Senior Executive Officer of School Leadership & Operations

The Senior Executive Officer of School Leadership and Operations develops and supports school leaders while ensuring operational excellence across all Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS). This role builds the leadership capacity of principals and Assistant Superintendents through coaching, mentoring, and systematic professional development while overseeing effective school operations. The Senior Executive Officer of School Leadership and Operations creates and implements a clear vision for leadership development that enhances professional capacity, provides exposure to transformative experiences, and prepares leaders to improve long-term student outcomes. Working in partnership with the Senior Executive Academic Officer, this position creates an integrated support model that ensures principals receive both instructional and operational leadership development. The Senior Executive Officer of School Leadership and Operations establishes systems to identify, prepare, place, and retain exceptional school leaders who create cultures of high expectations and eliminate racially predictable achievement disparities.

Reporting Relationship

This position reports directly to the Superintendent.

The following positions report to the Senior Executive Officer of School Leadership and Operations:

Four Assistant Superintendents with oversight of schools
Assistant Superintendent, Special Education and Support Services
Athletic Director

Responsibilities
The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following fundamental duties:

Leadership Development and Coaching (Primary – 60%)
Supervise, Coach and Develop quality Assistant Superintendent Leadership

Foster a collaborative leadership team culture among Assistant Superintendents focused on continuous improvement and shared accountability.
Provide ongoing one-on-one coaching and leadership development to the four Assistant Superintendents, including the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Support Services, through monthly coaching sessions, observation and feedback, and structured leadership development programming.
Cultivate the Assistant Superintendents¿ expertise in coaching and developing principals.
Model effective leadership practices in instructional leadership, data-driven decision making, equity-centered leadership, and operational management.
Create individual growth plans for each Assistant Superintendent aligned to district strategic priorities and their professional development needs.

Build Principal Leadership Capacity

Design and implement comprehensive principal leadership development systems for all 69 schools and programs.
Create coaching models that continuously build the leadership capacity of principals and assistant principals as instructional leaders.
Establish principal learning communities organized by experience level, school type, or specific development needs.
Partner with the Senior Executive Academic Officer to integrate instructional leadership development with operational leadership support.
Develop leadership pipelines by creating pathways for assistant principals, teacher leaders, and other emerging leaders.
Implement succession planning systems to ensure a strong bench of ready school leaders.

Athletics and Activities Leadership

Oversee District Athletics and Activities Programming

Supervisee the Athletics Director in the coordination and oversight of athletics programs, activities, and extracurricular offerings across all schools.
Ensure athletic programs and activities support student development, promote equity and inclusion, and align with district values and strategic priorities.
Collaborate with the Athletics Director to maintain compliance with state athletic association regulations, safety standards and district policies.
Support the Athletics Director in building partnerships with schools, coaches, families, and community organizations to strengthen athletic and extracurricular programming.

Create Systems for Leadership Excellence

Foster a culture of collaboration and accountability toward improving long-term student outcomes and implementing the SPPS strategic plan.
Build a data-driven culture among school leaders to understand student needs through ongoing analysis and provide analytical insight to inform instructional strategies.
Establish clear leadership standards and competencies aligned to district strategic priorities and equity goals.
Design principal performance management systems that provide actionable feedback and support leadership growth.
Create a culture of innovation by providing research and effective practices for school leadership.

School Operations and Performance (Secondary – 40%)
Supervise and Support School Operations

Supervise and support the five (5) Assistant Superintendents in their oversight of schools and programs.
Ensure effective school operations including safety, facilities coordination, student services, resource allocation, and compliance with federal, state, and district regulations.
Manage the overall performance of SPPS schools and identify the levels of support necessary to improve student achievement and operational effectiveness.
Coordinate district-level operational support services to schools, working collaboratively with district departments to create integrated support models.
Lead crisis response and manage complex operational challenges requiring executive-level intervention.

Drive School Improvement and Accountability

Collaborate with the Senior Executive Academic Officer to ensure evidence-based instructional practices are fully implemented at schools and aligned to school improvement plans and district strategic efforts.
Provide timely and relevant feedback to Assistant Superintendents, principals, and leadership teams to deepen their practices and achieve improved results.
Monitor school performance data and address operational and leadership barriers to student success.
Lead school improvement initiatives and interventions for underperforming schools, ensuring appropriate resources and support.
Support the alignment of school and district resources to respect students’ racial and cultural identity using high-quality instructional practices within a technology-rich learning environment.

Ensure Principal Supervision Excellence

Make decreasing disparities in student achievement based on race, ethnicity, culture, and identity an urgent priority through effective school leadership.
Ensure Assistant Superintendents provide effective supervision, evaluation, and support to principals.
Establish accountability systems that ensure strong and effective leadership is present in all SPPS schools.
Collaborate with Human Resources and Leadership Development to assess principal quality, facilitate transitions, and develop both internal and external pipelines of ready school leaders.

