Senior Director of Program

Senior Director of Program Who We Are DC Prep is a network of public charter schools serving more than 2,100 preschool through 8th grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. While we're proud of our long history of strong student results, we believe that how we support students to be successful matters as much as the results themselves. We are committed to nurturing our students' academic, social, and emotional development while supporting our team members to grow professionally and sustain themselves in this work long-term. We strive to partner authentically with families and to create schools grounded in strong relationships, high expectations, and deep care for our students and community. This work is challenging-and deeply meaningful. We believe in the transformative power of education, the potential of our students and staff, and the joy that comes from doing important work alongside people we trust and care about. Sound like a team you'd like to join? Check out our website to learn more. The Opportunity The Senior Director of Program is responsible for ensuring the clarity, quality, and continuous improvement of DC Prep's academic and student support program so that all students achieve strong academic and social-emotional outcomes. This role drives impact indirectly by developing the capability of DC Prep's Program Directors and ensuring the organization maintains a clear and coherent vision for excellent teaching, learning, and student support. The Senior Director serves as both a coach of coaches and the holder of the program bar for the organization. The Senior Director of Program manages a team of Directors across academic content, social-emotional learning, and special populations. Through strong coaching and leadership, they ensure these leaders effectively support school leaders to strengthen instruction, improve systems, and drive measurable improvements in student outcomes across campuses. This is a senior leadership role within the organization. The Senior Director operates at a network-wide level and is responsible not only for the success of their team, but also for shaping the broader program strategy and ensuring strong results across schools. Success in this role requires the ability to lead through influence, manage complex cross-team work, and take ownership for outcomes that are delivered through multiple layers of leadership. As a senior leader, the Senior Director is expected to: Operate with a strong sense of ownership for student outcomes across the network Develop and lead other leaders, building the capacity of the Program Team to drive results Shape and refine DC Prep's program model based on evidence, implementation feedback, and student needs Partner closely with other senior leaders to align strategy, execution, and organizational priorities Navigate complex organizational challenges while maintaining clarity, alignment, and forward progress The Senior Director of Program reports to the Chief Program Officer and collaborates closely with the Senior Director of Schools and other network leaders to ensure alignment between program design and school implementation. Key Responsibilities Deliver exceptional student results-both academic and social-emotional-for ALL students The Senior Director of Program drives strong student outcomes by ensuring DC Prep maintains a clear, coherent, and high-quality program model and that Program Directors effectively support school leaders to implement that model. Develop and Lead a High-Impact Program Team The Senior Director develops Program Directors into exceptional coaches of school leaders who can drive measurable improvements in school performance. Responsibilities include: Building individualized development plans for each Program Director based on clear strengths and growth areas Observing Directors coaching school leaders and providing targeted feedback on: Clarity of coaching objectives Quality of diagnosis Precision of action steps Systems for follow-through Ensuring Directors move beyond supportive conversations toward coaching that produces measurable shifts in leader performance and school outcomes Monitoring whether coaching is producing improvements in leader effectiveness and student results Spending regular time in schools observing Directors in action to inform coaching and development The Senior Director also builds a high-trust, high-accountability team culture by: Setting clear expectations for work quality and communication Delivering direct, actionable feedback that accelerates growth Addressing challenges early and constructively Creating psychological safety while maintaining strong performance expectations Developing bench strength and succession plans within the Program Team Drive Results Across Campuses Through Indirect Leadership The Senior Director delivers measurable impact across campuses by aligning stakeholders, clarifying priorities, and ensuring strong execution of program initiatives. Responsibilities include: Translating complex challenges into clear priorities, owners, and timelines Coordinating and monitoring multiple program workstreams Making performance data visible and actionable for leaders across the organization Monitoring progress toward key student outcomes and adjusting strategy when needed Partnering closely with the Schools Team and Data Team to ensure strong execution of program priorities Holding partners accountable while maintaining strong working relationships across teams Engaging in direct and constructive problem solving when challenges arise At any given time, the Senior Director should be able to clearly articulate: What the organization's top program priorities are Whether progress toward those priorities is on track Where execution is falling short What actions are being taken to improve results Maintain the Program Bar for Teaching, Learning, and Student Support The Senior Director ensures DC Prep maintains a clear and coherent vision for high-quality teaching, learning, and student support across campuses. Responsibilities include: Ensuring clear program expectations and success metrics exist across all program areas Monitoring fidelity and quality of program implementation across schools Using both quantitative data and qualitative observation to assess program effectiveness Diagnosing root causes of implementation challenges before recommending changes Ensuring that program fidelity leads to meaningful student and leader outcomes-not just compliance The Senior