SUMMARY

Founded in 1981 as the first Mandarin immersion school in the United States, the Chinese American International School (CAIS) educates 571 students age two through 8th grade. Over the last four decades, CAIS has been recognized globally as a leader in bilingual education and an innovator for its commitment to immersive, cultural education through the study of language. CAIS is “a safe place to tinker and try,” with deep support for educators who lead with curiosity and vision and a culture that values creativity, risk-taking, and collaboration.  Within the middle school, students in grades 6–8 study an intellectually challenging, competency-based curriculum that includes math, science, design technology, English language arts, social studies, Chinese language arts and social studies, music, studio art, and physical education.

With the upcoming retirement of the current middle school director, who has been at CAIS since 2014, the school now looks forward to welcoming its next middle school director to lead an outstanding academic program and foster community connection across the school’s new, unified campus.

The director will oversee the ongoing implementation of competency-based learning in the middle school program, and promote Mandarin immersion excellence that distinguishes CAIS among its peers in an increasingly competitive market. This is an exciting opportunity for a mission-driven academic leader to join a visionary community and help define what it means to be a CAIS graduate in a global, multilingual world. The next middle school director will also join CAIS two years after the school relocated to a single, spectacular, unified campus, following a period of operations on three separate campuses. Reporting to the head of school, the middle school director will directly supervise middle school faculty and learning specialists, and the athletic director. CAIS looks forward to welcoming the incoming director to begin July 1, 2026.

12M & Ed Tech Recruiting is running the search on behalf of Chinese American International School. Applications received by December 28 will receive priority review.  For application instructions and the full job opportunity statement, please visit:

www.12MRecruiting.com/jobs/CAIS/MSDirector

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Priority Deadline: December 28, 2025

Virtual Semifinal Round: Week of January 19

On-site Final Round: Week of February 2

Decision Announced: February 16, 2026

Start Date: July 1, 2026

Reports To: Head of School

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Annual Salary Range: $178,500 – $218,400

 SPECIFIC DUTIES

Divisional Leadership

• Serve as the intellectual leader of the middle school, overseeing all programmatic and academic operations for the division that provides a thoughtful and robust Mandarin immersion program.
• Nurture and maintain positive and collaborative faculty morale, encouraging professional development and growth opportunities aligned with the school’s academic vision.
• Supervise and evaluate middle school faculty in the performance of their duties through classroom observation, training, and coaching.
• Partner with the high school placement counselor to support students and families through the high school application and admissions process.
• Establish and monitor shared expectations for student behavior and classroom management.

Curriculum, Pedagogy, & Engagement

• Collaborate with teachers and administrators to promote continuity and curricular alignment of the academic program, including the fidelity and continued implementation of competency-based learning.
• Develop and expand specials programs in the arts and support the growth of athletics opportunities through partnership with the athletic director, to provide depth for student learning.
• Support the development and implementation of curriculum in partnership with the directors of English and Mandarin curriculum, which includes the World Languages Pathway for non-native Mandarin speakers.
• Partner with the admissions and enrollment department and other administrative leaders to anticipate and plan for scheduling and logistical needs as the middle school program expands.

School Culture & Community

• Partner with division directors to cultivate cross-divisional community-building initiatives that support community use of shared spaces and a shared sense of vision and identity.
• Foster inclusivity and belonging among the community of middle school faculty and the student body grounded in collaboration, kindness, and mutual respect for individual differences.
• Serve as a partner to parents, articulating the school’s vision and programmatic changes warmly and proactively.
• Report directly to the head of school and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred
• 5+ years of experience in an educational institution, preferably as a classroom teacher and/or administrator
• Demonstrated understanding of current education pedagogy including competency-based learning or other non-traditional methods for assessing learning
• Familiarity with high school outplacement counseling and admissions processes
• Demonstrated success supporting teachers through a collaborative, trust-based leadership model that values faculty autonomy and professional expertise
• Experience guiding parents and guardians on sensitive student-related matters
• Successful track record leading academic initiatives and programs
• Proficiency in Mandarin is welcome, but not required

Leadership and Personal Qualities

• A trusted partner to faculty, respecting their expertise, advocating for their needs, and fostering an environment of professional safety and collaboration
• Commitment to cross-divisional collaboration, including supporting global programs and coordination with Chinese language and cultural studies
• A warm and empathetic approach to interacting with all school constituents including students, parents, faculty, staff and board members
• A personal and professional commitment to fostering diversity and equity, and the interest and skill set to partner with leadership around this work
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational and presentation skills
• A genuine excitement for promoting and advancing Mandarin culture, language, education, and immersion
• An eagerness to participate in the life of the school, which may include attending occasional schoolwide special events in the evenings and/or weekends

TO APPLY

For more information please visit the following link, which contains the job opportunity statement and complete application instructions.

www.12MRecruiting.com/jobs/CAIS/MSDirector

About Chinese American International School

ABOUT CAIS As the nation’s first Mandarin Immersion Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies our mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. We value honest self-assessment, thoughtful self-reflection, intentional planning, and focused implementation. We are known as an ambitious school, and we are making substantial progress on our multi-year vision to reimagine immersion, reimagine our culture of learning, reimagine character and community, and reimagine our learning spaces. Since 2021, we have been using our new campus on 19th Avenue in San Francisco for athletics, arts, and community events. In September 2024, our entire community began the school year at our newly renovated Forever Home, which more than doubles the program space from our former Hayes Valley locations and allows all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus.

Connections working at Chinese American International School