Job Description

Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children is seeking an educational leader who will build upon the legacy of the school, working closely with the Board of Directors to secure a lasting vision for the future. The Executive Director has oversight of all organizational activities and serves as Sunshine’s leader, fostering a climate of excellence and growth among students, faculty, and staff. At Sunshine Cottage, children with hearing loss become part of a community centered on enriching lives and improving listening, language, and speech. Every child is embraced by a dedicated staff. All children and their families benefit from the outstanding educational environment and strong support system spanning their Sunshine Cottage experience.

 
Sunshine Cottage is beloved by its core constituents and enjoys fervent support and appreciation from the community it serves. Their next Executive Director is expected to enthusiastically embrace and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to its listening and spoken language environment. As the sole employee of the Sunshine Cottage Board of Directors, the Executive Director implements Board policies and procedures, advises, maintains fiscal policies and responsibilities, oversees the school’s day-to-day operations, and represents the school to the public. The next Executive Director will inherit a talented and deeply devoted faculty, an eager student body, dedicated parents, and an engaged Board of Directors. The Executive Director must appreciate the legacy and traditions of Sunshine Cottage and be committed to maintaining the school’s local and national prominence in the education of deaf and hard of hearing children.

The next Executive Director will be a skillful, experienced leader with a passion for upholding the mission and fostering the traditions, relationships, and practices that are the foundation of Sunshine Cottage culture. The ideal candidate will possess the highest level of integrity, an engaging personality, and be a collaborative servant leader whose example, enthusiasm, and commitment inspires and promotes the growth of others. The Executive Director has oversight of the school and all programs, including the Parent-Infant Program, the Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center, the teams of audiologists and speech therapists, all staff, along with departments for Development, Finance, Human Resources, Accounting, Public Relations & Communication, and Marketing & Technology. 

Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn the organization’s collaborative systems is required. Experience as a teacher, pathologist, audiologist, and/or Executive Director is preferred. Familiarity with a listening and spoken language environment is an asset. Bilingual/Spanish is preferred.

The Executive Director will be expected to:  

• Serve as a leader who enthusiastically embraces and demonstrates an unwavering commitment to listening and spoken language; recognized as the chief cheerleader for Sunshine Cottage’s listening and spoken language environment.
• Honor the school’s mission, traditions, and core values, maintain alignment between all programs and the overall vision, successfully transition to being a visible and active participant in the school and greater San Antonio community.
• Partner with the administrative team to develop, maintain, and enhance all aspects of the programs offered by Sunshine Cottage to ensure positive outcomes for students and a strong, collaborative professional culture.
• Listen carefully to a variety of viewpoints yet make clear decisions while taking time to understand and appreciate the culture of the school community.
• Recruit, hire, develop and retain the highest quality faculty and staff, promote professional growth and opportunity, foster a collaborative spirit, encourage diversity and take responsibility for high levels of accountability.
• Build a strong relationship with the Board of Directors and assist in its development of goals for the school, propose relevant priorities and implement key annual action plans that align with the school’s multi-year strategic plan, and inform the Board of all financial and legal matters.
• Ensure the financial health and longevity of the school by cultivating relationships with foundations, corporations, and individuals who provide financial support to the school. Ensure that the school meets its short- and long-term fundraising goals.
• Ensure that the school complies with all federal, state, and local laws and policies as well as adhering to best practices in matters of risk management.
• Serve as the face of the school to the external community; be aware of, connected to, and nurture relationships with all organizations; advocate for listening and spoken language, and represent the school or coordinate its involvement in public policy conversations and advocacy efforts at the local and state policy level.

The new Executive Director may begin service as early as January 2025 but no later than July 2025. 

Prospective candidates should submit the following materials in a single PDF document to search consultant, VICKI RANEY at [email protected] .

Letter expressing interest in Sunshine Cottage, specifically addressing the position, school, and programs

Resume (education and work experience with dates)

Statement of leadership philosophy

List of six professional references with contact information

The deadline for application is August 9, 2024. 

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