Chief of Staff SY26-27

Who We Are

District of Columbia International School (DCI) is a public charter school serving over 1600 racially and economically diverse students in grades 6-12 from across the District of Columbia. We aim to provide our students with a world-class education that empowers them to follow their passions and change the world. DCI’s education centers on an International Baccalaureate curriculum, advanced language learning in Chinese, Spanish, and French, and a culture focused on student agency supported by 1:1 technology.

DCI is hiring a Chief of Staff (CoS) to serve as a key strategic partner to the Executive Director and a driving force behind organizational alignment across DCI's 300+ staff members and 1,600+ families. The CoS will lead strategic planning, communications, board management, external advocacy, and organizational operations, while directly supervising the Director of Communications and Director of Development. This is a senior leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategy, people management, and mission-driven execution in a school community. This position will supervise the Director of Communications and Director of Development and report to the Executive Director (ED).

Salary Range: $145,000 - $175,000 (Starting salary is determined by experience, qualifications, and internal equity.)

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's degree in Education, Nonprofit Management, Public Policy, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience, including at least 3 years in a senior leadership, Chief of Staff, or organizational strategy role — ideally within a school, nonprofit, or mission-driven organization.
• Demonstrated experience supervising and coaching directors or senior staff.
• Experience with strategic planning cycles, progress monitoring systems, adult learning and development approaches, and organizational alignment work, including strong project management skills.
• Experience engaging with governing boards, external stakeholders, or regulatory/oversight bodies (e.g., authorizers, city agencies) strongly preferred.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with experience leading or partnering closely with communications functions.
• Demonstrated flexibility and sound judgment in navigating shifting organizational priorities and external conditions.
• Familiarity with, or strong interest in, the IB Program, language immersion education, and multilingual school communities.
• Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.
• Must clear a background check.

Key Skills & Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Partner with the ED to lead the development and execution of DCI's yearlong and 5-year strategic planning cycles, translating the mission into clear priorities, aligned tactics, and measurable goals. 
• DCI is currently entering Year 3 of its 5-year Strategic Plan (DCI Strategic Plan). 
• Own performance management of organization-wide goals and metrics, and maintain the organizational calendar to keep time and resources aligned to priorities for the strategic plan and broader organizational operations. 
• Communicate progress around the strategic plan to all stakeholders in a consistent manner including with the annual report. 
• Support, as needed, in the development of broader systems / structures to ensure the strategic plan can be implemented with fidelity.

Communication, Alignment & Marketing

• Own and lead communication and alignment strategy across DCI's full community of staff and families, in partnership with the ED. 
• Directly manage the Director of Communications and drive DCI's external marketing and stakeholder messaging including any needed crisis communication. 
• Prioritize alignment across DCI's SLT and broader ~50-member leadership team to ensure consistency in execution and messaging around our strategic plan and priorities. 
• Lead family engagement strategy in partnership with the Principals, with direct oversight of the Family Engagement Liaison (via the Director of Communications).

Socially Just Community

• Serve as DCI's organizational owner of its "Socially Just Community" priority, working with the ED and staff to continually strengthen belonging across the DCI community in service of our mission and impact on our students. 
• Build on the strategic plan's “Socially Just Community” pillar, including prior training, a completed audit, and an aligned response plan addressing trust and partnership needs within the organization. 
• Serve as the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) sponsor of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, supporting its ongoing work in service of the “Socially Just Community” pillar.

Board Management

• Support the ED in managing communication, alignment, and engagement with DCI's Board of Directors. 
• Attend and support all board and board committee meetings. 
• Ensure DCI stays in compliance with all Open Meetings Act responsibilities.

External Advocacy & Stakeholder Management

• Lead DCI's external engagement strategy, building strategic relationships with city leaders, K-12 education partners, DC government authorities, the DC Public Charter School Board, and community organizations to advance DCI's mission.
• Ensure that DCI maintains strong partnerships with its five member schools, which includes coordination, alignment, and support on any cross school initiatives. 
• Develop and implement an enrollment strategy that includes the member school lottery, such that DCI maintains strong enrollment and partnership with each member school community.
• Support our broader development work through the integration of communications, marketing, and external engagement efforts to maximize DCIs reputation, standing, and ability to raise resources for our students (both financial and otherwise). 

Team Supervision & Management

• Directly supervise the Director of Communications and Director of Development (with the Family Engagement Liaison reporting through the Director of Communications). 
• Provide weekly or bi-weekly coaching, lead annual goal-setting, and manage performance in alignment with team and organizational goals.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Demonstrate the agility to lead and execute high-priority strategic initiatives that emerge in response to evolving organizational needs, particularly cross-functional efforts that do not align with an existing Senior Leader's portfolio. 
• Serve as a key partner to the ED and SLT by coordinating institutional responses during periods of change, crisis, or significant external developments, ensuring organizational alignment and effective execution.

Faculty and Staff Development/Benefits: DCI is committed to the principles of servant leadership and to providing faculty and staff with the resources and training they need to provide an excellent education experience for every student and family. 

• We have a benefits package that includes health and disability insurance and paid leave.  
• We offer teachers daily planning time, professional development, and reasonable class sizes.
• Teachers and staff have the appropriate technology and support to do their work.

DC International School is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural and multilingual environment.