Strategic Leadership and Collaboration
Serve as a Member of the Superintendent’s Senior Executive Leadership Team (SELT)

Promote the Superintendent’s goals and priorities in compliance with the law and all policies and procedures.
Assume a leadership role on SELT and assist with long-range strategic planning, district budget development, and policy development.
Contribute to informed decision-making by the Superintendent and SELT by monitoring and effectively interpreting the latest research, trends, and developments in school leadership and operations.
Contribute to the evaluation of district performance, budget management, and key measures of organizational activity by creating and monitoring a division improvement plan.

Partner with Senior Executive Academic Officer

Work in authentic partnership with the Senior Executive Academic Officer to align leadership development with instructional excellence initiatives.
Collaborate to develop and deliver professional development to principals and Assistant Superintendents that integrates both instructional and operational leadership.
Ensure school improvement plans reflect both instructional priorities and operational realities.
Create coherent support systems for schools that integrate academic and operational assistance.

Lead District-Wide Alignment

Collaborate with the Superintendent Executive Leadership Team to create consistent systems of communication focusing on priority goals for each school.
Ensure that resources and best practices are shared throughout SPPS.
Utilize diverse external and internal partners to help schools succeed.
Apply principles of equity in every decision, resource allocation, and interaction to ensure every school has what it needs to thrive.

Other responsibilities as determined by the Superintendent.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Leadership Development Expertise
Demonstrated expertise in coaching and developing mid-level and senior leaders.

Proven track record of developing leaders who improved organizational performance and student outcomes.
Deep knowledge of adult learning principles and leadership development frameworks.
Skilled in designing and delivering high-impact leadership development programming.
Experience building leadership development systems at scale in complex organizations.
School Leadership and Operations
Extensive successful experience as a principal with demonstrated school improvement results.

Deep understanding of school operations including budgets, facilities, safety, student services, and resource management.
Ability to manage complex operations across multiple sites in a culturally diverse urban district.
Strong problem-solving and crisis management skills.
Experience supervising and developing principals and district-level leaders.
Equity-Centered Leadership
Skilled in addressing equity, race, and bias in leadership practices and decision-making.

Committed to eliminating racially predictable achievement disparities through effective school leadership.
Ability to cultivate commitment among school leaders to enable all students to achieve high standards.
Models open dialogue around race, culture, class, and other issues of difference.
Builds capacity with leaders to recognize and respond to inequities in their schools.
Strategic and Systems Thinking:
Applies organizational mission and vision to create a system of excellent school leadership development.

Builds transformational educational systems that have a longitudinal impact on students.
Ability to lead large-scale improvement initiatives using structured change models.
Demonstrated capacity to set clear goals, define success metrics, and manage complex initiatives to completion.
Strong analytical skills to use data to inform decisions, identify areas needing improvement, and track progress.
Experience creating systems and structures that drive continuous improvement.
Communication and Influence:
Excellent communication skills with ability to adapt across audiences, contexts, and platforms.

Proven ability to inspire, influence, and secure buy-in through compelling vision.
Actively listens, interprets feedback, and integrates stakeholder perspectives.
Builds and maintains collaborative relationships across departments, schools, families, and communities.
Effective in challenging thinking and driving collective decision-making for better outcomes.
Execution and Accountability:
Persistent in overcoming obstacles to achieve goals for school leadership and operations.

Ability to balance big-picture vision with attention to detail and on-the-ground implementation.
Makes difficult decisions in a complex organization with ability to use adaptive strategies in gaining stakeholder consensus.
Holds self and others accountable for achieving high standards.
Resourceful in accomplishing goals within budget constraints.
Leadership Competencies:
Ability to apply political savvy and build coalitions to support the school district¿s mission.

Character that demonstrates a strong sense of ethics and values that serves as a role model to others.
Managing staff including directing others, delegation vs abdication, and building effective teams.
Working constructively with others and managing constituencies effectively.
Getting results while developing people.
Ability To:
Provide leadership and direction in both leadership development and operational functions.
Lead implementation of the SPPS strategic plan through effective school leadership.
Apply theories, techniques, and methodologies related to leadership development and operations management in a large, complex urban organization in a culturally diverse community.
Maintain current knowledge of applicable provisions of federal, state, and district laws, rules, and regulations.
Plan and organize leadership training and professional development at scale.
Analyze problems, make decisions, and be responsible for those decisions.
Meet schedules and timelines while managing multiple complex priorities.
Supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned staff with focus on development and growth.
Use collaborative problem-solving methods and coaching approaches.
Apply principles and practices of administration, supervision, and leadership development.
Apply knowledge of school and district operations, policies, and objectives.
Adhere to applicable district, state, and federal laws, codes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Communicate using precise oral and written communication skills.
Apply interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy.
Use technology tools to enhance core functions and communications.