Executive Director

Joyful Jobs•Tucson, AZ

9d•$90,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director serves as the Chief Executive Officer of CITY Center for Collaborative Learning (CCCL), a unique educational organization that integrates charter school district and nonprofit organizational leadership. The Executive Director oversees three innovative charter schools—City High School and two small middle schools, Paulo Freire Freedom School–University, and Paulo Freire Freedom School–Downtown and a Professional Learning Center. This role requires a visionary, systems-oriented leader who can balance educational excellence, financial stewardship, organizational sustainability, labor relations and a deep commitment to equity. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for translating mission and strategy into strong outcomes for students, educators, and the broader community.

Requirements

3–5 years of progressive leadership experience in education and/or nonprofit management
Demonstrated success in educational leadership and organizational management
Experience managing complex budgets and supervising senior leaders
Proven track record in fundraising and resource development
Master’s degree required

Nice To Haves

Charter school leadership or governance experience
Experience supervising school principals or instructional leaders
Track record of equity-centered leadership in diverse communities
Grant writing and major gift fundraising experience
Experience with collective bargaining or labor relations, ideally in an education or nonprofit setting.
Arizona educational leadership certification (or ability to obtain)

Responsibilities

Safeguard and advance CCCL’s mission, vision, and values through strategic leadership and daily decision-making, including DEIB commitments across all programs and operations
Ensure diverse stakeholder voice and authentic community engagement in decision-making
Partner with the Board of Directors to develop, execute, and monitor long-term strategic plans
Foster a culture of sustainable improvement, including transparent communication, innovation, collaboration, accountability
Monitor national and regional trends in education, charter policy, compliance, and nonprofit leadership to ensure organizational relevance
Build leadership capacity across the organization and support succession planning for key roles
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the school principals and leadership team, ensuring strong instructional leadership, operational effectiveness, and accountability for school-based equity initiatives
Support principals in implementing high-quality professional development, student-centered pedagogy, and data-driven improvement
Ensure schools maintain a clear focus on student achievement, post-secondary readiness, and holistic student success
Oversee collection, analysis, and reporting of academic and organizational data (state indicators, internal measures, alumni outcomes)
Champion innovative, equity-centered educational practices, including special education, ensuring schools serve as demonstration sites for exemplary learning
Support effective site-based governance structures and authentic stakeholder engagement at the school level
Serve as primary liaison with charter authorizers and maintain strong, transparent relationships
Lead charter renewals, amendments, and negotiations in partnership with the Board
Ensure compliance with all charter, state, and federal requirements
Monitor charter legislation and advocate for policies aligned with CCCL’s mission and values
Ensure fair, equitable enrollment practices and ongoing legal and regulatory compliance
Provide executive oversight of finance, human resources, facilities, technology, and legal compliance in collaboration with Director of Operations
Develop the annual budget in collaboration with designated organizational partners and Board Finance Committee
Ensure sound financial management, internal controls, audits, and risk management
Steward organizational assets, including two downtown Tucson buildings and an approximately $4M annual budget
Ensure facilities support high-quality learning environments and community engagement
Delegate operational responsibilities appropriately while retaining executive accountability
Develop and lead a comprehensive advancement strategy that includes diverse revenue streams aligned with mission and long-term sustainability.
Lead and oversee grant strategy, writing, reporting, and compliance in collaboration with the leadership team.
Build and sustain a culture of philanthropy in partnership with the Board of Directors
Cultivate and steward relationships with foundations, corporations, individual donors, and government funders
Lead major gift fundraising, annual giving, tax credit campaigns, and capital initiatives
Maintain a robust organizational database of donors, alumni, and community partners
Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Board of Directors
Collaborate with the Board Chair to set agendas, prepare materials, and ensure productive meetings
Provide timely, accurate, and strategic information to support board decision-making and fiduciary oversight
Support board development, recruitment, orientation, and succession planning
Partner with the Board on policy development and organizational accountability
Act as management's lead negotiator in active collective bargaining with the newly established union under the guidance of legal counsel in accordance with NLRB requirements, while maintaining good-faith bargaining obligations and consistent, transparent staff communication throughout
Hire, supervise, evaluate, and support school principals and senior administrative staff
Oversee district-level recruitment strategies to attract and retain diverse, mission-aligned talent, with support/outsourcing as needed
Ensure consistent, equitable, and legally compliant hiring, evaluation, and employment practices
Execute or delegate successful coordination of services related to payroll and benefits for staff members
Foster a healthy, inclusive organizational culture grounded in trust, collaboration, and professional growth.
Establish measurable equity goals and accountability structures, including hiring, retention, and advancement practices that reflect DEIB practices
Manage staff development, performance management, and leadership coaching
Serve as the primary spokesperson and ambassador for CCCL
Build strong relationships with civic, educational, philanthropic, and business leaders
Lead organizational communications, including publications, press, website, and social media
Represent CCCL at local, state, and national education forums
Strengthen community partnerships that benefit students and advance the mission
Support student enrollment, outreach, and professional learning recruitment efforts