The posting
Apply now to join FAU, where tomorrow begins. For more information on everything FAU has to offer, please visit www.fau.edu/jobs. Note: Current FAU employees must apply as an internal applicant by logging into their existing Workday employee account. Position Summary: FAU Lab Schools seeks an entrepreneurial, data-informed, and results-oriented Executive Director to launch and lead The Carl A. DeSantis Center for Educational Strategy and Innovation (the Center). The Center is established through a $10 million, five-year catalytic investment from the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation to scale the proven practices of FAU Lab Schools, a three-time National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, across Palm Beach and Broward counties, throughout Florida, and nationally. The Executive Director serves as the chief architect and champion of the Center. The Executive Director will translate the Center’s five-year business plan into annual implementation plans, recruit and lead the Center team, manage the Foundation grant with full fiscal and programmatic accountability, and build the measurement systems, partnerships, and revenue streams that will sustain the Center beyond the initial investment. Position Responsibilities Strategic Leadership and Center Expansion The Executive Director will establish the Center’s operating model and lead its expansion over the five-year grant period. Translate strategic initiatives into actionable implementation plans that identify responsibilities, milestones, deliverables, performance indicators, staffing, and costs. Develop a balanced portfolio that addresses immediate institutional and partner needs while advancing long-term innovation, measurable impact, scalability, and financial sustainability. Recruit and onboard Center staff and stand up core infrastructure, including the Learning Management System, continuing education registration, and event operations. Identify emerging challenges, research findings, technologies, and workforce needs in education, and translate them into programs, services, and partnerships. Create a disciplined process for evaluating, testing, launching, refining, and scaling new initiatives, and use evidence to decide which initiatives to expand, redesign, or discontinue. Professional Learning and Leadership Development The Executive Director will build a distinctive portfolio of learning experiences that connects research and practice for Florida educators and leaders. Assess emerging professional and organizational learning needs and developing scalable frameworks for educator development, leadership development, workforce preparation, and organizational improvement. Expand teacher and leader professional learning in coordination with the Stiles-Nicholson STEM Teacher Academy and leadership partners to meet or exceed performance targets. Develop and award micro-credentials and STEM certifications, and design LMS-based virtual courses that extend the Center’s reach. Design innovation-focused curricula that move leaders from compliance management to innovation architecture and prepare them to anticipate workforce needs. Apply principles of instructional design, adult learning, and talent development so that participants move beyond passive professional development to measurable changes in practice. Identify, recruit, and cultivate faculty, practitioners, industry experts, presenters, and nationally recognized subject-matter experts. School Model Scaling and Replication The Executive Director will position FAU Lab Schools as a national resource for schools and districts seeking proven, replicable models. Provide consulting and implementation support to partner districts. Expand the university lab school partner network across Florida and nationally. Support Center and research site visits annually for school and district leaders, educators, and policymakers. Develop and disseminate replication blueprints, toolkits, and implementation guides that document FAU Lab Schools programs and the conditions required for success. Engage school districts statewide, with the goal of reaching all 67 Florida school districts over the grant period. Partner with the FAU Lab Schools’ Research Director to expand Research Communities of Practice and the Action Research Fellows program to schools and districts statewide. Measurement, Evaluation, and Decision Science The Executive Director will ensure that significant decisions are informed by evidence and that initiatives are accompanied by quality performance measurements. Build and maintain a five-year outcome measurement framework for the Center objectives with definitions, baselines, annual targets, data sources, collection frequency, and responsible staff. Develop outcome performance measures to determine changes in teacher practice and leadership behavior. Use valid methods to demonstrate change, including matched pre- and post-assessments, follow-up after trainings and placements end, and verified methods for estimating student reach. Oversee the development of dashboards and decision-support tools that help leaders understand performance, anticipate challenges, and allocate resources. Partner with faculty, researchers, and data scientists to design studies, evaluate innovations, and advance responsible uses of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in education. Establish continuous feedback loops that use outcome data, stakeholder input, and