Posted: 22-Jan-26
Location: CHARLOTTE, North Carolina
Type: Full Time
Categories:
CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
POSITION TITLE: Director of Health and Wellness (DHW)
DEPARTMENT: Athletics
REPORTS TO: Director of Athletics, Health, and Wellness
FLSA: Exempt
TERM: 12 Months
Mission Statement
Through excellence in education, Charlotte Country Day School develops the potential of each student by fostering intellectual curiosity, principled character, ethical leadership, and a responsibility to serve.
Overview
Charlotte Country Day School (Country Day) is one of the largest independent, co-educational schools in the Charlotte area and one of the 15 largest in the continental United States. Enrollment is very strong, and the school is thriving. Highly regarded for the rigor of its academic program and the breadth of its offerings in the arts, athletics, community service, and leadership, Country Day is noteworthy for a long tradition of positioning itself at the forefront of curricular innovation.
A strong, forward-thinking institution, Country Day, offers every child a chance to shine. The school is a diverse, inclusive community with strong academic and co-curricular programs designed for students to learn to think critically, act respectfully, and show sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others. The unique curriculum offered by Country Day prepares and strengthens students for participation in their local and global communities. With a defining commitment to our Mission and Affirmation of Community, Country Day positions students for future success in an ever-changing world. Country Day is committed to living as an authentic, inclusive community. Our pursuit of this commitment to community recognizes and affirms the richness brought by difference and discovered through commonality.
POSITION SUMMARY: The inaugural Director of Health and Wellness (DHW) will establish and lead a comprehensive, developmentally informed, and mission-aligned health and wellness vision for the school. The DHW will build and oversee a health and wellness team and will collaborate closely with faculty, staff, administrators, and families to cultivate a culture of well-being across all divisions (JK–12). The Director will design and steward an integrated, whole-school health and wellness framework that aligns strategy, culture, processes, and communication, and that reflects current research and best practices in student wellness. Programming will promote physical health, mental and emotional well-being, social connection, and health education, while being developmentally and culturally responsive. In addition to student programming, the DHW will play a key role in supporting adult wellness, guiding prevention and early-intervention efforts, and using data-informed approaches to assess needs, evaluate impact, and continuously strengthen the school’s wellness ecosystem.
ANTICIPATED AREAS OF FOCUS:
- Mental Health
- Physical Health
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Health and Physical Education
- Nutrition
- Body Image
- Sleep Hygiene
- Healthy Relationships
- Healthy and Responsible Technology Use
- Decision Making Skills
- Crisis Management
- Interdivisional collaboration and communication
ANTICIPATED COLLABOTORS:
- Faculty and Staff (Advisors)
- School Counselors
- College Counseling
- School Nurses
- Health and Physical Education Teachers
- Athletic Trainers
- Director of Sports Medicine
- Director of Sports Performance
- Assistant Director of Athletics for Athlete Health and Wellness
- Director of Security and Risk Management
- Enrichment Resource Program (ERP)
- Director of Studies
- Chief Information Officer
- Director of Diversity Planning
- Others as needed
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive JK-12 health and wellness vision and program aligned with the school’s mission and strategic plan.
- Develop and lead the school’s inaugural health and wellness team and its meetings.
- Assess and analyze health and wellness needs across grade levels/divisions.
- Coordinate a developmentally appropriate health and wellness curriculum.
- Coordinate effective schoolwide programming - preventative, proactive, and comprehensive: in the areas of social-emotional learning and development, mental health and well-being, neurodiversity and instructional differentiation, and healthy social engagement.
- Collaborate with the Chief Information Officer to develop and implement student, faculty, staff, and family education on healthy and responsible technology use.
- Collaborate with the Director of Diversity Planning to develop and implement student, faculty, staff, and family education at the intersection of DEIB and health and wellness.
- Collaborate with the Director of Risk Management and Security and the divisional counselors to develop protocols for disseminating approved, age-appropriate resources for faculty, staff, and parents in the wake of any crisis or tragedy.
- Support a coordinated approach to mental health that includes prevention, education, early identification, and intervention. Guide and ensure consistent practices across divisions.
- Oversee the alignment of JK-12 advisory programming/curriculum to ensure coherent and developmentally appropriate approach to student health, wellness, and social-emotional learning.
- Support Health and Physical Education Teachers (JK-8) to research, develop, implement, and align curriculum and lessons as defined by SHAPE Health and Physical Education Standards.
- Make sure that programming is inclusive of all students and their needs.
- Research best practices through professional development and educational organizations.
- Visit peer institutions doing good work around student health and wellness.
- Ensure compliance with school policies and state and federal regulations as defined for school nurses (JK-12) and school counselors (JK-12).
- Support faculty and staff wellness through programming and other initiatives.
Other:
- Other tasks as assigned by the Director of Athletics, Health, and Wellness
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED:
- Master’s degree as well as state licensure and/or certification in health and wellness related disciplines, including but not limited to School Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, Public Health, or a related field. (LPC, LMFT, LCSW, NCSP, etc.)
- Additional training certification in wellness programming, student support services, or preventive health education.
- 5 – 10+ years of experience working in schools or youth serving environments.
- Demonstrated track record of high levels of professionalism, discretion, and ethical practice in managing confidential and sensitive situations.
- Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating health and wellness programming for students, faculty, and families.
- Experience building cross-divisional systems for counseling, crisis intervention, and student support services.
- Experience with collaborating with teachers, administrators, school nurses, school counseling, learning specialist, faculty/staff, and outside medical clinicians.
- Familiarity with crisis prevention, threat assessment, and risk management practices in a school setting.
- Ability to respond calmly and effectively in crisis or emergency situations.
Professional Competencies and Attributes:
- Demonstrate strong analytical and reflective practice, applying current research, data, and professional judgement to design evaluate, and clearly communicate health and wellness initiatives to diverse stakeholders.
- Engage students, families, faculty and staff with authenticity, approachability, and professionalism, build trust and credibility across divisions and disciplines.
- Model ethical leadership, sound decision-making, and healthy professional boundaries, serving as a visible and consistent role model for both students and adults with the school community.
- Exercise the capacity to make complex, high-stakes decisions related to student well-being, risk management, and crisis response, and communicate decisions, rationale, and next steps with clarity, transparency, and care.
- Demonstrates cultural competence and sustained commitment to equity, belonging, and inclusion, ensuring the health and wellness programming is developmentally appropriate, accessible, and responsive to the needs of a diverse JK-12 community.
- Energetic and eager to engage actively with students and parents.
- Able to make difficult decisions and effectively communicate them to the community.
- Appreciation for diversity and committed to the goal of maintaining an authentic, inclusive community.
In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at CCDS will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. CCDS does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.