Director, Special Projects

The School District of Philadelphia; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 87,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

The School District of Philadelphia seeks a Director of Special Projects in the Office of Teaching and Learning to develop, manage, coordinate and implement special projects, programs, grants and activities that affect schools, students and parents. They will direct subordinate staff, ensure alignment with district goals and governmental mandates, monitor outcomes, and provide data-driven oversight across projects while collaborating with District offices.

Reports to the Chief Academic Officer.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in education, business, public administration or related field.
• Five years of full-time, paid, professional administrative experience with supervisory capacity.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Seven years of full-time, paid, professional administrative experience with supervisory or project management responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Directs staff in development, implementation, and facilitation of special projects, programs, grants and activities.
• Formulates policies and procedures for the delivery of program services and ensures adherence to guidelines.
• Represents the office at community meetings and stakeholder events.
• Collaborates with District offices to ensure effective and timely project executions.
• Monitors and evaluates program activities to meet objectives and governmental mandates.

Skills

Project management

Supervisory experience

Budgeting

Policy interpretation

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in education, business, public administration or related field

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Director of Special Projects

Title: Director, Special Projects

Department: Office of Teaching and Learning

Reports To: Chief Academic Officer

This is a full-time, 12-month, non-represented position. The salary grade is 4030, starting at $96,122, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.

Job Summary

Develops, manages, coordinates and implements special projects, programs, grants and activities in the assigned office. Directs and oversees the activities of subordinate staff engaged in various activities. Coordinates and ensures the successful integration of programs, grants and activities which directly affect schools, students and parents. Monitors and evaluates programmatic activities to ensure that identified objectives are being met in accordance with governmental mandates and system-wide goals.

Essential Functions

• As appropriate, directs a staff engaged in the development, implementation, and facilitation of special projects, programs, grants and activities in the assigned office; reviews and monitors the attainment of departmental goals by subordinate staff.
• Formulates and implements policies and procedures for the delivery of program services; ensures adherence to federal, state and local guidelines; develops standards to evaluate the effectiveness of programs; facilitates meetings with offices across the District to ensure alignment and effective program delivery.
• Represents the office at community meetings and other stakeholder events, as needed.

Office of Teaching and Learning Specialty

• Serves as the liaison, on behalf of the Chief Academic Officer, between the Office of Teaching and Learning and other District offices; establishes and maintains external partnerships.
• Manages projects and processes to improve overall team and project management across the office.
• Collaborates with all District offices to ensure effective and timely executions of key projects in the Office of Teaching and Learning.
• Compiles, analyzes, and disseminates a variety of data related to office project plans and school support implementation indicators.
• Develops and manages projects and processes; monitors all project phases and/or systems as needed.
• Manages planning processes to improve the coherence and effectiveness of teams across the Office of Teaching and Learning.
• Supports the Chief Academic Officer in planning information sharing, collaboration, and/or development meetings between the Office of Teaching and Learning and other offices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in education, business, public administration or a related field.
• Five years of full-time, paid, professional administrative experience in education, business or public administration, at least three of which have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Seven years of full-time, paid, professional administrative experience in education, business or public administration or project management and implementation which has included providing operational support to staff, at least three of which have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity.

The candidate must ensure that all of their relevant work experience is reflected on their resume prior to the submission of their application for District employment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrated knowledge of:

• the methods and techniques used in effective program planning, design and administration.
• supervisory methods and techniques
• budgetary practices and procedures.

Demonstrated ability to:

• interpret all relevant District, federal and state rules and regulations concerning program administration.
• assess the effectiveness of programmatic activities and to make recommendations for modifications as needed.
• coordinate and oversee the work of staff and attain effective results.
• maintain records and prepare reports.
• use a personal computer.
• effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing.
• establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Nondiscrimination

The School District of Philadelphia provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, disability, pregnancy, marital status, gender identity, or genetic information. Please refer to Board Policy 348 for further information regarding the District's commitment to Nondiscrimination in Employment Practices.

Primary Location: Office of Professional Learning (9LI0)

Job: Central Office

Organization: The School District of Philadelphia

Regular

Employee Status: Director

Job Posting: Aug 12, 2026, 2:04:36 AM

Union Affiliation: Not represented by a union

Unposting Date: Aug 24, 2026, 11:59:00 AM