Director, Academic Strategy & Effectiveness (0993): Educational Services

San Francisco Unified School District; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) seeks a Director, Academic Strategy & Effectiveness to guide strategic initiatives across departments. You will partner with the Deputy Superintendent, supervise major projects, and drive organizational effectiveness to support student success and district goals.

The role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and stakeholder engagement within a large urban K-12 environment.

Qualifications

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in education, public administration, business administration, or other closely related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Four (4) years of professional experience in strategy and operations, academics, organizational effectiveness, project or program management.
• Experience working in K–12 education, including experience as a teacher or school administrator.
• Experience working with large, complex budgets.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic support to the Deputy Superintendent of Education Services and oversee execution of SFUSD's Vision, Values, Goals and Guardrails.
• Oversee high-priority projects, coordinate cross-functional work, and advance organizational effectiveness.
• Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives and communicate with district leadership, staff, and stakeholders.
• Develop and monitor budget related to strategic initiatives and ensure policy compliance.
• Lead and supervise assigned project teams and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Project management

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in education/public administration/business

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Job Class: 0993 Director

Salary Range: $148,215 - $198,901/annually

Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (what does this mean?)

Length of Appointment: PEX not to exceed three (3) years. This position is excluded by the Charter from competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the appointing officer.

Calendar: Full Time / Full Year

Who We Are

With an annual budget of $1.4 billion, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is California's seventh-largest school district, serving more than 49,000 students who speak more than 44 documented languages across 121 schools in the City and County of San Francisco every year. We aim for all SFUSD students to graduate as independent thinkers with a sense of agency who have attained academic and creative skills to lead productive lives and contribute to our community.

What It Means to Work Here

The SFUSD community is unified by our Core Values:

• Student-centered: We put students’ needs first
• Fearless: We persist through challenges
• United: We celebrate and build on each other’s strengths
• Social Justice: We stand with those most vulnerable in our community
• Diversity-driven: We respect and seek to understand each person

We are also inspired by Vision, Values and Guardrails which captures our aspirations and vision for the future of public education in San Francisco. Alongside the District’s strategic plan.

Who We Want

We want talented people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who are inspired by our mission, steeped in equity, and who are motivated to unleash our children’s potential. We want people who are strong collaborators, skilled communicators, and problem solvers who are comfortable in a community of continuous learning.

As the 0993 Director, Academic District Strategy & Effectiveness, you will provide strategic support to the Deputy Superintendent of Education Services. Partnering closely with the Deputy Superintendent, you will oversee the execution of SFUSD's Vision, Values, Goals and Guardrails and other district priorities, and ensure alignment across departments and initiatives. You will oversee high-priority projects, coordinate cross-functional work, oversee operational systems, and advance organizational effectiveness to support student success and district goals. You will be a key liaison among district leadership and staff, schools, community partners, and Board of Education, helping to ensure timely execution of strategic initiatives and effective communication across the organization.

Essential Duties

The duties specified below are representative of the range of duties for this role and are not intended to be an inclusive or exhaustive list.

As the 0993 Director, Academic Strategy & Effectiveness

Strategic Planning and Execution

• Support the Deputy Superintendent in advancing the Superintendent's strategic priorities and district-wide initiatives, including review of the budget and associated administrative procedures to ensure effective operationalization of the Deputy Superintendent’s vision
• Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of high-impact projects and organizational initiatives
• Develop project plans, timelines, performance metrics, and accountability structures to ensure successful execution
• Identify risks, barriers, and opportunities and recommend solutions to district leadership

Executive and Organizational Leadership

• Support day-to-day functioning of Deputy Superintendents and all direct reports, ensuring seamless integration into priorities; represent the Deputy Superintendent when requested
• Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives to ensure alignment, collaboration, and efficient use of resources
• Facilitate executive decision-making by conducting research, preparing analyses, and developing recommendations
• Support the development and implementation of organizational policies, procedures, and operational improvements

Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

• Build and maintain effective relationships with district leaders, staff, community organizations, families, and Board of Education
• Support the development of executive communications, presentations, board materials, and stakeholder engagement strategies
• Coordinate responses to sensitive issues requiring executive-level attention
• Analyze data to provide meaningful insights into District operations and effectiveness

Operational Excellence

• Oversee systems for tracking district priorities, action items, and organizational performance
• Monitor progress on strategic goals and prepare reports for executive leadership
• Support budget planning and resource allocation related to strategic initiatives
• Ensure compliance with district policies, applicable laws, and regulations
• Provide high-quality customer service to all community members
• Design and implement high-functioning systems to allow for all work to be completed and communicated in a timely, proactive and supportive manner.

Leadership and Supervision

• Provide leadership, coaching, and supervision to assigned project teams
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, equity, and continuous improvement
• Support talent development and organizational capacity-building efforts

The strongest candidates will have:

• 7-10 years of demonstrable success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from strategy through implementation, including the ability to establish clear goals, milestones, measures of success, and accountability structures through influence and without formal authority.
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated experience using quantitative and qualitative data to identify problems, develop solutions, monitor performance, and drive decision-making
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear recommendations, executive communications, presentations, and stakeholder-facing materials
• Demonstrated ability to improve organizational systems, processes, or services
• Strong project and change management skills, including the ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives in a complex and rapidly changing environment
• Sound judgment and discretion when navigating sensitive, confidential, politically complex, or high-stakes issues
• An orientation toward continuous improvement, including the ability to identify root causes, challenge existing practices, and translate ideas into sustainable systems
• Experience working in K–12 education, including experience as a teacher or school administrator
• Experience working with large, complex budgets.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree in education, public administration, business administration, or other closely related field from an accredited college or university; Master’s degree preferred
• Four (4) years of professional experience in strategy and operations, academics, organizational effectiveness, project or program management, change management, public administration, or a closely related field

Substitution

Education requirement may be substituted for additional experience on a year-for-year basis

What We Offer

SFUSD offers a competitive salary of $148,215 - $198,901/annually, commensurate with experience in a similar position. We offer a comprehensive benefits plan including dental and vision plans, a defined benefit pension plan, disability, life insurance, flexible spending account options and vacation time. We also offer an inclusive and equity-centered environment where we encourage staff to bring their whole selves to work.

Verification

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Note

:Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification from this and futurejobopportunities with the San Francisco Unified School District.

Nondiscrimination Statement and Grievance Procedures

San Francisco Unified School District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, age, religion, pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy or lactation, including medical conditions or recovery, parental, marital, and family status, reproductive health decision making, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, or genetic information, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by law or regulation, in its educational program(s) or employment.

Any person may report discrimination, including sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or discrimination on the basis of a physical or mental disability (whether or not the reporting person is alleged to be the victim of the discriminatory conduct) in person, by mail, by telephone, or by email, using the contact information for the District's Title IX Coordinator.

District Title IX Coordinator

Eva Kellogg

Office of Equity

555 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor

San Francisco, CA, 94102

415-355-7334 or [e-mail]

For more information and the District's nondiscrimination policy, please review Board Policy 4030. For more information about the District's Sexual Harassment policy, please review Board Policy 4034.