. We are committed to the work required to create more equitable systems and foster inclusive environments so that all members of our community can thrive together.

MISSION STATEMENT

Through transformative teaching and meaningful connections, we empower kind, curious learners to thrive together.

CORE VALUES

We Celebrate Scholarship - The foundation of Crystal is academic excellence.
We Seek Growth Challenges - Our culture says try it.
We Foster Kindness & Inclusion - Crystal is a caring and diverse community.
We Strive for Balance - A holistic approach to well-being is integral to our mission.
We Engage with Enthusiasm - With unbounded spirit, we give our best effort every day and pay it forward to our community.
We Lead with Humility - Being grateful and open-minded, we pursue lifelong learning.
The ideal candidate will have experience working in dynamic settings serving multiple constituents. A successful candidate in this position will:

Share a commitment to upholding Crystal's core values and working in an inclusive school environment
Work collaboratively with colleagues and engage effectively with all constituents
Bring robust organizational, technological, and communication skills

JOB SUMMARY

Crystal seeks a full-time exempt (1.0 FTE, 12-month) Head of Upper School. The Head of Upper School advances and enhances the organization by:

providing compelling leadership, supervision, strategy and mission-alignment for all aspects of the Upper School experience as this role is responsible for the day-to-day operation and programming for the Upper School.
working closely with direct reports to identify and implement innovative approaches to support a dynamic Upper School experience and ensure student and employee well-being are a high priority.
partnering with the Head of School and peers to advance the development of an increasingly equitable and inclusive environment.
connecting with families to build and maintain relational trust and to support community development.
ensuring high-quality teaching and advising, as well as curricular and co-curricular development.
This is the job for you if you…

excel at relationship building: you thrive within a diverse community and understand the importance of deep listening, catalyzing growth in individuals and teams, and meeting communities where they are, particularly given the challenges of the past few years.
know how to advance an inspiring vision: you draw clear lines for others to see how their work connects to the mission of the organization and advances the vision in a way that is motivating and meaningful.
love to catalyze change and foster innovation: you understand the challenges and opportunities that come with change management and have the patience and perseverance to masterfully execute innovative initiatives while helping people along with change. And for you, when it comes to innovation, there's nothing like a good brainstorm!
do all your work through a lens of equity and inclusion: you are committed to designing sustainable systems, structures, and processes to ensure all members of the Crystal community can thrive together through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
shift with ease between the micro and the macro: your wheelhouse is to zoom in and zoom out, maintaining the day-to-day operations and detail-oriented project management while ensuring space and institutional capacity for creative big-picture thinking.

Key Job Competencies

Change Management: Prepares, supports, and guides people effectively through organizational changes across all levels of the school to align organizational behavior, actions, and ideologies and achieve the school's strategic goals.
Developing Others: Ability to effectively support the growth and development of students/adults across all levels of the organization.
Innovation: Imagines or realizes something new that helps to advance the strategic objectives of the organization. Introduces new ways of looking at problems. Can take a creative idea and put it into practice. Embraces diverse perspectives to promote or nurture innovation. Fosters interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary work.
Collaboration: The interpersonal and intrapersonal qualities one will leverage to collectively solve a problem or make progress toward a common goal. The ability to work with others to complete a project or task or develop ideas or processes.
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Analyzes and integrates trends and patterns based on diverse information and perspectives to determine the root causes of problems, identify the best course of action, and prioritize efforts. Develops new insights and formulates creative solutions, considering the impact and implications of recommendations in the context of overall vision, goals, and objectives.
Leadership: Leads others in a way that masterfully leverages their strengths and manages liabilities, skillfully promotes collaboration, effectively navigates conflict, and inspires and motivates. Knows how to engage and retain employees, conduct difficult conversations, and manage operations. Models ethical behavior and the mission and core values of the institution.
Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate thoughts and express ideas effectively using oral, written, visual, and non-verbal communication skills, as well as deep listening skills to gain understanding.
Cultural Competence: Possesses and applies the skills, values, and principles that acknowledge, respect, contribute, and work effectively across cultural differences. Recognizes the unique value, perspectives, strengths, and challenges of every person who comes to the Crystal community.
Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates high levels of self/social awareness, self-management, empathy, and curiosity.
Qualifications
Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

