Waldorf Teachers.com - Waldorf Employment in Waldorf Schools

Chicago Waldorf School seeks an enthusiastic, experienced Administrative Director to lead the administrative functions of the school and collaborate with the faculty and the Board to build enrollment, raise funds to support our growth, and represent the school to both external and internal audiences.

CWS is dedicated to the core principles of Waldorf education. With a history spanning more than 40 years, our school is vital to life, work, and creativity in the 21st century because we remain dedicated to an enduring goal: to inspire our children to be students, thinkers, and creators.

Administrative Director Position Overview

• Lead the administrative realm in service of the school’s mission and strategic vision
• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school, including but not limited to: Facilities & Operations, Financial/Accounting Management, Human Resources, Enrollment & Admissions, Tuition Adjustment & Financial Aid, Advancement & Alumni Relations, Marketing & Communications, Registrar
• Ensure the school complies with all applicable laws and regulations, managing risk and ensuring a safe learning and working environment for students, staff, and teachers
• Implement the policies and procedures approved by the Board
• Provide the faculty and Faculty Director with the administrative support needed to deliver the school’s pedagogical program
• Manage administrative staff
• Serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member on the Board of Trustees
• Draw upon a broad range of resources, including Waldorf and independent school networks and best practices, to inform school policies, procedures, and operations in all areas
• Cultivate relationships within the school community and serve as a spokesperson and school representative with trustees, parents, extended family, alumni families, other donors, and the wider community
• Lead the fundraising activities of the school, including the cultivation of donors, making successful asks, and converting prospects

The Chicago Waldorf School’s has a Co-Director model of governance. The Administrative Director and Faculty Director are peers in their respective realms, both reporting to the Board. While the Administrative Director leads the administrative realm, the Faculty Director leads the pedagogical realm of the Chicago Waldorf School, including the supervision of the faculty. The Administrative Director works collaboratively with the Faculty Director to manage the sometimes-competing demands of the various constituencies of the school.

Desired Qualifications

• A commitment to quality Waldorf education
• An ability to motivate, lead, develop, and sustain a cohesive and competent administrative staff
• Practical and demonstrable experience with marketing, school finance, and fundraising
• An ability to engage the school community and lead marketing, communication, and fundraising efforts in a competitive independent school market
• Comfort operating in a collaborative decision-making environment that encourages diversity of thought and innovation
• Demonstrates and supports a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members
• An ability to connect with all constituents of the school and be highly visible at all school events
• Professional level of proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing internal and external data, mining and organizing information for clear presentation to key constituencies, including the Board, the faculty, parents, and the broader community
• Ability to translate strategic goals into operational objectives and measures
• Ability to analyze information from a variety of sources and apply critical and creative thinking to develop solutions to complex problems
• Ability to act with appropriate urgency to analyze issues, assess risk, and accept accountability for the resulting decision
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor, exhibit sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and use discretion

For additional information, visit www.chicagowaldorf.org/administrative-director-search

Compensation and Benefits

The Chicago Waldorf School offers an excellent and competitive benefits package, including health, dental and life insurance, 403B pension program, full tuition remission, and funds for on-going professional development. The salary offered is commensurate with experience.


To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically, in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs), the following materials:
• A cover letter expressing their interest in this position
• A current resume
• A one-page statement of fundraising experience
• A list of five (5) professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each to: adsearch@chicagowaldorf.org

CWS Anti-Discrimination Policy
The Chicago Waldorf School is committed to providing and environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and community members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Chicago Waldorf School believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a school and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.