Principal - Loyola Academy

Maneva Group; Wilmette (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Wilmette seeks a Principal to provide visionary leadership in a Jesuit educational environment. The ideal candidate will promote the school's Catholic mission, oversee program operations, and enhance faculty development. This critical role requires strong leadership skills, strategic planning experience, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive community. The salary ranges from $180,000 to $200,000, complemented by an attractive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Experience in educational leadership and strategic planning.
• Proven record of attracting and developing talented faculty and staff.
• Ability to foster a collaborative and inclusive school culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the administration of the academic and cocurricular programs.
• Promote the school's Catholic and Jesuit mission.
• Oversee the professional development of faculty and staff.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Team Management

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Master's Degree in Education or related field

Certification as a Principal

Job description

Founded in 1909, Loyola Academy is a co-educational, college-preparatory high school rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Part of a global Jesuit educational network spanning more than 500 years, Loyola Academy is committed to academic excellence, faith formation, and the development of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.

Guided by Ignatian values, Loyola Academy prepares students not only for college, but for lives of meaning, leadership, and service. Through rigorous academics, a vibrant spiritual life, rich cocurricular opportunities, and a community grounded in love and justice, students are formed to think critically, speak eloquently, and live as women and men for others, striving always for the greater glory of God.

The Opportunity: Principal

Loyola Academy seeks a Principal who will serve as a mission-centered, visionary leader, advancing the academic excellence and holistic formation that define a Jesuit education. Rooted in the Ignatian tradition, the Principal will steward the day-to-day life of the school while fostering a culture that forms students intellectually, spiritually, socially, and ethically as women and men for others.

Reporting to the President, the Principal will collaborate closely with assistant principals, deans, directors, department chairs, faculty, staff, and families to ensure a cohesive and mission-aligned educational experience. This leader will inspire excellence in teaching and learning, champion continuous improvement, support the professional growth of faculty and staff, and cultivate a school climate grounded in faith, reflection, equity, and cura personalis—care for the whole person.

Loyola Academy’s next Principal will step into the role at an important moment of continuity and discernment in the school’s history. The school seeks a leader dedicated to both short and long terms outcomes, providing the consistent presence and institutional stability necessary to successfully shepherd the community through its current five-year strategic evolution. With significant campus investments recently completed and a strong foundation of academic excellence, shared commitment to the Jesuit mission, and community trust firmly in place, Loyola is well positioned to sustain and deepen its impact. The Principal will be called to steward this legacy with care, strengthen the rhythms and practices that have long defined the Loyola experience, and guide a talented, deeply committed community in delivering one of the Chicago area’s premier co-educational, Catholic, college-preparatory educations—forming students not only for college, but for lives of purpose, leadership, and service, Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Key Responsibilities:

• Promote the school’s Catholic and Jesuit mission, especially among students, parents, faculty, and staff.
• Direct the administration, operation, and educational development of the academic, cocurricular, and formational programs of the school.
• Attract, excite, engage, develop, and retain great faculty and staff members.
• Align and advance the school's culture behind our mission, values, and priorities through and across the organization.
• Collaborate with the President and other stakeholders in implementing the school’s strategic plan.
• Set high standards of performance, accountability, and transparency for self and others and uphold rigorous academic standards that reflect the unique mission of Jesuit education.
• Drive the ongoing professional development of self, faculty, and staff members.
• Foster a shared sense of responsibility for student formation inside and outside the classroom by establishing and supporting collaborative learning teams and structured partnership with Faculty, Staff and Deans. In these settings, engage in regular peer observation, share best practices, and collaboratively refine curriculum and policy to enhance student outcomes
• Supervise and evaluate the Associate Principal for Academics, Assistant Principal for Student Success, Director of Research & Technology, Dean of Students, and Director of Student Activities.
• Plan, coordinate, and execute the school’s educational policies and procedures to ensure student success and performance.
• Implement a robust, data-informed approach to academic leadership by utilizing student performance data, standardized metrics, and regular student feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum, instructional practices, and co-curricular programming.
• Lead the community in a culture of continuous school-wide assessment, using data-driven insights to encourage innovation and ensure that educational outcomes consistently align with the Profile of the Graduate.
• Coordinate informative and concise communications to school stakeholders, including parents, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees.
• Serve on the Executive Leadership Team along with the President, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Vice President of Enrollment, Vice President for Athletics and Fitness, Vice President of Mission, Ministry, and Identity, and Vice President of Finance & Operations, CFO/COO.
• Serve on various committees to foster unity of purpose, common understanding, and teamwork, including Loyola Academy's Admissions Committee, School Leadership Council, and Archdiocese of Chicago's Principal Cohort.
• Serve as representative for miscellaneous agencies and groups including Illinois High School Association (IHSA), Illinois State Board of Education, and Jesuit Schools Network.
• Interview and hire faculty, staff, assistant principals, deans, and directors.
• Represent the brand and mission of the institution with students, parents, alumni, our benefactors, and the community.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, skill set level and years of previous/applicable experience. The salary range for this role is between $180,00 -$200,000 with a competitive benefit package.

How to Express Interest

To express your interest in this opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter via the Maneva website or via email to the consultants leading this search, Marissa Delgado at [e-mail] and George Theotokatos at [e-mail].

We invite applications from those whose professional lives are informed by their identity as practicing Catholics.

All inquiries and discussions will be handled with the utmost confidentiality. We look forward to receiving your interest!

About Maneva Group

Maneva Group is a leading woman and minority owned executive search firm dedicated to connecting exceptional talent with organizations committed to making a meaningful impact. Through a consultative and client-focused approach, Maneva Group partners with mission-driven organizations to build transformative leadership teams.

Our name, Maneva, comes from the combination of two Sanskrit words: “Mānav” meaning mankind & “Sevā” meaning service. We are driven by the ideal of our name - service to humanity.