Head of School

Brooklyn Waldorf School is seeking an experienced, visionary, and community-centered Head of School to begin in July 2027.

Located in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Brooklyn Waldorf School is an independent school serving more than 190 students from age three through eighth grade. The school provides a developmentally responsive Waldorf education that engages students through their “hands, hearts, and heads” while fostering creativity, resilience, curiosity, and self-determination.

The Head of School will provide overall leadership for the school’s academic program, faculty, culture, finances, enrollment, operations, and community relationships. This leader will work closely with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, and families to strengthen the school’s organizational foundation and advance an inclusive vision of Waldorf education.

Key Responsibilities

• Articulate and advance a clear, inclusive vision for Waldorf education at Brooklyn Waldorf School.
• Provide leadership for the school’s academic program, faculty, culture, finances, enrollment, and operations.
• Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as central elements of the school’s educational approach.
• Partner with the Board of Trustees and Finance Director to develop and maintain sustainable budgets and long-term financial strategies.
• Strengthen enrollment, advancement, community outreach, and the school’s visibility throughout Brooklyn.
• Build a collaborative faculty culture with clear expectations, accountability, professional development, and opportunities for adult learning.
• Strengthen governance practices and support the continued development of the Board of Trustees.
• Develop meaningful relationships with students, employees, families, alumni, prospective families, and community partners.
• Establish clear organizational structures, responsibilities, communication practices, and systems.
• Represent Brooklyn Waldorf School as a visible, accessible, and outward-facing leader.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Meaningful experience in school leadership.
• Demonstrated success strengthening organizational culture, improving systems, and leading through complexity and change.
• Strong financial literacy and experience developing, managing, or overseeing organizational budgets.
• Demonstrated experience leading diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives within a school or educational environment.
• Experience working in or with urban communities.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and public-facing communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, families, and community partners.
• Strong organizational, strategic planning, and systems-thinking skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the New York City educational landscape.
• Experience leading an independent school or mission-driven educational organization.
• Knowledge of Waldorf education or a strong interest in learning about Waldorf education and its application within the Brooklyn Waldorf School community.
• Experience supporting faculty development, enrollment growth, advancement, governance, or community outreach.

Desired Leadership Qualities

The successful candidate will be:

• A visionary and inclusive leader who can communicate a clear and compelling mission.
• A thoughtful listener who seeks to understand the school and its community before implementing change.
• A collaborative bridge builder who can unite individuals with different perspectives and experiences.
• A visible and engaged leader who builds meaningful relationships across the school community.
• A calm and grounded presence who can navigate challenging conversations with honesty and care.
• An organized leader who can establish clear structures and accountability while preserving the school’s warm and relational culture.
• A consistent, timely, and transparent communicator.
• A resilient leader who can balance the varied responsibilities of school leadership while modeling a healthy and sustainable approach to work.

The full-time salary range for this position is $275,000–$315,000 annually.

The starting salary will be determined based on factors including the selected candidate’s education, experience, qualifications, and expertise.

Brooklyn Waldorf School offers a comprehensive employee benefits package. Additional details regarding medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and other benefits will be provided during the recruitment process.

Application Requirements

Qualified candidates should be prepared to submit:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in the Head of School position at Brooklyn Waldorf School.
• A current résumé.
• A list of five professional references, including each reference’s name, relationship to the candidate, telephone number, and email address.

References will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission.

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