financial results to improve programs and guide future investment. Grant Management, Compliance, and Donor Stewardship The Executive Director will serve as the primary steward of the Center’s relationship with the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation. Manage the Foundation grant in accordance with the grant agreement, approved annual budgets, and performance commitments. Prepare mid-year and year-end programmatic and financial reports that compare actual performance and expenditures to annual targets, explain material variances, and describe lessons learned and corrective actions. Oversee accurate tracking and reporting of participants, activities, results, and expenditures by county. Maintain clear separation between the catalytic grant and other awards. Partnerships, Dissemination, and Thought Leadership The Executive Director will serve as a highly visible ambassador for the Center and ensure that what the Center learns is shared. Establish strategic partnerships with universities, school districts, government agencies, foundations, corporations, organizations, and research institutions. Develop external advisory relationships and networks that allow the Center to continuously identify emerging trends, opportunities, technologies, research, and promising practices. Position the Center as a trusted convener where leaders from education, research, business, government, and philanthropy collaborate on significant challenges. Develop a dissemination strategy that includes publications, policy briefs, practitioner guides, case studies, digital resources, and presentations at state and national conferences. Translate complex research and analytical results into clear, actionable information for practitioners, policymakers, and donors. Represent the Center with senior university, education, government, philanthropic, corporate, and community leaders. Financial Sustainability and Growth The Executive Director will treat the $10 million investment as the catalyst, not the ceiling, and build a diversified model for long-term sustainability. Collaborate with the FAU Lab Schools’ leadership on developing additional revenue streams to support the Center. Develop business cases for major initiatives that weigh demand, strategic alignment, anticipated impact, required investment, scalability, and sustainability. Support the cultivation of relationships with foundations, donors, corporations, and government entities capable of supporting or scaling the Center’s work. Manage budgets, personnel, contracts, vendors, and timelines with a high degree of accountability and fiscal responsibility. Team and Organizational Leadership The Executive Director will build a culture defined by curiosity, analytical rigor, execution, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing multidisciplinary team capable of working across education, research, analytics, professional learning, business development, communications, and program implementation. Coordinate with FAU Lab Schools’ staff and faculty, as needed. Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability. Lead cross-functional initiatives that involve multiple university units, FAU colleges, and external organizations. Communicate strategy, evidence, performance, and recommendations to the Superintendent, university and school leadership, and the Foundation. Create an environment in which responsible experimentation is encouraged, results are measured, lessons are captured, and successful innovations are rapidly translated into broader practice. Minimum Qualifications: • Master’s degree or higher in education, business, instructional design, organizational leadership, or a related field. • Five or more years of experience as a school district senior leader or principal supervisor, OR ten or more years of experience as a school principal and school district leader. • Five or more years of experience building programs or strategic initiatives from concept through implementation, evaluation, and scale. • Experience managing grants or restricted funds, including budgets, compliance, and programmatic and financial reporting. • Demonstrated ability to use data, research, and performance measures to inform strategy and decision making. • Experience managing complex budgets, personnel, contracts, timelines, and external partners. • Exceptional executive communication, presentation, relationship-building, analytical, and leadership skills. Preferred Qualifications and Experience • Doctorate in education, organizational leadership, or a related field. • Knowledge of Florida K–12 education, school district operations, and educator preparation and leadership systems. • Knowledge of program evaluation, research design, key performance indicators, dashboards, and decision-science approaches. • Understanding of instructional design, learning science, adult learning, and learning management systems. • Experience developing conferences, institutes, speaker series, or other large-scale professional convenings. • Experience with university–K–12 partnerships, laboratory schools, or STEM, health care, or research workforce pathways. • Demonstrated success in donor stewardship and in building partnerships across education, government, business, philanthropy, and health care. • Experience generating sustainable revenue through grants, philanthropy, sponsorships, consulting, licensing, or fee-based programming. • Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and