Job Description

The Executive Director of Programming is a senior instructional leader responsible for driving academic excellence across Rocky Mountain Prep's schools.

This leader sets the vision and strategy for curricula across the network and ensures that curriculum, assessment, and instructional systems support strong early literacy, mathematics, and foundational learning outcomes for all students.

The Executive Director partners closely with the Chief Achievement Officer, Executive Directors of Schools, and school leaders to ensure coherence and quality in academic programming. The role is responsible for designing and maintaining robust academic systems and supporting principals and instructional leaders in implementing them effectively.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

The Big Five Goals for 26-27
1. Student Achievement. Rigorous, measurable academic progress for every student - the engine of opportunity and economic mobility. All roads to a living wage and quality of life begin here.
As measured by:

• 60% average proficiency on high stakes testing (CMAS, PSAT) taken in Spring 2027
• No schools earn an orange or red rating on the Colorado School Performance Framework for 27-28

2. Financial Sustainability. Strong enrollment, sound budgets, and operational health allow us to keep our doors open and our promise intact.
As measured by:

• The families of 5,100 students choose Rocky Mountain Prep as measured by October Count
• $4MM in total philanthropic gifts for 26-27

3. Parent Satisfaction. Families are partners. Their trust, voice, and continued choice to enroll reflect the quality of what we deliver every day.
As measured by: 90% regular attendance (no more than 10% of students are chronically absent)

4. Staff Engagement & Enablement. Retained, motivated educators are the most direct lever we have. A school where staff thrive is a school where students thrive.
As measured by: 75% annual retention (July 1 2026 to July 1 2027)

5. Student Persistence - Health & Wellness. Health, wellness, and belonging keep students present and progressing. We treat the whole child as inseparable from achievement.
As measured by: 90% persistence (September 1 2026 to September 1 2027)

Academic Strategy & Vision

• Lead the development and implementation of Rocky Mountain Prep's network-wide academic strategy.
• Define and maintain a clear vision for excellent instruction across grade levels and content areas.
• Ensure academic priorities support strong early literacy, numeracy, and foundational skill development.
• Continuously evaluate and refine academic programs to ensure they drive strong student learning outcomes.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

• Oversee the selection, development, and implementation of high-quality curriculum across schools.
• Utilize AI tools to ensure access and high-stakes testing alignment for on-the-ground teachers.
• Ensure strong alignment between curriculum, assessments, and instructional practices.
• Lead the design and implementation of common assessments that measure student progress and inform instruction.
• Establish clear instructional expectations and systems that support consistent academic rigor across classrooms.

Instructional Leadership Development

• Partner with Executive Directors of Schools to strengthen principals' instructional leadership, particularly in ELAR and math instruction.
• Support the development of assistant principals and instructional leaders who coach teachers.
• Ensure school leaders have the tools, training, and support necessary to drive strong instructional outcomes.

Academic Data & Continuous Improvement

• Develop Arc of the Year for Data and Assessment. Ensure key touch points to reflect on data with leaders to adjust strategy.
• Develop systems for monitoring academic performance across schools.
• Analyze network-wide academic data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure schools use student data effectively to inform instruction and accelerate learning.
• Support targeted academic interventions when schools require additional support.

Grade Band Alignment

• Partner with middle school leadership to ensure strong academic alignment between elementary, middle, and high school programs.
• Ensure instructional systems prepare students for the next level of academic expectations.
• Support cross-school collaboration to strengthen vertical alignment of curriculum and instructional practices.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Schools Team to align academic strategy with principal coaching and school performance support.
• Collaborate with Student Services and mental health teams to ensure academic systems support diverse learner needs.
• Work with Operations and Technology teams to ensure teachers and school leaders have the tools and systems needed to deliver strong instruction.

Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Lead and develop members of the academic team.
• Serve as a key member of the Achievement leadership team, contributing to network-wide strategy and decision-making.
• Build scalable systems and practices that strengthen academic excellence across all schools.

Qualifications

• 5-8+ years of progressive professional experience in education leadership.
• At least 3 years managing teams and/or leaders.

Experience

• Proven record of improving academic outcomes in schools.
• Experience leading instructional systems across multiple schools or within a school network.
• Strong background in literacy and math instruction.

Skills

• Deep expertise in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Strong instructional leadership and experience coaching school leaders.
• Ability to design and implement systems that drive consistent instructional quality.
• Exceptional data analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Mindset

• Deep belief in the potential of every child and commitment to educational equity.
• Systems thinker who can translate strategy into clear instructional structures and routines.
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced and evolving organizations.

What Success Looks Like

• All schools demonstrate strong academic growth and achievement across grade levels.
• Early literacy and numeracy outcomes improve across the network.
• Instruction across all classrooms is rigorous, aligned, and consistent with Rocky Mountain Prep's vision for excellent teaching.
• Principals and instructional leaders feel supported and accountable for strong instructional execution.
• Academic systems and supports are scalable and sustainable across the network.

Compensation

$140,000 - $190,000. This range reflects the full growth potential of the role over time. Rocky Mountain Prep typically expects to place candidates in the lower- to middle-range, depending on experience, qualifications, and internal equity considerations.

Benefits

At Rocky Mountain Prep, taking care of our team is essential to building joyful, academically excellent schools. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Paid Time Off - including vacation, personal, and sick days
• 5 Weeks of Paid Organizational Holidays - including Winter and Summer breaks
• Comprehensive Health Insurance - medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of medical coverage for employee-only plans.
• Retirement Through PERA - Public Employees' Retirement Association of Colorado
• Paid Leave of Absence Options - including parental, medical, and disability leave
• Mental Health & Wellness Support - to help you thrive personally and professionally
• Pre-Tax Accounts - flexible spending accounts (FSA), dependent care accounts, and health savings accounts (HSA)

*A detailed list of benefits is here.

Apply Today!

Join our movement to transform public education in Colorado and prepare every student for college and beyond.