President | Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School: Organizational Overview

Mission and Vision

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School provides a Catholic, college preparatory education and professional work experience to students from Spanish-speaking families with limited financial means.

The reason for the school's existence is to advance the human and intellectual capacities, as well as the religious and cultural heritage, of the immigrant families it serves. Through its Corporate Work Study Program, faith-based education, and Spanish heritage language curriculum, Cristo Rey prepares students to succeed in college and to assume leadership roles in their communities and beyond.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, located in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, is the flagship institution of the Cristo Rey Network of 40 schools nationwide. Founded as the first Cristo Rey school, it pioneered a unique educational and business model that pairs rigorous, Catholic, college-preparatory academics with meaningful professional work experience through the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP).

Serving 476 students from 29 zip codes across Chicago's Southwest Side, Cristo Rey creates unique opportunities for a community that still experiences great need. Through a dual-language curriculum, faith formation, and a professional work placement model, students gain the tools and experiences to succeed in college and beyond. The school's mission is deeply rooted in Jesuit values — forming young people to become "men and women for others," open to growth, intellectually competent, committed to justice, and faith-driven. All Cristo Rey Jesuit students pursue a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum rooted in the liberal arts, ensuring that every student is challenged by and engaged in the consistent high standards of academic excellence.

Over the past three decades, Cristo Rey Jesuit has graduated thousands of alumni who have gone on to assume leadership roles in civic, religious, business, and cultural life. The school is known for its strong sense of community, its family culture, and its unwavering commitment to opportunity and equity. Cristo Rey continues to receive national recognition as a groundbreaking model for urban education. In response to the success of Cristo Rey, the Cassin Educational Initiative Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invested close to $30 million toward replicating this educational model around the United States.

Role Summary: President

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School seeks a
faith-filled, visionary, and dynamic President
to lead the school into its next era. This is a rare opportunity to steward a historical school and contribute to a nationally recognized curriculum model that has transformed the landscape of Catholic education - at a pivotal time of transition and renewal.

The President's primary responsibility is the achievement of their mission through execution of the school's strategic plan.

Reporting to the Board of Directors and missioned by the Provincial of the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus, the President serves as Chief Executive Officer of the school. The President will be the spiritual and strategic leader, responsible for advancing Cristo Rey Jesuit's Catholic, Jesuit identity, ensuring academic and financial sustainability, and strengthening the school's distinctive dual mission of rigorous education and corporate work experience.

The next President will be a practicing Catholic, a culturally fluent leader with passion for and commitment to the Latino community, and an inspiring ambassador who can engage corporate, civic, philanthropic, and ecclesial partners with authenticity and credibility. The President will be an enthusiastic spokesperson for the school in English (and ideally Spanish) and will represent the school effectively to external constituencies and embrace a prominent civic presence. They will bring both fundraising prowess and a strong presence in the business community, paired with empathy for and connection to faculty, staff, students, and families.

In partnership with Cristo Rey leadership, students, staff, and employer partners, the President will guide the Corporate Work Study Program into its next chapter - honoring its strong legacy while adapting it to evolving workforce dynamics. Together, this community has the opportunity to strengthen a defining pillar of student experience and expand its impact for years to come. At the same time, the President will be charged with strengthening philanthropy and advancement efforts, growing the endowment and building new revenue streams to secure the school's future.

Internally, the President must foster trust, transparency, and morale among faculty and staff, engaging them as partners in shaping the next chapter. With Cristo Rey Jesuit's unique identity as a bilingual, Latino-centered, Catholic community, the President will be expected to lead with cultural fluency and authenticity, connecting deeply with students, families, and the wider Pilsen community. Finally, the President will shepherd the development of a new strategic plan, guiding the school through a period of renewal and growth while remaining deeply grounded in its Jesuit mission and values.

With Cristo Rey Jesuit poised to reimagine its Corporate Work Study Program and chart a new strategic plan, the President will play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainability, deepening community trust, and shepherding the institution into a bold new chapter.

Key Responsibilities:

Faith & Mission

• Serve as the spiritual leader of the school, modeling Catholic faith, Jesuit tradition, and Ignation spirituality across the community.
• Foster a culture rooted in mission, ensuring faith is integrated into academics, corporate work study, and community life.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with the Jesuit Province, Cristo Rey Network, and Archdiocese of Chicago.

School Strategic Leadership & Impact

• Provide overall vision for Cristo Rey Jesuit's religious, educational, and financial health, developing and implementing a bold strategic plan.
• Act as a visible and trusted presence at school events, building morale and inclusion among students, faculty, staff, students and families.
• Strengthen ties with alumni, neighbors, and community partners to expand Cristo Rey Jesuit's reach and relevance.

Fostering Academic Excellence

• Champion Cristo Rey Jesuit's rigorous, dual-language, college-preparatory curriculum as a national model of Jesuit education.
• Collaborate closely with the Principal to support academics, student life, and co-curricular programs.
• Partner with faculty as respected collaborators, empowering innovation and ensuring a holistic student experience that integrates academics, faith, and work study.

Corporate Work Study Program

• Provide strategic oversight of the Corporate Work Study Program as a cornerstone of student experience and financial sustainability.
• Engage directly with C-suite leaders to expand and diversify job partners, adapting the program to workforce changes.
• Partner with faculty and staff to ensure work study aligns with academic priorities and student well-being.

Fundraising & Financial Stewardship

• Lead philanthropic growth, cultivating major donors, foundations, and corporate partners to expand annual giving and endowment.
• Ensure strong financial management in collaboration with the CFO and Board, aligning budgets and resources with mission.
• Serve as the chief external ambassador, inspiring investment in Cristo Rey Jesuit through compelling communication of impact.

Board Engagement & Governance

• Partner with the Board Chair to guide governance, report on the state of the school, and engage members in strategic priorities.
• Involve Board members in fundraising, corporate partnerships, and faith formation experiences to deepen their engagement.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Board and Jesuit Board of Members, while engaging the leadership team in board committees.

Leadership Competencies & Personal Characteristics

While no candidate will possess every qualification, the most competitive leaders will bring a combination of the following qualities, experiences, and attributes:

• Mission-Driven & Faith-Filled:
  Practicing Catholic with a deep personal faith, commitment to Jesuit values, and ability to articulate and model the school's Catholic mission.
• Culturally Fluent & Bilingual:
  High comfort level within the Latino community; Spanish language fluency strongly preferred, with cultural fluency essential.
• Educational Understanding
  : While not required to be an academic administrator, brings respect for the academic mission and a strong partnership approach with the Principal and faculty.
• Inspirational Communicator:
  Compelling storyteller and spokesperson who can connect across audiences- from corporate leaders and donors to Board, students, faculty, and families.
• Change Agent & Strategic Leader
  : Visionary with the courage to lead transformation, particularly in revitalizing the Corporate Work Study Program and ensuring financial sustainability.
• People-Centered & Collaborative:
  Builds trust and morale among Board, faculty and staff; values listening, transparency, and authentic engagement.
• Fundraising & Business Acumen:
  Demonstrated success in fundraising, external relations, and business community engagement; capable of cultivating major gifts and corporate partnerships.
• Community Builder:
  Able to unify diverse constituencies - Jesuits, Board, alumni, faculty, students, and partners - around a shared vision for the future.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skill set level and years of previous/applicable experience. The salary range for this role is between $200,00 -$225,000 with a generous benefit package.