Director of Leader Lab
Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School
Brooklyn, New York
What is the Role?
Coney Island Prep is searching for an experienced leader skilled in talent development, adult learning, and performance management to launch its new Leader Lab. The ideal candidate is both a visionary and strategic thinker who anticipates learning needs, identifies and addresses gaps, and refines systems by developing clear, data-informed protocols and procedures that strengthen organizational effectiveness. The Director of Leader Lab plays a pivotal role in driving professional development, bridging the gap between leadership theory and practice, and advancing Coney Island Prep’s talent and equity priorities.
The Director of Leader Lab also oversees the organization’s training on and implementation of the annual performance management cycle, providing guidance and support to people managers across the organization as they facilitate beginning of the year goal-setting, mid-year and end-of-year performance reviews for more than 250 employees at Coney Island Prep.
Coney Island Prep’s Leader Lab cultivates and invests in transformational leaders and educators who drive equity and excellent outcomes for our scholars and community. Drawing upon the latest research and scientific insights, Leader Lab studies, advances, and promotes leader mindsets, behaviors, skills, and habits, aligned to Coney Island Prep’s proprietary, research-backed leader and teacher competency models. As our school’s professional learning hub, Leader Lab drives development through direct professional learning sessions and cohort opportunities.
The Director of Leader Lab will report directly to the Chief Talent & Equity Officer.
What You’ll Be Asked To Do
Develop talent by leading, operationalizing, and scaling the organization’s central leadership development hub to support both instructional and non-instructional staff in the near term, and eventually support teacher-leader development in the long term.
- Create and oversee a comprehensive professional development program that includes direct learning opportunities, self-directed resources, and external learning opportunities
- Develop and deliver select professional development modules that align with the organization's Leadership Competency Model (LCM) and Instructional Practice & Development (IPAD) Guide
- Develop and manage annual leadership development cohorts for non-instructional staff with sequenced learning objectives based on tenure, aspirations, learning goals, and performance
- Lead a New Teacher Cohort that specializes in supporting teachers who are within 0-1 years of tenure in the profession or in their first year at Coney Island Prep
- Collaborate and co-lead with leaders across the organization to identify and codify effective professional development practices that can be implemented with consistency for continuous improvement for staff at all levels.
- Collaborate with Chief Schools, Chief Academic, and Chief Operating Officers to advance professional learning for school leaders and non-instructional leaders
- Lead a cohort of Leader Lab fellows and faculty who promote best practices and lead cohort learning
- Deliver exceptional results through a data-driven approach that informs Leader Lab initiatives aimed at retaining top talent and building diverse pipelines of instructional and non-instructional leaders who drive strong outcomes for scholars.
- Stay current with the latest research on adult learning and leadership development, consistently integrating findings into Leader Lab's programs and auditing the Leader Lab resource center
- Elevate adult learning principles, brain science research, and external literature and resources to connect general leadership and talent development best practices to education and social justice
- Facilitate Coney Island Prep's annual performance management cycle, guide goal-setting, evaluations, and regular communication of organizational projects and priorities
- Develop internal vertical and horizontal pathways for professional growth whether it’s connected to growing in the space staff are already in or growing to the next space
- Build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community by infusing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles into all aspects of Leader Lab and leader competencies.
- Advance Racial Equity Principles by embedding concrete leader mindsets, habits and practices that challenge inequitable systems and promote inclusive excellence and dismantle white supremacy culture
- Connect Leader Lab's initiatives to the retention of historically marginalized groups
- Ensure that Leader Lab's initiatives contribute to a more equitable and inclusive educational environment by elevating leaders who reflect the diversity of our student population and broader community
What You’ll Need
- Passion for education and a dedication to Coney Island Prep’s mission, beliefs, values and our commitment to anti-racism
- Steadfast belief that all scholars can achieve at the highest academic levels and deserve an opportunity to succeed in the college and career of their choice
- Minimum ten years of relevant professional experience, at least four years of K-12 school leadership experience with direct leadership development responsibilities. Nonprofit or corporate leadership development experience is a plus.
- Interpersonal skills to foster trust-based relationships and adept at organizing complex deliverables and tasks for multiple stakeholders
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Proficient in Google Suite, with advanced skills in Google Slides and Google Sheets for data collection, analysis, and visualization
- Self-reflective and open to frequent feedback, with the ambition and desire to grow and develop
- Driven and eager to lean into ambiguity and move vision and plans to action and outcomes
- A positive, solutions-oriented attitude and drive for excellence
- Team-first collaborator and communicator
- Experience facilitating leadership development programs and training sessions required
- Experience facilitating diversity, equity and inclusion discussions and large trainings required
- Program management, program design, and project management experience strongly preferred
- Bachelor degree required; advanced professional degree preferred
Who are we?
Coney Island Prep is a college preparatory public charter school in Brooklyn, New York. Merging growth, performance, and commitment, the Coney Island Prep community takes its responsibility to prepare scholars for the college and career of their choice very seriously, but not ourselves. We balance our sense of ownership and responsibility with humility and levity and support each other every step of the way. Coney Island Prep currently serves over 1,300 scholars across its four schools, including:
- 312 scholars in kindergarten – second grade at the lower elementary school
- 336 scholars in third – fifth grade at the upper elementary school
- 348 scholars in sixth – eighth grades at the middle school
- 349 scholars in ninth-twelfth grade at the high school
Commitment to Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
Coney Island Prep is committed to building a team that collectively reflects the various backgrounds, experiences, and identities of our scholars. We recognize and respond to different points of access, so that everyone maximizes their highest potential. We also recognize that because of institutionalized racism and systemic oppression, historically marginalized groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to most application and hiring processes. We want to ensure that all candidates, regardless of their identity, are able to demonstrate their qualifications and are not limited by a lack of opportunity or access. We are committed to creating a space where everyone’s identity is acknowledged, respected, and welcomed. We are intentional about creating an environment where people feel comfortable being their authentic selves at work by constantly examining our organization culture and challenging our traditions.
Benefits and Compensation
- Employees at Coney Island Prep are provided with salaries that are highly competitive, set through a lens of equity, and based on an individual’s skills and experiences relevant to the role. The starting salary for this role is $95,000 - 125,000.
- As a regular full time employee of Coney Island Prep, you will be eligible for benefits that include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance as well as a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match and Paid Family Leave.
- Staff are provided with a MacBook Air and access to all the necessary technology and resources needed to succeed in their role.
Are you “All In?” This position starts immediately. To apply, head to our Careers Page!
Coney Island Preparatory Public Charter School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, citizenship or disability. We want Coney Island Prep to be a place where students and staff of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities feel as though they are valued and can excel.