Grant Wood AEA Chief Administrator

Grundmeyer Leader Services; Ankeny (IA); Presencial; USD 120 000 - 180 000; Tempo integral

Resumo da oferta

Grant Wood AEA Chief Administrator role seeking an accomplished leader to guide a statewide educational agency in Iowa. The chief executive officer aligns people, programs, and resources to improve student outcomes and educator support while ensuring sustainability.

The successful candidate will build partnerships with school boards, superintendents, staff, and stakeholders; advance strategic priorities; and ensure compliance with laws, policies, and board directions.

Qualificações

• Master's or specialist degree in educational administration or related field; doctorate preferred.
• Appropriate Iowa licensure, including Superintendent/AEA Administrator endorsement and evaluator approval, as required by law.
• Demonstrated successful and progressive administrative leadership experience in PK-12 education, an AEA, or closely related educational organization.
• Extensive knowledge in special education including law, programming, service delivery, compliance, and evidence-based practices.
• Understanding of Iowa's educational system and the role of Area Education Agencies.
• Experience in organizational, fiscal, personnel, and change leadership.

Responsabilidades

• Provide executive leadership for high-quality, evidence-based programs and services that improve student outcomes.
• Support Board governance with strategic direction and data-informed recommendations.
• Cultivate district partnerships and stakeholder engagement to meet needs across the service area.
• Lead service-for-fee programs with financial sustainability and accountability.
• Develop leadership capacity, culture, and succession planning within the executive team.
• Oversee fiscal sustainability, contracts, risk management, and facility/tech operations.
• Collaborate statewide to strengthen Iowa's educational system and advocate for accountability.

Conhecimentos

Executive leadership

Special education

Change leadership

Strategic planning

Formação académica

Master's in educational administration

Doctorate preferred

Descrição da oferta de emprego

Grant Wood AEA Chief Administrator

Grundmeyer Leader Search Cedar Rapids - Ankeny, Iowa Open in Google Maps

Job Details

Job ID: 5961373
Application Deadline: Nov 29, 2026 11:59 PM (UTC)
Posted: Oct 15, 2026 3:21 PM (UTC)

Job Description

Chief Administrator

Reports To: Grant Wood AEA Board of Directors Classification: Licensed
Administration/Management Supervises: Executive leadership and, through the administrative structure, Agency programs and personnel
Work Year: Twelve months

Job Summary
The Grant Wood AEA Chief Administrator serves as the chief executive officer and chief professional advisor to the Board of Directors, providing strategic leadership to advance the Agency's mission, vision, core values, and goals. The Chief Administrator aligns people, programs, services, and resources to improve outcomes for students and educators while responding to the evolving needs of schools and communities.

The Chief Administrator builds strong partnerships with school boards, superintendents, staff, and other stakeholders; develops a high-performing and accountable organization; ensures fiscal and organizational sustainability; and represents Grant Wood AEA locally and statewide. The position requires strong leadership and expertise in special education, service-for-fee programs, organizational improvement, and statewide educational collaboration.

Required Qualifications

• Master's or specialist degree in educational administration or a related field; doctorate preferred.
• Appropriate Iowa licensure, including Superintendent/AEA Administrator endorsement and evaluator approval, as required by law.
• Demonstrated successful and progressive administrative leadership experience in PK12 education, an AEA, or a closely related educational organization.
• Extensive knowledge and demonstrated experience in special education, including law, programming, service delivery, compliance, and evidence-based practices.
• Demonstrated understanding of Iowa's educational system and the role of Area Education Agencies.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational, fiscal, personnel, and change leadership.

Preferred

• Experience leading a complex educational organization.
• Experience leading or overseeing service-for-fee programs or services.
• Experience with strategic planning, continuous improvement, and organizational change.
• Experience collaborating across organizations and working with state agencies, policymakers, or other external stakeholders. September 2026

