The Spence School seeks a Head of Upper School who loves adolescents and learning and who brings the academic depth and organizational skill to lead a high-achieving division. The ideal candidate will also have the warmth and steadiness to sustain the division’s joy.
Please review the full prospectus for the role here: Head of Upper School
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Classroom teaching experience and a desire to continue teaching, as this is an expectation of most Spence administrators
- Administrative experience leading, supervising, and giving feedback to a high-quality faculty
- Deep expertise in the adolescent development of girls and student support Intellectual depth and respect for every discipline, with a clear vision of what academic rigor looks like
- Strong commitment to supporting girls’ education and leadership development
- Familiarity with the New York City independent school landscape
- A proven ability to manage complex projects from research through execution, in partnership with colleagues Skill in navigating challenging parent conversations Current knowledge of the college admission landscape
- A commitment to supporting and deepening the School’s work around equity, belonging and dignity
- Comfort with technology and AI, including using data to support students
Professional Qualifications
Spence hopes its next Head of Upper School will be:
- Warm, kind, and enthusiastic, with a sense of humor and an appreciation for a joyful school
- Calm and non-reactive while remaining responsive, especially in difficult moments Intellectually curious, open-minded, and eager to keep learning
- A collaborative team player with humility, for whom no job is too small
- Visible, approachable, and relational with students, and a good listener
- Decisive, with strong follow-through and the courage and integrity to say no when needed
- Organized, a clear communicator, and skilled in public speaking
- Comfortable giving feedback and holding accountability as a form of care
TO APPLY
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence.
Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:
- A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
- A current résumé;
- A list of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission)
DARRYL J. FORD, PH.D.
Vice President, Educational Leadership Services
BURKE ZALOSH
Senior Consultant
The full-time salary range for this position is $320,000 - $360,000. The starting salary is based upon, but not limited to, several factors which include years of experience, education background, and expertise.
Skills Required
- Classroom teaching experience and willingness to continue teaching
- Administrative experience leading, supervising, and providing feedback to faculty
- Expertise in adolescent development of girls and student support
- Intellectual depth and respect for every academic discipline
- Commitment to girls' education and leadership development
- Familiarity with the New York City independent school landscape
- Ability to manage complex projects from research through execution
- Skill navigating challenging parent conversations
- Current knowledge of the college admission landscape
- Commitment to equity, belonging, and dignity
- Comfort with technology and AI, including using data to support students
- Strong communication, organization, public speaking, collaboration, and accountability skills
What We Do
The Spence School is an all-girls K-12 independent private school in New York City, founded in 1892, focused on academic excellence and preparing students for responsible citizenship.
