Ask yourself

Are you passionate about education and preparing the next generation for the 21^st century? Are you a relationship-centered leader? The kind of leader who believes people are an organization’s most important asset and who knows how to build, nurture, and inspire a community internally and externally.

Do you believe in a holistic approach to learning that honors the whole person? The kind of educator who sees value in academic rigor combined with creative, community, and spiritual connections.

Are you dedicated to bold, brave equity-focused leadership?  Do you believe in encouraging and supporting children in embracing their authentic selves? The kind of leader who inspires a collective vision for a diverse community.

Are you a strategist with experience leading organizations through growth and change? The kind of visionary leader that sees today’s realities and tomorrow’s possibilities and blends them together to forge an innovative plan for growth built on data, input, and a deep understanding of community needs.

Why?

Odyssey School is an independent, non-profit school with a focus on whole child, emotionally intelligent, personalized curriculum for students in PreK –12 with ~150 families. Our mission is to prepare students, families, and educators to lead the 21st century with an authentic sense of self.

The former Executive Director, Cory Adams, transitioned to a new adventure after 14 dedicated years of service to our school. The Board has formed a Transition Committee to guide the successful leadership transition.

Location

Asheville is that type of unique, special place that people dream of living in. The city's rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the locally owned-shops and art galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues. 

This thriving mountain city features a funky and eclectic downtown, 30-plus art galleries downtown alone, a burgeoning culinary scene, a thriving live music scene and, of course, the awe-inspiring scenery of the Appalachian Mountains.

Asheville offers a wide diversity of outdoor adventures and is the ideal place for an active and healthy lifestyle.

What will you do as Odyssey School’s next Head of School?

• Build on Odyssey’s culture of community, compassion and commitment to lead an organization that is laser-focused on providing an integral educational experience for students.
• Partner with the Board of Directors (currently 12 members) using inclusive consent-based governance to set the strategic vision, determine priorities, and ensure funding that positions Odyssey School for a sustainable future.
• Develop an operational plan which incorporates goals and objectives that work towards the strategic direction of the School. Directly mentor and supervise the Director of Curriculum and Programming; Director of Finance; Director of Admissions; Director of Student Life, ensuring the strongest curricula, student experience, and financial sustainability for the school.
• Provide leadership for Odyssey's diversity, equity, and inclusion work, instilling pride in the work done and cultivating a collective vision for the future
• Inspire donors, funders, and community partners to commit to Odyssey School’s mission and invest in its plans to move to a long-term location.
• Manage an annual budget of $1.8 million+ in partnership with the Director of Finance.
• Establish a strong internal and external communications strategy, keeping faculty, staff, parents, students, and the greater community informed and inspired about Odyssey School’s impact in the community.
• Oversee implementation of policies, procedures, and risk management practices and determine staffing requirements for organizational management and program delivery.

Why Odyssey School?

Our Mission is to prepare students, families, and educators to lead the 21st century with an authentic sense of self.

Our Vision is that our students, families, and faculty will communicate directly with brave kindness, lead with authenticity, and create positive change with an awareness of the spiritual evolution of the individual, society, and our environment. Through mutual respect and personal responsibility, we will strive to be a strong, diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning community.

We model educational leadership and innovation. We teach from a rich curriculum with cultural, developmental, and integrated awareness. We challenge students and teachers to meet academic and personal goals, to hone lifelong essential learning skills, to cultivate mindfulness, and to embody empathy. Odyssey School members relate to life with confidence, hope, joy, compassion, creative imagination and leadership.

Our Core Values

• Exploring an authentic sense of self, our world, and the relationship between the two
• Leading the field of education with dynamic educational philosophy
• Honoring the love and accomplishments of learning
• Nurturing a safe and inspiring community
• Cultivating life-long learning skills

Want to know more? Visit Odyssey School’s website at www.odysseycommunity.org

Think you are the next Odyssey School Head of School?

To apply, click on the link to the Odyssey School Head of School position profile at ArmstrongMcGuire.com/jobs. You will see instructions for uploading your compelling cover letter, resume, salary requirements, written educational philosophy, and professional references. Please provide all requested information to be considered. In case of any technical problems, contact Hannah@armstrongmcguire.com. No phone calls, please, and no applications will be accepted by email or directly from third-party posting sites.

Review of candidates will begin in June and continue until the position is filled.

Odyssey School actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates. Odyssey School is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.

Key lived experiences, attributes, and skillsets sought in the Head of School

Key Leadership & Management Qualities

• Visionary, collaborative, and innovative educational leadership, with a pattern of increasing responsibility.  
• Inclusive relationship builder with all aspects of a diverse community. Demonstrates experience and competency in bold, brave equity-focused leadership.
• Strong decision making, problem solving and conflict resolution skills; able to make difficult decisions in a collaborative way.
• Experienced fundraiser and inspiring communicator, with exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Strong financial intelligence and long-term vision for fiscal stewardship.
• Proven track record in engaging students and faculty at all points along their educational performance continuum.  
• Excellent partner with a Board of Directors.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in a related field and/or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the job. Doctoral degree, Professional Educator’s License preferred.  
• 8+ years administrative experience or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience sufficient to perform the essential functions of the job.  
• Ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, teaching pedagogy, and leadership.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.  
• Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the direction, control, and planning of instructional programs.  
• A complete knowledge of Microsoft Products, Google products and systems, Alma or another School organizational system, as used in overall management in an educational environment is required.