Chief Executive Officer

The K12 Search Group; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Kairos Academies in St. Louis, MO seeks a Chief Executive Officer to guide the organization through its next chapter.

Reporting to the Board, the CEO will drive strategic execution, strengthen student outcomes, enrollment, and organizational alignment, and build a high-performing leadership team. Ideal candidates bring extensive K-12 leadership, a proven record of improvement, and the ability to translate mission into sustainable impact with strong financial and HR leadership.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading a K-12 education organization.
• Experience driving student outcomes and organizational performance.
• Ability to build and sustain high-performing leadership teams.
• Strong strategic, financial, HR, and external leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Kairos Academies through its next growth phase.
• Translate momentum into stronger, sustainable outcomes for students.
• Strengthen enrollment, student persistence, and instructional excellence.
• Build and nurture a top leadership team and culture.
• Preserve and strengthen Kairos's distinctive model.

Skills

Leadership experience

K-12 education

Strategic planning

Financial oversight

HR leadership

Job description

Our client, Kairos Academies, is a public charter school serving around 400 middle and high school students in St. Louis, Missouri. Kairos' model combines rigorous academics with strong relationships and student agency, including dedicated student mentors and Next Prep, a core program focused on self-discovery, career exploration, and professional skill-building. In 2026, Kairos celebrated a significant milestone with the graduation of its first senior class.

As Kairos moves beyond its founding years, the organization enters its next chapter with strong school-based leadership, a renewed focus on instructional excellence, and financial stability. At the same time, increasing academic proficiency, strengthening enrollment and student persistence, and aligning the organization’s structure and resources remain critical priorities.

Kairos seeks a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization through this important next phase. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will build on the momentum already underway while bringing the focus, judgment, and disciplined execution needed to translate that progress into stronger, more sustainable outcomes for students.

Key priorities include:

• Accelerating academic progress
• Strengthening enrollment and student persistence
• Stabilizing and aligning the organization for sustainable impact
• Building and sustaining a strong leadership team and culture
• Preserving and strengthening Kairos's distinctive model

The ideal candidate will bring significant leadership experience in K-12 education, a verifiable record of improving student outcomes and organizational performance, experience building and managing high-performing leadership teams, and strong strategic, financial, HR, and external leadership capabilities.

Compensation: Base salary of up to $200,000, with potential for a performance-based bonus.