align diverse stakeholders around common objectives. Salary: Commensurate with Experience College or Department: FAU Lab Schools Location: Boca Raton Work Days and Hours: N/A Application Deadline: 2026-11-09 Special Instructions to Applicant: This position is open until filled and may close without prior notice. This position is subject to funding. All applicants must apply electronically to the currently posted position on the Office of Human Resources' job website (https://fau.edu/jobs) by completing the required employment application for this recruitment and submitting the related documents. Required Documents: FAU’s Career Page permits the attachment of required/requested documentation. PLEASE NOTE: A maximum of five (5) documents may be attached to your application. If more than five (5) documents are required for submission, please combine additional documents into a single attachment to not exceed the maximum permitted. The site permits the attachment of required/requested documentation. Candidates wishing full consideration are to provide the following: a cover letter and resume. Transcripts: Final candidate will be required to have official, sealed transcripts and original NACES evaluation, if applicable, sent from their educational institution to Human Resources prior to the start of employment. Background Screening: Selected candidates must successfully complete and pass all employment screenings prior to the start of employment. Employment screenings may include a criminal background check (level I and level II), motor vehicle check, credit check, reference checks, alcohol, and drug screening check. The candidate selected for the position will be required to have fingerprinting done at the FAU Police Department and a background check done by the school. Accommodations: Individuals requiring accommodation, please call 561-297-3057. 711 Florida Atlantic University is Where Tomorrow Begins. As a nationally recognized Carnegie R1 research institution and one of only 13 universities nationwide to also hold Carnegie designations for Opportunity and Community Engagement, Florida Atlantic is advancing discovery, driving economic growth, and preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly changing world. As South Florida's Hometown University, Florida Atlantic serves as a destination for learning, culture, athletics, and community engagement. Through NCAA Division I athletics, world-class performing arts and cultural events, public lectures, gallery exhibitions, environmental education programs, and one of the nation's largest Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, Florida Atlantic welcomes thousands of residents, visitors, and learners to its campuses each year. From inspiring environmental education programs to providing enriching experiences for retirees, professionals, families, and sports fans, Florida Atlantic is deeply connected to the communities it serves. Through these experiences and partnerships, the university helps strengthen the region's cultural vitality, workforce, economy and quality of life. For more information, visit www.fau.edu. In order to be considered for a position, you must apply through this job website. For more information on how to apply for a position, please review the applicable Applicant Tutorial. To contact Recruitment Services, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Florida Atlantic University is an equal access/equal opportunity employer that complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. If you require an accommodation to participate in any part of the recruitment process, please contact Florida Atlantic’s Office of Civil Rights and Title IX at 561-297-3004 or send an email to [email protected]. To contact Human Resources, please call 561-297-3057 or email [email protected]. For communications assistance, call 7-1-1. Clery Act Information Consumer Information Visit Florida Atlantic's Consumer Information page for more information about financial aid, its campus, facilities, student athletes, campus security, fire safety, as well as preventing drug and alcohol abuse. Paper copies are available upon request by contacting the Office of Student Financial Aid. Florida Statute 1010.35 - Screening Foreign Researchers Pursuant to Florida law, any applicant or student seeking employment in a research or research-related support position who is a citizen of a foreign country and not a permanent resident of the U.S., or who is a citizen or permanent resident but is affiliated with or has had at least 1 year of employment or training in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria is subject to additional screening. Applicants meeting those criteria will be required to provide the following information before any offer of employment can be made: every institution of higher education attended; all previous employment since the applicant’s 18th birthday; list of all published material, current and pending research funding from any source, including details about the research, your role, funding source, and amount; list and description of any non-university professional activities; any affiliation with an institution or program in a foreign country. Selected applicants will be required to provide additional information per the Statute, including a complete copy of your passport; and, if available, the most recently submitted DS-160 (Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application).