Director oversees program areas including: Humanities (ELA and Social Studies) Math and Science Social Emotional Learning and School Culture Early Childhood programming Specials Special Populations (Special Education, Multilingual Learners, and 504 supports) While the Senior Director does not need to be the primary content expert in each area, they must have sufficient knowledge to evaluate quality, ask strong questions, and support Directors in strengthening their program vision. Lead Ongoing Program Improvement The Senior Director leads continuous evaluation and refinement of DC Prep's program model to ensure it evolves to meet student needs. Responsibilities include: Using student outcomes, implementation data, and school feedback to inform program improvements Supporting Program Directors in recommending adjustments to curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, and student supports Evaluating proposed changes using research, evidence, and potential impact on students Gathering stakeholder input when refining program elements Monitoring how students perform after leaving DC Prep to inform program improvements Program Directors serve as the primary content experts and recommenders within their areas. The Senior Director synthesizes recommendations, gathers stakeholder input, and determines program adjustments in partnership with the Chief Program Officer. Qualifications Skills & Mindset Deep commitment to DC Prep's mission, vision, and values Strong belief in the potential of all students and the importance of equitable educational outcomes Strategic Leadership: Ability to set a clear vision for the network's program and translate it into actionable steps that drive results across schools and teams Data Analysis & Evidence-Based Decision Making: Comfortable analyzing student outcome data, program implementation data, and qualitative feedback to diagnose root causes, evaluate effectiveness, and guide program refinements Program & Organizational Strategy: Skilled at designing, implementing, and evolving multi-campus initiatives, ensuring fidelity and impact across academic, SEL, and Special Populations programming Leader Development & Coaching: Exceptional ability to coach Program Directors to become highly effective coaches of school leaders, driving measurable improvements in teacher practice and student outcomes Influence & Collaboration: Builds alignment across the Schools Team, Program Team, and other network leaders to ensure coherent execution of priorities Problem Solving & Judgment: Identifies and addresses systemic challenges, prioritizes initiatives for greatest student impact, and makes high-quality decisions in complex or ambiguous situations Communication & Alignment: Clearly communicates program expectations, vision, and results across stakeholders, and ensures clarity and accountability for all teams Equity Mindset: Uses data and observation to identify opportunity gaps and ensure program design and implementation advance equitable outcomes for all students Resilience & Adaptability: Maintains focus and calm under pressure, models growth mindset, and adjusts strategies as evidence and needs evolve Experience Minimum of ten years of professional experience Significant leadership experience within K-12 education Demonstrated success managing and developing leaders to achieve measurable results Experience leading complex initiatives across teams or organizations Experience analyzing student outcome data and using it to inform strategy and improvement School leadership experience (such as a principal role) strongly preferred ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSProvide in person support to leaders and teachers across DC Prep's campuses and Home Office. DC Prep teachers and leaders are on duty at their assigned campus Mondays through Fridays from 7:15 am to 4:15 pm and must be prepared to receive students in the classroom at 7:30 am. On Wednesdays, DC Prep staff report until 5:00 for Professional Development.Occasionally, staff may be required to report to a different campus for professional development or all network event.All DC Prep staff perform clerical duties related to instructional supplies, student reports and records, attendance reports, assessments, etc.DC Prep staff regularly perform morning, lunch, and afternoon duties such as monitoring students during schoolwide transitions as assigned by their principalAdditional responsibilities may arise during the school year. This could include: attending staff and student field trips, after school events, family-teacher conferences, home visits, and other events involving parents and students, as needed. This list is not exhaustive. DC Prep will communicate mandatory events outside of school hours with ample notice.Physical RequirementsThe physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role. All of these physical requirements must be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness to DC Prep's vision. A reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals who have an ADA qualifying disability to perform these essential functions which include:Must be able to travel among all six of DC Prep's campuses and Home Office. Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of timeMust be able to spend the majority of the day standing or mobile throughout the classroom, as well as talk, hear, grasp, reach and lift up to 30lbs with or without accommodationsAbility to concentrate in active and noisy environments such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, stairs and playgrounds, classrooms and large group professional settingsMust be able to walk, stand and monitor crowded hallways, gymnasiums, cafeterias, stairs and playgrounds.Must be able to climb stairs throughout the day and escort students to and from classMust be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipmentAbility to handle potential high stress conditionsCOMPENSATION AND BENEFITSHighly competitive salaryComprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance; maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; and a 403b retirement planDisclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. They may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.Join Us!Do you believe that Learning Has No Limits? If so, please complete an application and submit your resume at We can't wait to get you know you!We're an equal opportunity employer, and hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply.

Created: 2026-04-02