Chief Academic Innovation Officer

newarkacademy; Livingston (NJ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Newark Academy seeks a Chief Academic Innovation Officer (CAIO) to shape the future of its academic program. The CAIO will work with the Head of School and other leaders to rethink what students learn, how they learn, how they demonstrate learning, and how Newark Academy programs prepare them for college and the world beyond.

The role centers on fostering joyful, student-centered learning, collaboration across divisions, and a sustainable approach to innovative change, including strategic

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Head of School, Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning, division principals, and academic leaders to develop and advance Newark Academy's long-term academic vision.
• Lead examination of curriculum, structure, course requirements, and academic pathways to identify opportunities for meaningful change.
• Develop and lead a multi-year academic innovation plan translating the school’s vision into concrete initiatives.
• Guide the school’s response to AI and other developments shaping education, focusing on independent thinking and assessment.
• Help shape IB Diploma Programme and AP opportunities to support the school’s broader educational goals.
• Explore models for experiential learning, collaboration, and partnerships connecting academics to the world beyond the classroom.
• Study relationships between academic expectations, student well-being, and the overall student experience to balance excellence with well-being.
• Collaborate to implement new educational approaches with faculty support and clear measures of success.

Job description

Chief Academic Innovation Officer

Newark Academy seeks a Chief Academic Innovation Officer (CAIO) to help shape the future of its academic program. The CAIO will challenge longstanding assumptions about how schools organize teaching and learning. Working closely with the Head of School and the Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning, the CAIO will examine the fundamental structures of Newark Academy's academic experience and lead the development of new approaches that reconsider what students learn, how they learn, how they demonstrate their learning, and how Newark Academy programming prepares them for college and the world beyond.

Central to this work is a commitment to challenging and joyful learning, intellectual curiosity, student agency, and the relationships that make an exceptional education possible. Working collaboratively across divisions and departments, the CAIO will build support for ambitious ideas and lead their implementation, ensuring that thoughtful innovation results in meaningful and sustainable change. The position will also provide strategic leadership for academic scheduling, recognizing that how the school organizes time, courses, and resources is fundamental to what students can experience and achieve.

The Chief Academic Innovation Officer serves as a member of the senior leadership team and works in close partnership with the Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning, division principals, department chairs, and other school leaders.

Reports to : Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning

Responsibilities:

Academic Vision and Transformation

• Partner with the Head of School, Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning, division principals, and academic leaders to develop and advance a compelling long-term vision for Newark Academy's academic program
• Lead a thoughtful examination of the school's academic structures, including curriculum, departmental organization, course requirements, academic pathways, assessment, and the use of time, identifying opportunities for meaningful change
• Develop and lead a multi-year academic innovation plan that establishes priorities, identifies opportunities for transformation, and translates the school's educational vision into concrete initiatives
• Guide the school's response to artificial intelligence and other developments shaping the future of education, with particular attention to independent thinking, intellectual development, teaching, learning, and assessment
• Help shape the future of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement opportunities at Newark Academy, examining how these programs can best support the school's broader educational vision
• Explore new models for experiential learning, research, collaboration, and partnerships that connect academic study with the world beyond the classroom
• Examine the relationship between academic expectations, student well-being, and the overall student experience, seeking approaches that strengthen both academic excellence and balance
• Study exemplary educational programs and emerging practices at leading independent schools, colleges, universities, and other organizations, translating relevant insights into opportunities for Newark Academy

Institutional Leadership and Implementation

• Build trust and institutional alignment around academic priorities, engaging faculty, students, and administrators meaningfully in the process of change
• Foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, thoughtful experimentation, and continuous improvement, encouraging faculty to question assumptions and explore new possibilities for teaching and learning
• Partner with the Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning and division principals to support faculty in developing, piloting, evaluating, and implementing new educational approaches
• Establish clear goals, timelines, and measures of success for major initiatives, using evidence of student learning and experience to evaluate their impact
• Engage faculty, students, and families in meaningful conversations about the future of teaching and learning
• Partner with Admissions, Advancement, and Marketing & Communications to articulate the distinctive strengths and future direction of Newark Academy's academic program
• Help strengthen a school culture in which academic excellence is measured not only by what students achieve, but also by what they contribute

Academic Scheduling and Program Design

• Provide strategic leadership for the annual academic scheduling process, ensuring that the schedule reflects and advances Newark Academy's educational priorities
• Examine how the organization of the school day, academic calendar, course offerings, and faculty responsibilities might evolve to create new opportunities for teaching and learning
• Lead the exploration and development of scheduling models that support interdisciplinary study, experiential education, academic choice, student well-being, and effective use of faculty expertise
• Collaborate with division p