Executive Director

Position Title: Executive Director Reports To: Board of Trustees (Board’s sole employee) FLSA Status: Exempt Position Purpose: The Executive Director (ED) is the accountable leader of River Valley Charter School (RVCS) and the Board’s sole employee. The ED is responsible for setting and advancing the school’s vision, ensuring strong academic outcomes, and sustaining a high-quality public Montessori model. The ED leads enterprise-wide performance, including instructional quality, student experience, financial sustainability, and charter accountability. The ED builds and develops a high-performing leadership team, ensuring that strong systems and clear ownership are in place across Instruction, Operations, Student Culture & Family Engagement. The ED serves as the primary bridge between the Board, the school, and the broader community—ensuring alignment between strategic priorities, organizational execution, and long-term sustainability. Core Responsibilities: Vision, Strategy, and Organizational Leadership: The Executive Director will: * Set and articulate a clear, compelling vision for the school’s future, aligned to its public Montessori mission * Lead long-term strategic planning, including multi-year goals, growth, and sustainability planning * Translate Board priorities into clear strategic direction for the leadership team * Ensure alignment between vision, resources, and execution across the organization Instructional Vision and Academic Outcomes: The Executive Director will: * Ensure the school maintains a strong and coherent vision of excellent instruction, aligned to Montessori principles and academic standards * Supervise and coach the Director of Instruction to ensure high-quality teaching and learning, consistent implementation across classrooms, and measurable student progress * Monitor academic performance and ensure accountability for student outcomes Student Experience, Family and Community Leadership: The Executive Director will: * Champion a positive, consistent student experience and school culture * Build strong, trust-based relationships with families and the broader community * Serve as the primary external leader and spokesperson for the school * Ensure proactive, transparent communication with families and stakeholders * Strengthen partnerships with community organizations, municipalities, and educational partners Financial Sustainability and Resource Stewardship: The Executive Director will: * Ensure long-term financial sustainability and responsible stewardship of public funds * Partner with the Director of Operations on budget development and monitoring, financial forecasting, and audits and compliance * Align financial decisions to strategic priorities Charter Accountability and Compliance Oversight: The Executive Director will: * Ensure compliance with all charter, DESE, and regulatory requirements * Oversee Annual Report and Accountability Plan preparation and submission * Monitor organizational performance against accountability metrics * Ensure systems are in place to meet all compliance obligations Leadership Development and Team Management: The Executive Director will: * Recruit, hire, supervise, and evaluate the senior leadership team * Provide ongoing coaching and development to Directors * Build leadership capacity and ensure strong succession planning * Establish clear expectations, accountability, and alignment across leadership roles Governance and Risk Management: The Executive Director will: * Maintain clear boundaries between governance and management * Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Trustees * Ensure timely escalation of risks and challenges * Lead enterprise risk management and continuity planning Board and Committee Interface Responsibilities: The Executive Director will: * Serve as the primary liaison to the Board Chair and Executive Committee * Co-develop Board meeting agendas focused on governance-level priorities * Prepare and present materials, including dashboards, strategic updates, and recommendations * Ensure accurate, timely communication of progress, risks, and organizational needs * Maintain clear documentation and follow-through on Board decisions Essential Functions: The essential functions of the Executive Director position include, but are not limited to: * Providing strategic and operational leadership for the school in alignment with the Board-approved mission, charter, and strategic priorities * Leading organizational decision-making related to academic performance, operations, finance, staffing, compliance, and school culture * Supervising, coaching, evaluating, and developing members of the leadership team * Ensuring compliance with all applicable charter, DESE, state, federal, and regulatory requirements * Developing, monitoring, and stewarding organizational budgets, resources, and long-term financial sustainability * Preparing and presenting reports, recommendations, dashboards, and other materials to the Board of Trustees and external stakeholders * Communicating clearly and effectively with staff, families, trustees, community partners, and public agencies * Managing multiple priorities, timelines, and organizational needs in a dynamic school environment * Exercising sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality regarding personnel, student, organizational, and governance matters * Participating in meetings, events, public presentations, and school activities, including those occurring outside the regular school day * Performing duties that require frequent movement throughout the school building and active engagement with staff, students, families, and community stakeholders * Regular and reliable attendance Performance Expectations: Performance will be evaluated based on: Vision and Strategic Progress: * Clear direction and alignment across the organization * Progress toward long-term strategic goals Academic Outcomes and Instructional Quality: * Student achievement and growth * Strength and consistency of instructional systems Student Experience and Family Trust * Positive, consistent school culture * Strong family relationships and satisfaction Financial Health and Sustainability * Balanced budgets and strong financial planning * Alignment of resources to priorities Compliance and Risk Management * Strong accountability performance * Effective management of risk and compliance Leadership Team Effectiveness * Strong performance of leadership team * Evidence of coaching, development, and retention Required Qualifications: * Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred (education, leadership, public administration, or related field). * Demonstrated PK–12 school leadership experience (charter, district, independent, or equivalent). * Demonstrated ability to lead academic and organizational improvement * Demonstrated ability to steward budgets, oversee compliance obligations, and lead through complexity and change. * Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to present to boards and diverse stakeholders. * High integrity, excellent judgment, and a student-centered leadership approach. * Ability to pass required background checks (CORI and fingerprinting as applicable). Preferred Qualifications: * Experience in Massachusetts public schools and/or charter accountability environments. * Experience with fundraising, development, and partnership-building. * Familiarity with Montessori philosophy and/or experience protecting specialized school models. Key Competencies: * Visionary and strategic leadership * Instructional judgment and commitment to academic excellence * Leadership development and team management * Strong decision-making and organizational leadership * Relationship-building and communication skills * Systems thinking and operational alignment * Resilience and ability to lead through change * Family and community leadership * Governance and board partnership