Assistant Head of School

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

San Diego FC (San Diego FC) is the newest member of the MLS family. As part of the unique Right to Dream model and the Sycuan Tribe’s deep roots, we are proud to be building a San Diego-centric soccer organization and residential youth academy that honors our history and celebrates emerging excellence on and off the pitch.

SUMMARY:

The Assistant Head of Schools at SDFC’s Right to Dream Academy School will have instructional, cultural, operational and managerial responsibilities. The Assistant Head of Schools’s job is to support the Head of School in driving academic and character outcomes for student-athletes as a key member of the school’s leadership team and to foster an environment conducive to highly-engaged learning and development. The Assistant Head of Schools will work in conjunction with the Head of School and other Academy leaders to invest a team of mission-driven educators to execute on the necessary components of the Academy’s design to meet the vision of the school and larger Right to Dream Academy.

The Assistant Head of Schools reports to the Head of School and works within the academy leadership team of the Head of Academy, Head of Residential Life, Head of Academy Development, Head of Coaching, Head of Academy Operations, and Head of Academy Performance. The Assistant Head of Schools must work with an integrative mindset to design a seamless experience for student-athletes between school, football, and residential life.

The Assistant Head of Schools will cooperate with the wider RTD ecosystem and work closely with other RTD Academies to deliver best practices to the student-athletes in San Diego that are inspired by and align with the academic work being done by Right to Dream around the world. As such, they will nurture the RTD manifesto and culture within the academy, while recognizing the unique location of San Diego and the opportunity it affords in creating exceptional development pathways for young student-athletes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership

• Create and maintain an environment which fosters an engaged, passionate, diverse, fulfilled, and high-performing workforce of coaches, teachers, and staff, who in turn engage and enable the academy’s students, parents, and wider community.
• Build other’s instructional knowledge of standards, content, and instructional methods through observation, coaching, and evaluation of teaching staff (observes each staff member of 1x/every week and has a 1:1 coaching session a minimum of 1x/every 2 weeks)
• Coach grade and department team leaders
• Lead the development of staff to fulfill the academy’s responsibilities and oversee employee succession planning and learning/development programs, making recommendations to the Head of School regarding staff recruitment, development, hiring, retention and assignments
• Establish and manage new staff orientation and onboarding
• Promote high standards and expectations for academic performance, student leadership, staff/team effectiveness, personal integrity, and community responsibility
• Develop and implement student, staff, and family handbooks
• Participate in committee, department and other staff meetings, including attending board meetings and preparing board reports upon request
• Oversees operational tasks that may include ordering/resource procurement, handbooks, schedules, student records, staff coverage, and more

Culture and Climate

• Develop and ensure a growth environment based on the RTD academy model and with psychological safety as a core foundation.
• Help coordinate prospective student-athlete selection camps and new student-athlete orientation/onboarding
• Understand the cultural dimensions across the RTD group and other academies (Ghana, Denmark, and Egypt) and integrate this understanding into the organization.
• Work with Head of School, Head of Coaching, Head of Residential Life to develop and implement academic and character policies, protocols and practices that serve to support student-athlete development, learning, health and safety
• Coordinate with the Academy leadership on character education, advisory, and college counseling/pathways programs
• Actively participate in the development and coordination of the co-curricular (ex. Electives and Quarterly projects) and extra-curricular (ex. Enrichments and clubs) programs
• Assist in the planning and execution of school-wide assemblies, presentations, celebrations/rituals and programs, including family conferences
• Oversee student conduct/discipline incidents, the implementation of appropriate restorative responses, and communication with all relevant parties

Teaching and Learning

• Lead the creation and execution of the instructional vision, goals, priorities, protocols and processes which support the development of student-athletes, underpinned by the three pillars of football, education, and character
• Vet and select rigorous, college-ready aligned curriculum for all subject areas and grade levels and ensure horizontal and vertical alignment of the curriculum
• Coordinate alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment (including on-going progress-monitoring) alongside lesson plan review/feedback and regularly collecting/analyzing staff and student performance data
• Develop the school’s class schedule/calendar, exam schedules, and daily student schedules
• Monitor student academic progress; overseeing the grading and reporting of standards and methods used by teachers to measure student achievement
• Maintain complete academic records for all students
• Assist in the interpretation of transcripts, testing results, and recommendations from multidisciplinary evaluations to inform individual development plans inclusive of performance and potential
• Manage and lead professional development for staff

Operations, Compliance and Sustainability

• Ensure compliance with legal requirements of all governing agencies (including board and accrediting bodies)
• Understand the ecological system of SDFC and RTD and prioritize budgets and resources for the residence at the Academy.
• Supports school site safety plans and emergency preparedness
• Coordinates student’s services for students/families (including immigration and visa matters)
• Manages technology integration (SIS and online curriculum and assessment platforms)

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to student-athletes and their families and key point of contact for families
• Ensure and embrace the SDFC/RTD holistic development strategy including the academic and football components.
• Contribute to an inclusive environment for diverse people and cultures.
• Represent the academy frequently at events
• Integrate club and Academy level football player development strategies.
• As the founding team comes together, the Assistant Head of School may be assigned additional responsibilities to help balance the needs of the team and ensure excellence at the Academy

QUALIFICATIONS and EXPERIENCE:

Candidates can meet the requirements with a combination of experience in the following areas:

• Must possess 5 or more years of experience in a leadership role within a college-preparation K-12 environment that can include traditional public and public charter, private/independent schools, and/or residential school setting
• Must have experience working with diverse student populations, including those learning English, neurodivergent learners, and gifted/talented learners
• Must have experience that evidences alignment to the mission and vision of Right to Dream
• Must have experience in instructional design and instructional coaching
• Must have experience managing teams
• May have experience in founding schools and leading school design
• May be willing to live on campus (desired)
• May possess California Teaching Credential and/or CA Administrative Services Credential
• Strongly Desired: Bilingual – fluent in English & Spanish (reading, writing, speaking)
• May have strong connections to the San Diego community (preferred)
• May have understanding of an institution that prioritizes both football and academic pathways

ABOUT SAN DIEGO FC:

Our VISION is to be the epicenter of football excellence and innovation in North America. Our MISSION is to create opportunities for talent to flourish and San Diego to shine.

We value community, diversity, and acting with purpose. We are looking for leaders at all levels to co-create the culture of a new organization that is built on the premise that you can discover, understand, and re-define excellence by nurturing talent and creating opportunity anywhere – specifically though the combination of elite soccer, rigorous academics, and strong character.

Globally, Right to Dream partners with talented young people to give them a nurturing environment to flourish and thrive. We do this through a holistic model of athletic development, where young people grow as human beings and great footballers. RTD’s promise is set out in their Manifesto: a set of 8 commitments which will be central to the San Diego FC ethos from the front office, to the classroom, to the field.

This is an opportunity to be a part of a great team building something meaningful for San Diego. We offer excellent benefits including health coverages with generous company contributions, over 30 days of paid time off, and a 4% company match on your 401(k).

Soccer is humanity and together, we can make a meaningful impact both on and off the field, fostering a culture that embraces excellence and equal opportunities. SDFC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.