EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CITY Center for Collaborative Learning
Tucson, Arizona (On-Site)

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Executive Director serves as the Chief Executive Officer of CITY Center for Collaborative Learning (CCCL), a unique educational organization that integrates charter school district and nonprofit organizational leadership.

The Executive Director oversees three innovative charter schools-City High School and two small middle schools, Paulo Freire Freedom School-University, and Paulo Freire Freedom School-Downtown and a Professional Learning Center.. This role requires a visionary, systems-oriented leader who can balance educational excellence, financial stewardship, organizational sustainability, labor relations and a deep commitment to equity.

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for translating mission and strategy into strong outcomes for students, educators, and the broader community.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

I. Visionary & Strategic Leadership

• Safeguard and advance CCCL's mission, vision, and values through strategic leadership and daily decision-making, including DEIB commitments across all programs and operations
• Ensure diverse stakeholder voice and authentic community engagement in decision-making
• Partner with the Board of Directors to develop, execute, and monitor long-term strategic plans
• Foster a culture of sustainable improvement, including transparent communication, innovation, collaboration, accountability
• Monitor national and regional trends in education, charter policy, compliance, and nonprofit leadership to ensure organizational relevance
• Build leadership capacity across the organization and support succession planning for key roles

II. Educational Excellence & School Leadership

• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the school principals and leadership team, ensuring strong instructional leadership, operational effectiveness, and accountability for school-based equity initiatives
• Support principals in implementing high-quality professional development, student-centered pedagogy, and data-driven improvement
• Ensure schools maintain a clear focus on student achievement, post-secondary readiness, and holistic student success
• Oversee collection, analysis, and reporting of academic and organizational data (state indicators, internal measures, alumni outcomes)
• Champion innovative, equity-centered educational practices, including special education, ensuring schools serve as demonstration sites for exemplary learning
• Support effective site-based governance structures and authentic stakeholder engagement at the school level

III. Charter Operations & Compliance

• Serve as primary liaison with charter authorizers and maintain strong, transparent relationships
• Lead charter renewals, amendments, and negotiations in partnership with the Board
• Ensure compliance with all charter, state, and federal requirements
• Monitor charter legislation and advocate for policies aligned with CCCL's mission and values
• Ensure fair, equitable enrollment practices and ongoing legal and regulatory compliance

IV. Financial, Business & Operational Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of finance, human resources, facilities, technology, and legal compliance in collaboration with Director of Operations
• Develop the annual budget in collaboration with designated organizational partners and Board Finance Committee
• Ensure sound financial management, internal controls, audits, and risk management
• Steward organizational assets, including two downtown Tucson buildings and an approximately $4M annual budget
• Ensure facilities support high-quality learning environments and community engagement
• Delegate operational responsibilities appropriately while retaining executive accountability

V. Advancement, Fundraising & Resource Development

• Develop and lead a comprehensive advancement strategy that includes diverse revenue streams aligned with mission and long-term sustainability.
• Lead and oversee grant strategy, writing, reporting, and compliance in collaboration with the leadership team.
• Build and sustain a culture of philanthropy in partnership with the Board of Directors
• Cultivate and steward relationships with foundations, corporations, individual donors, and government funders
• Lead major gift fundraising, annual giving, tax credit campaigns, and capital initiatives
• Maintain a robust organizational database of donors, alumni, and community partners

VI. Governance, Board Partnership & Labor Relations

• Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Board of Directors
• Collaborate with the Board Chair to set agendas, prepare materials, and ensure productive meetings
• Provide timely, accurate, and strategic information to support board decision-making and fiduciary oversight
• Support board development, recruitment, orientation, and succession planning
• Partner with the Board on policy development and organizational accountability
• Act as management's lead negotiator in active collective bargaining with the newly established union under the guidance of legal counsel in accordance with NLRB requirements, while maintaining good-faith bargaining obligations and consistent, transparent staff communication throughout

VII. Human Resources & Organizational Culture

• Hire, supervise, evaluate, and support school principals and senior administrative staff
• Oversee district-level recruitment strategies to attract and retain diverse, mission-aligned talent, with support/outsourcing as needed
• Ensure consistent, equitable, and legally compliant hiring, evaluation, and employment practices
• Execute or delegate successful coordination of services related to payroll and benefits for staff members
• Foster a healthy, inclusive organizational culture grounded in trust, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Establish measurable equity goals and accountability structures, including hiring, retention, and advancement practices that reflect DEIB practices
• Manage staff development, performance management, and leadership coaching

VIII. External Relations & Community Engagement

• Serve as the primary spokesperson and ambassador for CCCL
• Build strong relationships with civic, educational, philanthropic, and business leaders
• Lead organizational communications, including publications, press, website, and social media
• Represent CCCL at local, state, and national education forums
• Strengthen community partnerships that benefit students and advance the mission
• Support student enrollment, outreach, and professional learning recruitment efforts

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive salary range of $90,000-100,000, commensurate with experience, with a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plan, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• 3-5 years of progressive leadership experience in education and/or nonprofit management
• Demonstrated success in educational leadership and organizational management
• Experience managing complex budgets and supervising senior leaders
• Proven track record in fundraising and resource development
• Master's degree required

Preferred:

• Charter school leadership or governance experience
• Experience supervising school principals or instructional leaders
• Track record of equity-centered leadership in diverse communities
• Grant writing and major gift fundraising experience
• Experience with collective bargaining or labor relations, ideally in an education or nonprofit setting.
• Arizona educational leadership certification (or ability to obtain)

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Visionary, systems-level leadership
• Deep commitment to educational equity and social justice
• Skilled in labor relations and collective bargaining, with the ability to navigate a newly unionized environment.
• Strong financial and operational acumen
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative, relational leadership with decisiveness
• Cultural competence and community-rooted leadership

Additional Information