POSITION TITLE:        PRINCIPAL 

DEPT:                          OFFICE OF THE PRINCIPAL

FLSA STATUS:            EXEMPT

REPORTS TO:             SJP PRESIDENT

ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY:

St. Joseph’s Preparatory School is a Catholic, Jesuit, independent four-year college preparatory school located on the northern edge of center city Philadelphia. Founded in 1851, this highly-selective, all-male school serves over 900 young men in their pursuit of becoming “men for and with others.” Students come from diverse economic, geographic, racial and ethnic backgrounds from throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The Prep develops leaders of intellectual distinction, men of faith and integrity, men who are committed to social justice and community service, men open to growth, and men who are loving. At the Prep, classroom and chapel intersect with the religious formation of mind and heart.

St. Joseph’s Preparatory School is committed to building a culturally diverse educational environment, with a focus on diversifying our staff.  We are seeking colleagues who can work and teach in these and other areas while contributing to the diversity and excellence in our programs and courses through their research, teaching and service. As a Jesuit institution, these values are pillars of our education. We strive to establish a community more representative of the student body and city we serve.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Principal works closely with and reports to the President on the strategies designed to meet the school’s goals and objectives which support the ongoing vision for the Prep. The Principal is responsible for forming an educational vision in line with institutional priorities, developing a strategy to animate that vision, and collaborating on tactics to execute it. She/He is charged with the educational development and daily operation of the academic program of the school.

The Principal leads a team that is responsible for all aspects of the student experience: instruction and learning through a consistent process of observation, dialog, and feedback; engaging faculty in the development and implementation of a rigorous college preparatory curriculum; maintaining and growing a robust co-curricular experience; and collaborating to ensure that the mission is infused in each aspect of school life. The Principal creates and sustains a culture of continuous improvement that provides students with multiple opportunities to develop and demonstrate proficiency.

The Principal serves as a member of the President’s Leadership Team and actively partners with the VP, Finance, the VP, Institutional Advancement, the VP of Admissions and Enrollment Management, the Sr. Director of Mission and Ministry, the Sr. Director of Human Resources and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She/He exercises general supervision of Academics, Academic Department Chairs, Dean of Students, Athletics, Transportation, Student Activities, Counseling and Instructional Design.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Formulate and articulate the educational vision of the school and create a robust plan of implementation.
• Develop and implement a vision and plan for incorporating the Jesuit mission into all academic, athletic and social aspects of the school as well as creating a vibrant, challenging culture of Academic Excellence.
• Serve as a partner to Mission and Ministry to assist in the ongoing formation of all colleagues and students.
• Partner with the Sr. Director of Human Resources, the Sr. Director of Mission and Ministry, and the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on the recruitment, selection and retention of faculty, assistant principals and other instructional and co-curricular staff who are best fit to support the mission of the school and who add to our culture of diversity and inclusion
• Conduct regular classroom observations to maintain a visible and active leadership role throughout the building, as well as to provide teachers and classroom staff with valuable feedback to further develop their professional skills.
• Use a research-based framework to routinely coach and supervise teachers, completing a summative evaluation for every teacher every year.
• Lead the implementation of the common, rigorous, college-ready curriculum so that all students can achieve at high levels.
• Cultivate a solution-based culture that addresses student struggle as a predictable problem to be proactively, creatively, and collaboratively solved.
• Lead all academic colleagues with a student-centered approach that emphasizes solutions that consider the student’s interest and experience first.
• Effectively function as a change agent to work with faculty and non-teaching colleagues to see the value of change and partner with them on change management and implementation.
• Continually foster a school culture that is accepting of all students, valuing the gifts each brings to the school.
• Lead department chairpersons and work closely with them in teacher selection, teacher assignments, evaluation and revision of the curriculum and departmental budgets.
• Partner with department chairpersons to lead the Academic Council and utilize this structure to support the ongoing coordination of the instructional strategy of the school.
• In partnership with the Assistant Principal, oversee the process of academic reporting and recording, including grade reports, transcripts, permanent records, quarterly progress reports, parent-teacher conferences, honor roll and academic recognition.
• Supervise, develop, and evaluate non-instructional colleagues, including the Assistant Principal of Academics, Assistant Principal of Student Life, Assistant Principal of Faculty Development, Dean of Students, Director of Athletics, Director of Transportation, Director of Student Activities, Counseling Chairs, and administrative staff.
• In collaboration with all staff, oversee the school’s relationship with parents, guardians, and families, ensuring that they are partners with the school in supporting the success of the students.
• Manage strong communication with parents across all platforms, informing them about school policies and develop informational, educational, and mission-driven forums for parents.
• Maintain accountability of the overall academic budget and associated goals and outcomes. Manage all departmental budgets including development of departmental budgets and approve all academic expenditures and manage all stipends to ensure timely submissions.
• Ensure fiscal accountability among all instructional departments as well as overall understanding of the academic budget to achieve desired outcomes.
• Preside at faculty meetings, school assemblies, and graduation exercises.
• Partner with the Director of Technology to oversee the ongoing strategic integration of instructional technology in all classrooms.
• Partner with the VP, Institutional Advancement and the Development Office to identify fundraising priorities and meet with current and potential donors for the purpose of securing support.
• Oversee the academic development of the students, approve students for graduation, and dismiss students for academic and disciplinary issues.
• Collaborate with the VP, Admissions and Enrollment to enroll each year’s class, manage and mitigate attrition, and participate in the admissions process.
• Maintain relationships and file required reports with the Eastern Province of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit Schools Network, the Archdiocesan School Office, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, PAIS and other academic associations.
• Approve candidates for the athletic staff, as proposed by the Athletic Director
• Serve on the President’s Leadership Team.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED: 