Essential Functions

• 1. Student Impact, Special Education & Service Excellence
  Provides executive leadership for high-quality, evidence-based programs and services that improve outcomes for students.
  Ensures strong special education expertise to inform Agency strategy, programming, service delivery, and district support.
  Ensures services are responsive to the needs of districts, educators, students, and families.
  Uses data, research, stakeholder feedback, and emerging practices to evaluate effectiveness, guide decisions, and promote continuous improvement.
• 2. Board Governance & Strategic Leadership
  Serves as the Board's chief professional advisor and executive officer and maintains a strong, trusting, and transparent relationship with the Board.
  Keeps the Board informed and provides timely, accurate, and data-informed recommendations regarding Agency priorities, finances, personnel, opportunities, risks, and emerging issues.
  Partners with the Board to establish strategic direction and translates Board priorities into organizational action and accountability.
  Ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, Department of Education requirements, and Board policies.
• 3. District Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
  Cultivates strong relationships with superintendents, school boards, district leaders, and other educational partners.
  Maintains a visible and engaged presence throughout the Grant Wood AEA service area and ensures effective mechanisms for understanding district and stakeholder needs.
  Ensures Agency services are responsive, timely, accessible, and customer-focused.
  Builds strategic partnerships and effectively communicates the value and impact of AEA programs and services.
• 4. Service-for-Fee Leadership & Sustainability
  Provides strategic leadership for service-for-fee programs, ensuring alignment with the Agency's public mission, educational expertise, and strategic priorities.
  Balances customer needs, service quality, educational impact, innovation, and financial sustainability.
  Establishes accountability for program performance and monitors revenue, expenses, customer satisfaction, service quality, and utilization.
  Evaluates and adjusts services and resources in response to customer needs, market conditions, performance, and long-term viability.
• 5. People, Culture & Organizational Accountability
  Builds, leads, develops, evaluates, and holds accountable a high-performing executive leadership team.
  Establishes clear expectations and develops a culture grounded in the Agency's core values, collaboration, trust, professionalism, accountability, and excellence.
  Develops leadership capacity and succession plans and ensures effective systems for recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining high-quality employees.
  Ensures organizational structures, staffing, and leadership roles remain aligned with Agency priorities and resources and addresses performance concerns effectively and consistently.
• 6. Fiscal Sustainability & Organizational Stewardship
  Provides executive oversight of Agency finances and advises the Board regarding budgets, revenues, expenditures, financial risks, and long-term projections.
  Aligns fiscal, personnel, and organizational resources with strategic priorities and student and district needs.
  Ensures efficient, responsible, transparent, and sustainable use of Agency resources with appropriate financial controls and safeguards.
  Provides executive oversight of facilities, technology, contracts, negotiations, risk management, and other operational functions.
• 7. Statewide System Leadership, Partnerships & Advocacy
  Collaborates with other AEA leaders to strengthen Iowa's statewide system of educational support and pursue shared services, innovation, and coordinated approaches where beneficial.
  Builds strong relationships with the Iowa Department of Education, State Board of Education, legislators, policymakers, and other educational partners.
  Represents and advocates for Grant Wood AEA and communicates the value and impact of AEA services locally, statewide, and nationally, as appropriate.
  Anticipates legislative, political, financial, and educational changes and leads appropriate organizational responses.

Working & Physical Requirements
The position requires frequent travel throughout the Grant Wood AEA service area and across Iowa, occasional out-of-state travel, and participation in meetings and events outside traditional business hours. Work is performed in a variety of professional settings and requires the ability to manage complex issues, competing priorities, and changing circumstances.

Regular sitting, standing, walking, speaking, listening, reading, and use of standard office technology are required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Terms of Employment
The work year, compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment will be established by the Grant Wood AEA Board of Directors in accordance with Board policy and applicable law.

Performance Evaluation
The Chief Administrator will be evaluated annually by the Grant Wood AEA Board of Directors in accordance with Board policy, applicable Iowa leadership standards, and mutually established performance goals. Evaluation will consider student and district impact, special education leadership, strategic implementation, stakeholder and Board relationships, organizational culture and leadership, fiscal sustainability, service-for-fee performance, program effectiveness, statewide collaboration, and organizational accountability.

General Statement
This job description describes the general nature and level of responsibilities associated with the position and is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of all duties or responsibilities. The Chief Administrator may perform other duties as assigned by the Grant Wood AEA Board of Directors or as required to support the mission and effective operation of the Agency.

Position Type: Full-time

Contact Information

• Trent Grundmeyer
• 1314 NE 28th Street
• Akney, Iowa 50021
• Phone: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]