Chief Executive Officer (Starting June 2025)

WHO WE ARE

Intrepid College Prep is a network of free, college preparatory public charter schools located in the Antioch area of Greater Nashville, Tennessee. We educate scholars at two campuses: Opportunity Academy Middle School and Independence Academy High School. Our 5-12 model ensures that scholars have the opportunity to engage in a rigorous, college-preparatory education for eight years prior to their transition to college and the professional opportunities that follow. We are an open-enrollment school, which means that our scholars do not have to take an entrance test or pay tuition to enroll.

Our Mission:

Intrepid College Prep is committed to ensuring our scholars, educators, and families have the opportunity to unlock an unlimited future. By providing rigorous academic instruction and creating powerful relationships amongst our community’s members, we ignite passion, seek knowledge, and inspire the bravery needed to have a profound impact in our world.

Our core values are Ignite Passion, Seek Knowledge, and Inspire Bravery. While we ground our instruction in these values, we also strive to live them out as adults in our interactions with one another. We believe that professional development and intentional coaching can allow any person to develop the skills necessary to be an effective team member, but we know that rests upon the bedrock of these essential values.  

THE ROLE

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Intrepid College Prep serves as the visionary and strategic leader of the organization, responsible for ensuring academic excellence, operational sustainability, and mission alignment. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO sets the overall direction for the network, fosters a strong school culture, and ensures that students, staff, and families thrive in a high-performing college-preparatory environment. The CEO is accountable for organizational strategy, financial health, talent management, external relations, and governance, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to educational equity and student success.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Visionary & Strategic Leadership

- Define the long-term vision for the organization, ensuring alignment with mission, values, and goals while inspiring stakeholders at all levels.

- Establish and oversee organizational goals, ensuring strategic initiatives drive academic excellence, financial sustainability, and operational efficiency.

- Stay ahead of education policy shifts, funding changes, and community needs, adapting strategy proactively to sustain and expand impact.

- Encourage data-driven decision-making, pilot new initiatives, and refine existing programs to ensure the organization remains at the forefront of educational excellence.

Crisis Leadership 

- Maintain calm, clear, and decisive leadership during crises, ensuring that internal and external stakeholders receive timely, accurate, and strategic communication.

- Establish proactive risk management protocols to address emergencies, public relations challenges, and operational disruptions while ensuring continuity of student learning and organizational stability.

Financial & Operational Stewardship

- Oversee the development and management of the annual budget, ensuring financial sustainability, transparency, and alignment with strategic priorities.

- Lead operational planning to ensure efficient school operations, facilities management, and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

- Identify and secure long-term funding sources, including grants, philanthropy, and strategic partnerships, to sustain and expand Intrepid’s impact.

Stakeholder Engagement & External Relations

- Serve as the public representative of Intrepid College Prep, ensuring positive engagement with families, policymakers, donors, and community leaders.

- Develop and maintain strategic partnerships that enhance opportunities for students, from college access programs to workforce pipelines.

- Engage regularly with school staff, families, and students, fostering trust, transparency, and a strong community culture.Experience in public speaking, advocacy, and media engagement to elevate the organization’s mission and impact.

Governance & Board Collaboration

- Partner with the Board of Directors to ensure strong governance, strategic oversight, and financial health.

- Implement Board-approved policies and initiatives, ensuring alignment with Intrepid’s mission and long-term goals.

- Engage board members in meaningful ways, providing timely updates, soliciting feedback, and leveraging their expertise for organizational success.

- Utilize best practices in board management, including governance structures, compliance, and nonprofit oversight.

Continuous Improvement 

- Foster an environment where leaders, educators, and staff feel empowered to share insights, challenges, and innovative ideas without fear of retribution.

- Demonstrate vulnerability and accountability by openly reflecting on mistakes, lessons learned, and leadership adjustments, reinforcing a culture where learning and adaptation are valued.

- Actively seek and embrace constructive feedback from board members, staff, families, and community partners, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

Qualifications Relevant Experience

Mission and Values Alignment 

- Deep Commitment to Educational Equity

- Demonstrated passion for ensuring that all students—regardless of background—have access to a high-quality, college-preparatory education.

Cultural Competency & Inclusive Leadership

- Ability to build and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school culture, ensuring that students, staff, and families feel valued and represented.

Leadership Style Presence 

- Decisive & Level-Headed Under Pressure

- Demonstrated ability to navigate crises, make high-stakes decisions, and lead with clarity and composure, even in uncertain or high-pressure situations.

High Emotional Intelligence & Relationship Management

- Skilled in building trust, managing conflicts, and fostering collaboration among board members, school leaders, staff, and external partners.

K-12 School Leadership Experience Proven Student Success

- Experience in a K-12 classroom or leadership setting, preferably within a high-performing charter school serving similar student demographics.

