Senior Transformation Coach

The University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Chicago seeks a Senior Transformation Coach to enhance school and district capacities, focusing on educational equity and student success. This role involves coaching, collaboration, and community engagement to improve academic outcomes for underserved students.

Benefits

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Qualifications

• Minimum 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Demonstrated experience coaching school or district leaders.

Responsibilities

• Coach school and district teams toward improvement.
• Lead development and facilitate community of practice.
• Collaborate with staff to design professional learning.

Skills

Coaching

Communication

Data Analysis

Education

Master’s degree in education or related field

Job description

Department

Crown NCS Senior Coaching & Professional Learning

About the Department

As one of the first schools of social work in the United States, the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice has shaped the field for more than 100 years. As part of the University of Chicago, the Crown Family School shares the University's core values and distinctive intellectual culture. Crown Family School faculty, staff and students focus on identifying solutions to complex problems through the integration of research, training, and direct community engagement. Guided by an interdisciplinary tradition, Crown Family School scholars conduct innovative research to address interconnected social challenges such as educational inequality, health disparities, crime and violence, poverty, and child and family welfare—working at multiple scales, from individual to policy-level interventions.

More than 8,000 Crown Family School graduates in the US and globally hold leadership positions in academia, at nonprofits, and at governmental agencies. The Crown Family School is the home of several academic centers. These include the Susan and Richard Kiphart Center for Global Health and Social Development, the Urban Education Institute (UEI), the Center for Health Administration Studies, the Smart Decarceration Project, and the Employment Instability, Family Well-being, and Social Policy Network (EINet). More information may be found at https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/.

The University of Chicago Crown Family School is the academic home to the Urban Education Institute (UEI), an internationally and nationally renowned institute addressing educational inequality in urban communities by conducting rigorous research, informing evidence-based policies, and implementing innovative practices to promote educational equity and excellence. At the heart of UEI’s mission is a commitment to using rigorous research evidence and authentic community engagement to transform and promote best practices and policies in education. We approach this work through an equity lens, ensuring that all components of our research and partnerships are interconnected and focused on addressing systemic inequities. These principles guide all our projects and partnerships, creating cohesive and impactful initiatives.

The Network for College Success (NCS), at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, ensures college readiness and success for all students by translating research into practice and supporting leaders to organize their schools for improvement. NCS provides professional learning and support to school and district leaders and helps them focus on what matters most for high school students. NCS supports adults within and across schools to build their capacity to lead change, improve instruction, and support student transitions in and out of high school. NCS envisions high schools that continuously cultivate collaboration, powerful learning, and a culture of high achievement to ensure postsecondary success for all students.

Job Summary

Reporting to Director of Coaching, the Senior Transformation Coach is responsible for building capacity of schools, districts, and intermediaries to drive impact in areas such as 9th-grade success, principal leadership, postsecondary success, and instructional improvement. The successful candidate is an experienced educational coach with a deep commitment to and proven success in improving the learning experiences and academic outcomes of least-served students. The Senior Transformation Coach is also skilled in mentoring other coaches to improve their practice as coaches and in maintaining ongoing two-way communication with school and district leadership and teams.

This position is grant funded. When the grant term expires, if funding continuance or additional funding isn’t identified, the position will end.

Responsibilities

• Coach assigned school and/or district teams toward improvement in the Success Teams Framework for School Improvement

• Represent NCS in the GRAD Partnership project

• Coach GRAD Partnership intermediaries

• Participate on assigned GRAD Partnership committees

• Lead the development of and facilitate GRAD Partnership community of practice for middle and high school principals, district teams, intermediaries, and school-based student success teams (requires specialized knowledge in the field of secondary school education and postsecondary success)

• Keep timely and accurate records of coaching services provided to assigned schools, districts, and intermediaries

• Utilize a breadth of expertise in the identification and establishment of collaborative partnerships with GRAD Partnership intermediaries and assigned schools or districts

• Participate in knowledge management routines to continue codifying effective practices

• Conduct partnership meetings with assigned schools, districts, and intermediaries to assess and calibrate partnership expectations and celebrate successes

• Collaborate with NCS staff to design and facilitate professional learning for NCS schools and districts as assigned

• Represent NCS at UChicago and external facing presentations, meetings, and forums as assigned

• Play a key role in program evaluation and improvement efforts

• Leads the development for primary and secondary school programs. Requires specialized knowledge in the field of primary and secondary school education

• Utilizes breadth of expertise in the identification and establishment of collaborative partnerships with schools

• Plays a key role in program evaluation and improvement efforts

• Perform other related work as needed

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in education or related field

Experience:

• At least 7 years of demonstrated experience coaching school or district leaders in urban and/or rural educational settings.

• At least 3 years of mentoring coaches

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated commitment to public education and equitable outcomes for all students

• A commitment to self-reflection and continuous improvement

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills

• At least 3 years experience working in an organization focused on instructional improvement, 9th-grade success, postsecondary success, or principal leadership

• Extensive experience designing, facilitating and refining professional learning for in-person and virtual settings

• Ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data

• Ability to effectively communicate with a variety of audiences orally and in writing

• Ability to deliver results independently and collaboratively

• Prior experience working on the Network for College Success team is strongly preferred

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work schedule possible, on-site at the Hyde Park campus in Chicago

• Travel to external stakeholder local and national sites as needed

Application Documents

Application Deadline: 5/16/2025

• Resume (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Academic Affairs

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$100,000.00 - $120,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu .Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.