Chief Academic Officer

Community College Preparatory Academy Public Charter Schools•Washington, DC

3d•$75,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The CAO serves as CC Prep’s highest-ranking instructional and academic systems leader, with primary responsibility for improving instructional quality, operational consistency, student achievement, workforce-aligned program development, and scalable academic infrastructure. As a key member of the Executive Team, the CAO provides strategic direction in institutional development and sustainable growth. This position is critical to CC Prep’s strategy of increasing enrollment while significantly enhancing student outcomes. The CAO will ensure all programs and operations align with applicable requirements, including Cognia accreditation criteria, OSSE Adult and Family Education (AFE) regulatory guidelines, WIOA functional specifications, ASPIRE performance accountability framework, and DCPCSB compliance requirements. The ideal candidate is a systems-oriented instructional leader capable of developing structures that bolster instructional operations, enhance enrollment, support accreditation, and ensure workforce alignment at scale. The successful candidate will be a collaborative leader who can balance instructional quality and rigor, workforce alignment and student readiness, operational accountability and discipline, responsiveness to adult learners, and data-driven growth and sustainability planning. CC Prep is a mission-driven Adult Learning Institution currently implementing a strategic stabilization and scaling program to strengthen institutional systems, align workforce with industry, achieve operational consistency, create positive student outcomes, and ensure long-term organizational viability. CC Prep is focused on implementing key operational enhancements through building scalable academic and operational systems, cross-functional accountability structures, collaborative leadership practices, student-centered service models, and a culture of operational excellence. CC Prep is looking for leaders who thrive in a collaborative, solutions-focused environment, an organization committed to developing scalable, well-functioning systems, a performance-based education setting, and a mission-driven institution focused on workforce mobility and community impact. The organization places particular emphasis on being accountable, responsive and professional, using a student-centered decision-making approach, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, and pursuing continuous operational improvement. Leadership is committed to developing sustainable systems through phased development, collaborative executive support, and responsible scaling that avoids operational overload. The Chief Academic Officer plays a crucial role in the organization’s mission by driving measurable improvements in student achievement and credential completion, leading accreditation readiness and maintaining Cognia compliance, expanding workforce-aligned CTE pathways to meet D.C. metropolitan area employer needs, building scalable instructional systems that support sustainable enrollment growth, strengthening faculty accountability and instructional consistency across all programs, and aligning academic programs with ASPIRE, WIOA, and OSSE performance standards.

Requirements

Master’s Degree (required) in Administrative Leadership/Principalship, Adult and Developmental Education, Curriculum & Instruction, or related area
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in postsecondary or adult education leadership
Demonstrated success in improving instruction and student performance
Experience with adult education, workforce development, or transitional postsecondary programs
Experience with operational leadership within government-supported educational systems
Experience with developing and integrating instructional systems and workforce development training programs
Strong understanding of adult learning principles and ASPIRE accountability systems
Strong regulatory and compliance focus (Cognia, WIOA, OSSE)
Collaborative leadership style and change management capability
Data-driven quality improvement and performance analytics approach
Systems thinking and operational function design
Excellent communication and stakeholder management

Nice To Haves

Doctorate (preferred)

Responsibilities

Design and implement a high-performance instructional model grounded in adult learning principles
Provide vertical alignment across all program areas: Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Development preparation (GED), Workforce development pathways, Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Ensure continual improvement of instruction through accountability, integrity, and consistency
Maintain compliance with Cognia, DCPCSB, and OSSE requirements
Lead accreditation assessment and continuous improvement cycles
Ensure operational alignment with WIOA and adult education regulations
Improve systems supporting instructional documentation, reporting, and accountability
Ensure curriculum, instruction, assessments, and support are aligned with Cognia standards
Standardize curriculum frameworks and instructional delivery models across all programs
Develop onboarding and instructional training systems for faculty
Establish ASPIRE metric-driven improvements to institutional performance
Develop and implement an academic dashboard with intervention mechanisms
Develop targeted interventions for at-risk learners
Develop workforce-aligned CTE pathways in healthcare, information technology, construction trades, HVAC, and emerging sectors
Build employer partnerships to support: Apprenticeship programs, Workforce pipelines, Credentialing opportunities, Job placement outcomes
Improve coordination between academic programs and student support services
Recruit, develop, and retain high-quality credentialed instructors
Create a performance coaching and instructional practice model linked to student success
Foster professionalism and multi-disciplinary coordination across departments
Foster a collaborative learning framework that promotes accountability
Build scalable systems for instructional delivery and operational accountability
Implement real-time performance monitoring and data-driven accountability systems
Track student persistence, retention, and academic progress
Make recommendations for program improvements that help students succeed and transition to the workforce
Establish a long-range growth and sustainability model for academic programs