School Operations

Collaborates closely with the Head of Middle School and Associate Head for Institutional Programs and Initiatives to ensure program alignment and community development/relational trust between campuses to advance "One Crystal"
Partners with Human Resources and Department Heads on hiring, evaluations and growth plans for Upper School teachers
Delivers all aspects of the Upper School academic program, including course staffing, daily schedule determination, attendance oversight, and emergency operations management
Determines and makes assignments for annual faculty committees/task forces
Supports and advances the strategic plan, incorporated into all aspects of programming and operations
Programming

Monitors student workload and experience, making needed changes throughout the year
Liaises with the US Student Support Team (US Director of Student Equity and Engagement, Director of Student Wellness and US Director of Academic Support) for students with academic, emotional and/or social issues
Makes final decisions on student discipline issues via the Judiciary Committee
Coordinates surveys, awards, and evaluations of programming
Oversees key programming and policies related to the Upper School, including course selection, expectations assembly, final exams, handbooks, faculty and students orientation, and Professional Adult Community (PAC) professional development days
Works with Director of College Counseling and US Director of Teaching and Learning on academic program
Works with the US Director of Student Equity and Engagement on advisor and advisee placements
Point person for newly admitted Upper School students
Plans the Opening Day (first day of school) and Upper School Moving Up Ceremony (last day of school). Participates in 12th grade Commencement.
Envisions and implements curricular change in collaboration with the US Director of Teaching and Learning
Relationships

Designs formal platforms/opportunities to listen deeply to feedback from students, employees, and families
Regularly communicates relevant information to parents via a weekly communique
Communicates relevant information to US faculty and staff via a weekly communique (entitled the PAC Up) and regular campus meetings
Facilitates communication between parents, students, teachers and advisors
Works with the Crystal Family Association to coordinate and deliver parent education efforts
Speaks at a variety of events including Back-to-School Night and Admission Open Houses
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Serve as a member of the DEI Leadership Team in support of advancement of DEI strategies and initiatives
Participates in and encourages ongoing DEI professional development
Board

Provides bi-monthly reports to the Board of Trustees on progress in the Upper School
Serves on Board Committees and provides input and data, as needed
Supervision

Directly supervise US Director of Student Equity and Engagement, US Program Manager, Director of College Counseling, US Director of Academic Support, and US Director of Teaching and Learning
Runs Upper School Leadership Team meetings to support team building, advancement of strategic priorities, and professional development
Provides resources and strategy for professional development opportunities for all Upper School employees
Observes teachers in the classroom and provides feedback through evaluation tools in collaboration with the US Director of Teaching and Learning and Department Heads
Meetings/Committees

Attends and participates in meetings/committees as needed/assigned. Regular meetings include:

1:1 Meetings with the Head of School, Head of Middle School, Associate Head for Institutional Programs and Initiatives, and direct reports
Senior Leadership Team
DEI Leadership Team
Travel Required

Light travel between the MS and US campuses
Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required education and experience

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
5+ years of experience working in education or similar field
3+ years in an independent school environment
5+ years of supervisory experience/leading teams
Experience working in dynamic settings serving multiple constituents
Commitment to fostering equitable and inclusive environments
Demonstrated ability and experience in:
helping to shape a positive culture
leading teams and accomplishing work through others
initiating and leading change, including motivating others, managing the key drivers of change, and overcoming obstacles
Strong coaching and facilitation skills
Strong technology skills with Google Workspace, Microsoft Suite, and Zoom
Preferred education and experience

Master's degree or equivalent work experience
Physical demands and work environment

Load and unload materials
Lift, carry and hold up to 10 lbs
Bend and twist at waist, stoop, crouch, squat
Crouch, kneel, and work with knees bent
Stretch and lift above the head
Stand for up to 2 hours
Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

Crystal Springs Uplands School provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Salary and Benefits

This is a full time (40 hours/week), career position, and eligible for 12-month employee benefits. This position is an exempt position. The annual salary for this position is within the range of $160,000 - $225,000 and will be based on work experience and education.

The recruitment period will remain open until sufficient resumes have been received and may close at any time a sufficient pool of highly qualified candidates has been established. First consideration will be given to individuals who apply before March 24, 2025. The ideal start date for this position is July 7, 2025.

To apply, visit: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=152884&clientkey=4E25086C16A854DAA21D0C9C64D6DBB0