- Deep understanding of a variety of instructional techniques, including best practices for multilingual learners and exceptional education students.

- Expertise in data-driven instructional practices, curriculum design, and assessment strategies that drive student achievement.

- Strong belief in teaching as a craft, with high expectations for classroom instruction, student engagement, and teacher development.

Organizational Leadership

- Proven experience managing high-performing leaders across functional teams or business units.

- Strong grasp of best practices in leadership development, change management, and adult motivation (e.g., self-actualization, ladder of inference).

- Ability to implement decision-making frameworks (e.g., RAPID, RACI) to drive efficiency and clarity in leadership teams.

- Expertise in conflict resolution, team dynamics, and consensus-building in complex or high-stakes situations.

Academic Philosophy Alignment

- Commitment to Culturally Affirming Instruction

- Deep belief that every student deserves an inclusive, identity-affirming learning experience where their culture, background, and lived experiences are reflected and valued in the curriculum.

- Champion of Challenging & Meaningful Intellectual Work

- Demonstrated ability to cultivate a rigorous academic environment where students engage in higher-order thinking, problem-solving, and authentic learning experiences that prepare them for college and beyond.

Understanding of Tennessee’s Educational & Political Landscape

- Knowledge of Tennessee Department of Education mandates and guidance for public, open-enrollment charter schools serving grades 5-12.

- Experience in building and maintaining relationships with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) district liaisons.

- Understanding of Tennessee’s political landscape and the ways legislative decisions impact charter schools in the short- and long-term.

- Pre-existing relationships with key stakeholders in the public charter school sector and the ability to leverage connections for student success.

Operational & Financial Acumen

- Working knowledge of non-profit fiscal management and primary drivers of school funding.

Leadership Competencies:

Presence

- Operates with a reliable sense of level headedness in the midst of high-stakes or stressful situations

- Can navigate a team with action and clarity

- Successfully inspires team/stakeholders around a compelling “why” 

- Proactively has a crucial conversation, when needed, and can coach others to successfully navigate one with kindness and clarity 

- Communication style embodies “clear is kind” 

- Consistently models perseverance in the face of challenge and opposition; inspires others to do so 

Complex Problem-Solving

- Models thoughtful, objective decision-making, both reactive and proactive, while taking many perspectives into account.

- Weighs pros/cons of multiple options, considers multiple perspectives, and uses third way thinking to solve complex problems.

- Uses regular data analysis to proactively implement solutions before gaps/problems arise.

- Has ambidextrous skill in patching up crises or problems when they arise to mitigate damage then looping back to ensure there is an actual preventative solution in place

Driving Outcomes

- Achieves notable results by adapting inputs, analyzing outputs, and making outcomes supreme.

- Maps out large, org-wide projects far in advance and  manages team to submit work products in advance with rounds of feedback.

- Consistently facilitates meetings and communication with an objective in mind aligned to desired outcomes.

- Analyzes data and other evidence towards goals with team, celebrating success and making adjustments/course-correcting in the moment, as needed.

Developing Self

- Models how to examine and reflect on cultural frame of reference in order to overcome personal biases.

- Recognizes the value of diverse voices and emphasizes inclusivity.

- Implements the input of diverse perspectives. 

- Proactively accepts responsibility and accountability for behavior, mistakes, and results, learns from successes and failures.

- Models professional vulnerability for others. 

- Balances personal strengths and weaknesses with the strengths and weaknesses of others in accomplishing shared goals.

- Proactively asks for and offers support when needed.

- Reacts humbly to critical feedback, processes it with a sense of curiosity, and ultimately grows from itIdentifies emotional triggers and manages reactions to conflict and stressful situations.

Coaching Others

- Creates and sustains an environment in which people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives can succeed.

- Consistently demonstrates respect and appreciation for others by empathizing, valuing their time and contributions, being available and responsive to their needs.

- Clearly creates and communicates expectations to others - expectations are consistently implemented and met 

- Provide timely formal and informal feedback appropriate for the situation and person

- Helps coachee unpack fuzzy or emotionally-laden thinking; Asks open-ended and solution oriented questions to unpack the root cause

Commitment to Diversity

Intrepid College Prep is an equal opportunity employer. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Compensation

We offer a generous compensation package, including full health benefits.  All staff members are equipped with the tools needed to succeed, including a dedicated work space, laptop computer, email, high-speed internet access, and all necessary supplies. Compensation is highly competitive; staff are eligible to participate in the MNPS Retirement System.

Base salaries are determined by the ICP salary scale. Placement on the salary scale is determined by years of relevant experience. We do not negotiate salaries because of research that demonstrates the resulting impact of inequitable pay, primarily for women and people of color. Placement on the salary scale is solely determined by relevant experience.