Job Description

ORGANIZATION  

Elysian Charter School, U.S. News and World Report’s top-ranked Elementary School in Hoboken, NJ in 2025, is a small, mission-driven K–8 public charter school serving students and families in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded on progressive education principles, Elysian is known for its deeply rooted sense of community, caring and developmentally responsive learning environments, and a school culture where students, families, and staff feel known, connected, and valued.

Elysian’s model emphasizes educating the whole child – academically, socially, and emotionally – through experiential learning, strong relationships, and a commitment to belonging, kindness, and curiosity. The school’s intentionally small size (16 students per class) allows for close partnerships with families and high levels of trust for educators, fostering creativity, collaboration, and strong morale.

Elysian is committed to maintaining strong academic coherence and rigor – particularly in the middle grades – while preserving its progressive identity and community-centered culture. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in stewarding existing systems and operations and ensuring students graduate from Elysian well prepared for the academic, social, and executive-functioning demands of high school and beyond.

To learn more about Elysian Charter School of Hoboken, please visit .

OPPORTUNITY  

Elysian Charter School of Hoboken is seeking a values-driven, highly relational, and academically focused Executive Director (ED) to serve as the school’s chief instructional leader and steward its mission and academic vision with consistency and care. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Director serves as the school’s chief executive and educational leader, with responsibility for academic program quality, organizational health, financial sustainability, and community trust.

This is an ideal opportunity for a seasoned K–8 school leader who is ready to steward a beloved progressive school, strengthen academic and operational systems, and bring clarity, consistency, and rigor without compromising Elysian’s joyful, child-centered ethos. The Executive Director will have a visible, hands-on presence in the school community and will be expected to balance strategic leadership with day-to-day problem solving in a small-school environment.

The impact of this role is significant: the Executive Director will help Elysian sustain its identity, support middle school readiness, maintain staffing and systems, and foster trust through transparent leadership ensuring that Elysian continues to operate as a high-quality public charter school.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities of the Executive Director include:

Mission-Driven, Progressive Leadership

• Lead with a clear students-first philosophy grounded in child development and progressive education.
• Protect and strengthen Elysian’s identity while clarifying what high-quality progressive education looks like across K–8.
• Ensure that joy, belonging, creativity, and rigor coexist in every classroom.

Academic Program & Middle School Strengthening

• Ensure coherent, vertically aligned K–8 curriculum.
• Strengthen middle school rigor and high school readiness, including executive functioning, study skills, time management, and independent learning habits.
• Benchmark student outcomes through partnerships and feedback from destination high schools.
• Expand advanced academic opportunities while maintaining developmentally appropriate practice.
• Partner with school leaders to strengthen Special Education programming by ensuring strong systems, adequate staffing, and consistent IEP implementation—supporting diverse learners while building sustainable team capacity.

Teacher Leadership, Development & Retention

• Attract, develop, and retain excellent educators through clear expectations, meaningful feedback cycles, and coaching systems.
• Honor and preserve teacher autonomy while strengthening accountability and instructional consistency in service of student learning.
• Oversee staffing stability, workload, and long-term retention.

Culture & Student Support

• Lead the development and consistent implementation of developmentally appropriate, schoolwide behavioral expectations and transparent discipline processes.
• Oversee and continuously strengthen student support systems to ensure alignment among discipline, social-emotional learning, and executive functioning development.
• Ensure that extracurricular offerings and technology policies reflect and reinforce the school’s commitment to whole-child development.

Communication, Governance & Community Partnership

• Lead and steward a clear, reliable communication approach for families and staff.
• Model and uphold norms for transparency, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through across the school community.
• Partner with the Board and Business Administrator to uphold governance boundaries and decision-making processes.
• Maintain and deepen relationships with local education partners and city leaders to advance long-term opportunities for the Elysian community and students across Hoboken.
• Serve as a calm, credible ambassador for the school, navigating high-engagement parent dynamics with professionalism, empathy, and confidence.

Organizational Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight of budgeting, charter compliance, audits, and risk management to ensure the school’s financial health and regulatory integrity.
• Ensure organizational clarity across roles, systems, schedules, facilities, and technology to support effective and aligned school operations.
• Lead the cultivation of partnerships, fundraising efforts, grant opportunities, and resource development initiatives to advance the school’s mission and priorities.
• Serve as the school’s representative in partnership with local officials and community stakeholders to support safety, access, and coordinated school operations amid city developments.

PRIORITIES

A successful first year in this role for the new Executive Director will include:

• Communication & Trust: Build on established communication systems and community partnerships to further strengthen transparency, consistency, follow-through, and trust among families and staff.
• Academic Rigor & Readiness: Ensure academic coherence, executive functioning, and study skills; benchmark outcomes by assessing student readiness and performance in destination high schools.
• Teachers & Staffing Stability: Build on existing teacher support and development structures to further strengthen clarity, consistency, accountability, and long-term staff stability.
• Discipline & Student Support Structures: Enhance established behavioral expectations and student support systems to ensure they are consistently implemented, developmentally appropriate, and experienced as fair, transparent, and supportive by students and families.
• Operations & Systems: Leverage the school’s administrative team to address operational priorities, including facilities and technology, ensuring a predictable, safe, and well-functioning school environment.

Requirements

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal Executive Director candidate will be:

• An accomplished educator and school leader with 7+ years of experience in K–8 education, including senior site-based leadership (e.g., Executive Director, Head of School, Principal, or Assistant Principal).
• Deeply aligned with Elysian’s mission and values, with a demonstrated commitment to progressive, child-centered education that integrates academic rigor, joy, and whole-child development.
• A culturally competent, reflective leader who understands the impact of individual differences and can lead direct, respectful conversations about equity, fairness, and inclusion.
• A strong communicator and relationship builder, capable of engaging families, staff, board members, and community partners with clarity, empathy, and credibility – especially during moments of tension or change.
• Experienced in curriculum implementation, teacher development, charter operations, and financial stewardship, with the ability to manage complexity and wear multiple hats in a small-school environment.
• A holder of, or is eligible to obtain, appropriate New Jersey administrative certification required to serve as an Executive Director/Head of School in a public charter school setting.
• A holder of, or is eligible to obtain, a New Jersey Department of Education–issued Principal Certificate of Eligibility (CE), Principal Standard Certificate, or School Administrator Certificate (CE or Standard).

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $160,000 - $190,000 and robust benefits including a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, state pension plan, paid time off, and professional development. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

Please complete an application online at

Elysian Charter School of Hoboken is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.

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