Executive Director of Innovative Learning Design

Location: Hattie Mae White


Department: Counseling, Curriculum Design & Assess


Area:District Wide


Contract Months:12


Salary Range: $170,000.00 - $195,000.00


Academic Year: 25-26


JOB SUMMARY

The Executive Director of Curriculum - Future 2 & Student Experiences is a visionary leader who oversees teams across multiple high-impact departments responsible for designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative, future-ready curriculum for all HISD students. This position will envision and oversee curriculum development for HISD's Future 2 School model, which combines strong core academics with a deliberate focus on human-centered skills-advanced problem-solving, leadership, collaboration, and interpersonal skills-while learning how to think critically and adapt in complex environments. This position will demonstrate deep expertise in creating curriculum for the meaningful student experiences that are necessary for all students to thrive in the Year 2035 workplace and beyond. This position will also oversee the design and implementation of world-class curriculum for all HISD students. This Executive Director is an innovative leader at the forefront of HISD's next phase of transformation.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Vision for Impact: Provide sustained leadership, guidance, and support to assigned teams, ensuring alignment with HISD's vision for educational transformation. Set and drive towards strategic vision and metrics that lead to transformational student outcomes.
2. Lead Curriculum Development: Oversee the design, implementation, adaptation, and evaluation of Future 2, Student Experience, and Fine Arts curriculum, ensuring alignment with best instructional practices and future-ready learning goals.
3. Develop & Empower Talent: Lead, mentor, and supervise assigned staff, fostering a high-performance culture built on continuous improvement, accountability, and results-driven leadership.
4. Innovate & Elevate: Monitor and assess the effectiveness of curriculum development, making data-driven recommendations to enhance student outcomes and instructional practices.
5. Data-Driven Excellence: Provide regular updates to senior leaders on progress and areas for improvement. Use real-time feedback and performance data to drive strategic decisions and continuous improvement.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES CONTINUED

6. Instructional Expertise: As a thought leader and instructional expert, drive excellence, alignment, and consistency in best instructional practices, leadership actions, and operational systems within the department and across other HISD departments and school sites.
7. Cross-Functional Leadership: Work closely with various departments and teams, including finance, human resources, IT, the Chief of Staff office, the Schools Office, and others to ensure instructional and operational excellence within all relevant processes and initiatives.
8. Stakeholder Collaboration & Communication: Collaborate with district leadership, principals, and other stakeholders to identify and address instructional and operational needs and challenges. Facilitate effective communication and coordination between central office departments, community, and school sites.
9. Policy Analysis and Implementation: Stay updated with federal, state, and local education policies, legislation, and regulations. Analyze and interpret policy changes, and work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to implement necessary adjustments.
10. Champion HISD's Vision: Serve as a key advocate and leader in HISD's transformational work, ensuring that Future 2 and Fine Arts programming reflect the district's bold commitment to narrowing achievement gaps and preparing students for the future.
11. Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION

Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

5 to 7 years

SKILL AND/OR REQUIRED LICENSING/CERTIFICATION

Software
Microsoft Office
Certifications/Licensure
N/A
Equipment
Office equipment (e.g., computer, copier)

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

Level 5 -Directs two or more levels of management in the development, deployment and ongoing management of key initiatives covering multiple major disciplines with direct accountability for results in terms of effectiveness, costs, methods, and employees. Establishes operational objectives and assignments for multiple disciplines/functional areas and possibly departments. Evaluates recommendations of others, deciding on course of action in ambiguous situations, and oversee the deployment of innovative solutions. Collaborates with senior leadership to develop strategies and broad departmental objectives; establishes methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for projects, programs, and people in the achievement of strategic objectives.

WORK COMPLEXITY/INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT

-Work is non-standardized and widely varied, involving many complex and significant variables including significant time spent planning, evaluating complex solutions and issues, and negotiating outcomes. Strong analytic ability and inductive thinking are frequently required to devise new approaches to situations where previously accepted solutions have proven inadequate. Position regularly makes recommendations to management on areas of significance to the division. Supervision received typically consists of providing periodic coaching, advice, and feedback.


BUDGET AUTHORITY

-Participates in a group plan and/or budget development.

PROBLEM SOLVING

-Decisions are made with greater freedom and discretion, including recommendations that are subject to approval on matters that may affect multiple departments across HISD. Job is frequently expected to recommend new solutions to problems, to improve existing methods/procedures/services and generate new ideas. May also review decisions made by other individuals on more routine matters.

IMPACT OF DECISIONS

-Decisions have considerable impact to multiple divisions or the organization causing risks or improvements to relationships, significant efficiencies, or delays in operations, and/or significant financial gains or expenses. Errors are serious and difficult to discover, normally involve decisions not subject to detailed review and will result in excessive costs and/or significant project delays.

COMMUNICATION/INTERACTIONS

-Negotiate and influence - interpret department strategies and services, resolves conflicts, influences outcomes on matters of significance for the division, conducts final negotiations and coordinates approvals/decision making below the executive level. Interactions are typically with customers and Top Management.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

-Anticipates customer needs, identifies, and champions opportunities for the development and implementation of new services and methods to meet or exceed customer needs. Establishes customer service standards and feedback mechanisms across departments.

WORKING/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

-Work is normally performed in a typical interior work environment which does not subject the employee to any hazardous or unpleasant elements.

Houston Independent School District is an equal opportunity employer.