Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota seeks a mission-driven, entrepreneurial, highly relational educational leader to serve as the Founding Director of Secondary School Strategy, Partnerships, and Program Development for its emerging Catholic Trade & Technology High School initiative.

This position is designed for a dynamic educational leader who can help guide the initiative from vision through launch and ultimately into stable operations as the school matures. The role combines strategic leadership, educational planning, relationship management, operational coordination, and mission integration within a highly collaborative environment.

The Founding Director serves as a senior strategic leader responsible for guiding the initiative from planning through implementation, while ensuring alignment among Church, University, donor, academic, operational, and community stakeholders to establish a sustainable and scalable Catholic secondary education model.

This individual will work closely with University leadership, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Advancing Studies, operations team, external partners, architects, advisors, and the newly established Advisory Council to help shape and execute the school’s development.

Over time, the role is expected to transition naturally into the founding Principal or Head of School position as the institution launches and stabilizes.

Mission Context

The proposed Catholic Trade & Technology High School is envisioned as a distinctly Lasallian Catholic educational model integrating:

• • faith formation
  • workforce preparation
  • technical and academic excellence
  • dual enrollment/PSEO
  • Associate degree pathways
  • optional bachelor’s completion pathways
  • character and leadership development
  • employer partnerships
  • dignity of work
  • practical and applied learning

The school seeks to create a new model of Catholic secondary-to-postsecondary workforce formation rooted in human dignity, craftsmanship, service, innovation, and Catholic identity.

• Help guide the initiative from project planning and mapping through operational launch
• Coordinate major implementation timelines and strategic priorities
• Assist in translating broad vision into executable operational steps
• Maintain momentum and accountability across multiple workstreams
• Monitor progress, risks, dependencies, and operational readiness across strategic workstreams.

• Develop and maintain implementation frameworks, governance structures, and accountability systems necessary to support successful institutional launch.
• Provide regular implementation updates and strategic recommendations to University leadership and the Advisory Council.

• Collaborate closely with the Dean of Advancing Studies and Senior academic leadership
• Assist in development of curriculum pathways and educational models
• Support PSEO and dual enrollment planning
• Help navigate relationships with the Minnesota Department of Education and related agencies
• Understand accreditation expectations and educational compliance requirements
• Support development of trades and workforce partnerships
• Assist in development of student culture and formation expectations
• Help shape student discipline, accountability, and community standards

• Maintain strong relationships with Catholic schools, pastors, area principals, and Archdiocesan leadership
• Serve as a visible ambassador for the initiative within Catholic education circles
• Help communicate the distinct mission and positioning of the school
• Support collaborative relationships with partner schools and co-op institutions
• Assist in managing community sensitivities and stakeholder concerns

• Help develop a strong founding student culture rooted in:
  • discipline
  • accountability
  • fraternity
  • leadership
  • faith formation
  • dignity of work
  • professionalism
• Assist in development of:
  • dress code (uniform) expectations
  • student expectations
  • Morning liturgy, formation and assembly structures
  • mentorship models
  • traditions and rituals
  • student accountability systems
• Work collaboratively with co-op schools supporting athletics and extracurriculars

• Assist leadership in communicating the mission and strategic vision to benefactors and partners
• Help support donor engagement and stewardship efforts
• Understand donor priorities and sensitivities
• Coordinate with advancement personnel on project updates and presentations
• Participate in selected external meetings and planning discussions

• Coordinate closely with president in relation to architects, consultants, contractors, and University operations personnel
• Help ensure educational needs remain integrated into facility planning discussions
• Assist in aligning facilities with academic and student formation goals
• Participate in planning conversations related to:
  • Francis
  • James
  • Mark’s
  • phased occupancy
  • operational readiness

This role is not intended to serve as a technical capital projects manager, but rather as an educational and operational liaison helping ensure mission and student needs remain central to planning decisions, and that facilities design to supports the student experience and strategic partnerships.

• Interface regularly with:
  • finance
  • operations
  • mission
  • academics
  • enrollment
  • advancement
  • SGPP leadership
  • external advisors
  • workforce partners
  • Advisory Council members
• Help maintain alignment and communication among multiple stakeholders

Experience and Education Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, or related field is required. A master’s degree in education leadership or educational administration is preferred.
• Hold a current K-12 Principal License for the state of Minnesota or be eligible to apply.
• Demonstrated operational and organizational leadership experience, including resource planning, budget modeling, and institutional scaling.
• Successful experience as a Catholic school principal or senior educational leader
• Experience navigating educational partnerships and stakeholder environments

Essential Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to align strategic priorities with available operational and financial resources.
• Support organizational change management efforts associated with the launch of a new educational model.
• Help foster a culture of disciplined execution, adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.”
• Practicing Catholic with strong appreciation for Lasallian Catholic education
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills
• High emotional intelligence and organizational awareness
• Ability to work effectively across multiple constituencies
• Understanding of secondary education systems and student development
• Familiarity with curriculum development and educational compliance
• Ability to manage complexity, ambiguity, and evolving priorities
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong execution skills
• Ability to inspire confidence and maintain momentum through disciplined execution, a commitment to excellence, and a willingness to do what is necessary to bring important work to completion.
• Strong personal discipline, professionalism, and presence

Preferred

• Experience with secondary education models especially in relation to postsecondary education
• Familiarity with workforce development or technical education
• Experience with PSEO/dual enrollment structures
• Experience working with diocesan or Archdiocesan/diocesan systems
• Experience in school startup, transformation, or institutional transition work

Competencies

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• maturity and discretion
• optimism grounded in realism
• mission alignment
• flexibility
• persistence
• strong follow-through
• collaborative leadership
• executive presence
• attention to detail
• calm under pressure
• ability to motivate others

The person must be comfortable operating in an evolving environment while helping create clarity, structure, accountability, and momentum.

Long-Term Opportunity

This position is envisioned as a foundational leadership role within the initiative. As the project matures and the school transitions toward launch and operational stability, the role is expected to evolve naturally into the founding Principal or similar position.

• Sedentary work. Sedentary work involves lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

• General office environments
• Ergonomics
• Driving