• Proven leadership abilities, commitment to academic excellence, and cultural competence to build an inclusive school culture.
• Ability to clearly articulate the mission of the school and the Ignatian ideals.
• High competency in building authentic, relational trust.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and proven ability to network across diverse groups of stakeholders.
• Commitment to and skill at shared leadership and collaboration.
• An ability to approach each day with care, humor, and grace.
• Results-oriented with an ability to motivate and inspire individuals and groups to accomplish goals.
• Management of school-wide, one-on-one student device program
• Management of the faculty to achieve institutional goals for the integration of instructional technology in the classroom.
• Experience in a one-to one environment with a proven track record in blended learning techniques.
• Agile, insightful, flexible leadership style and comfort with managing from ambiguity to clarity.
• Practicing Roman Catholic - experience with the Jesuit charism is a plus
• Ability to develop young men as college preparatory students.
• A visible, accessible presence, including events beyond the school day and weekends.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and comfort interacting with the media.
• Secondary teaching experience.
• 3-5 years of successful experience as a Principal leading a secondary school strongly preferred.
• Master’s degree in a related field required.

DESIRED COMPETENCIES:

Strategic planning and execution

Leadership and collaboration

Business acumen

Relationship building

Decision-making

Delegation

Budget management

Fundraising skills

Articulating and managing vision and purpose

Negotiation

Planning, managing, and measuring processes and progress 

In order to be considered for an interview, please submit the following information to the Office of Human Resources at hr@sjprep.org or mail to: 

Joseph Dougherty, Director, Human Resources

St. Joseph’s Preparatory School

1733 West Girard Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19130 

Deadline: February 14, 2025 

• Cover letter
• Resume
• List of three references (contact info only) 

For information on our mission and characteristics of the school, please visit our website at www.sjprep.org

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

About St. Joseph's Preparatory School

St. Joseph’s Preparatory is a Catholic, Jesuit, independent four-year college preparatory school located on the northern edge of center city Philadelphia. Founded in 1851, this highly selective, all male school serves nearly 900 young men “to become men for and with others.” Students come from diverse economic, geographic, racial and ethnic backgrounds from throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The Prep develops leaders of intellectual distinction, men of faith and integrity, men who are committed to social justice and community service, men open to growth, and men who are loving. At the Prep, classroom and chapel intersect with the religious formation of mind and heart. St. Joseph’s Preparatory School is committed to building a culturally diverse educational environment, with a focus on diversifying our staff. We are seeking colleagues who can work and teach in these and other areas while contributing to the diversity and excellence in our programs and courses through their research, teaching and service. As a Jesuit institution, these values are pillars of our education. We strive to establish a community more representative of the student body and city we serve.

Connections working at St. Joseph's Preparatory School