Assistant Head of School for Academics

Leadership Opportunity

Assistant Head of School for Academics

Vistamar School

El Segundo, CA

July 1, 2026

“Vistamar has proven that in a community forged through meaningful relationships among students and teachers, learning can be fun and rigorous at the same time.” - Erik Carlson, Head of School

Vistamar School, an independent and mission-driven high school in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a relational, collaborative, and innovative academic leader to serve as its next Assistant Head of School for Academics. As the School celebrates its 20th anniversary, the community finds itself at a pivotal and energizing moment marked by momentum, optimism, and a shared desire to shape the next era of teaching and learning. Vistamar is grounded in a culture of care, close relationships, and a belief in empowering students to take real ownership of their learning and their space; it is a place where young people feel seen and supported, and where adults can bring their full selves and souls to work each day. This human-centered foundation cultivates trust, belonging, and a learning environment where both students and adults can exist and grow in meaningful and authentic ways.

Under the leadership of the new Head of School, Erik Carlson, Vistamar is embracing this anniversary milestone as a natural inflection point. It is an opportunity to build on the School’s founding spirit of challenging the status quo and to imagine a revitalized academic vision that meets the needs of today’s students. With the strategic plan soon to be refreshed and a cohesive, committed Leadership Team in place, the School is poised to evolve its program, strengthen alignment, and continue to build on its commitment to student-centered learning. The Assistant Head of School for Academics (AHOSA) will play a central role in guiding this evolution and shaping the school’s next chapter.

This leadership opportunity is especially compelling for an educator who thrives on connection. The AHOSA will join a team that works exceptionally well together, supporting one another and the work through honest dialogue, shared purpose, and dedication to advancing the mission.  In recent years, the academic program has been guided by the Head of School, Dean of Faculty, Director of Teaching and Learning, and a Committee of Department Chairs. This new role clarifies the leadership and authority of the academic program. 

The AHOSA will be primarily responsible for academic policy, curriculum coherence and development, faculty recruitment, professional development and evaluation, and student support. In doing so, the AHOSA will oversee the Director of Teaching and Learning and the Department Chairs in order to bring greater clarity and coordination to the academic program and to the academic experience, all while nurturing the trust and professional growth of a talented faculty. In addition, the AHOSA will oversee the Director of Life Planning, Dean of Student Life, and Athletic Director, and will lead the Student Services Team to strategize on all levels of support and engagement for Vistamar students and their families.

Looking ahead, the work is rich with possibilities. As a small school with big aspirations, Vistamar is well-positioned to expand learning pathways, refine signature programs, and elevate the distinctiveness of its academic offerings. Strengthening and clarifying the academic program will play a vital role in differentiating the school and supporting enrollment momentum, an institutional priority grounded in Vistamar’s confidence in the quality of its program and the values that guide its work. The Assistant Head of School for Academics will help bring this vision to life by partnering with colleagues across the School to design, implement, and sustain a program that reflects the mission, values, and aspirations that will shape Vistamar’s next twenty years.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

The Assistant Head for Academics will play a central role in advancing key academic initiatives that enhance the student experience and support teaching and learning across the School. In this work, Vistamar will look to this leader to prioritize the following:

• Implement and manage the school’s newly developed faculty evaluation and professional growth tool, ensuring that expectations are clear, processes are understood, and the system effectively supports teacher growth and accountability
• Guide a thoughtful review of the current academic program to identify opportunities for evolution and innovation, building on Vistamar’s strengths and supporting a fresh, future-focused vision for teaching and learning
• Develop a structured schoolwide process for reviewing curriculum across departments, promoting alignment, coherence, and shared understanding of learning goals
• Expand student learning opportunities through creative program design and strategic external partnerships that increase students’ access to diverse learning experiences while deepening and broadening the overall academic program

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 

Leadership

• Collaborates with the Head of School to articulate and refine the School’s curricular and co-curricular programs to ensure alignment with the mission and excellence of implementation
• As a member of the Leadership Team, deliberates on long-term and strategic planning, as well as policy development and implementation
• As a member of the Leadership Team, reinforces key decisions with clarity and provides steady internal leadership
• Reports on the curricular and co-curricular program to the Board of Trustees
• Represents the School at Admissions events on and off campus
• Attends parent association meetings and events and makes presentations as appropriate
• Represents the school at Development events as needed and appropriate

Program Responsibilities

• Leads the Student Services team - comprised of the Dean of Student Life, Counselor/Learning Specialist, and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - to strategize on all levels of support for Vistamar students and their families
• Leads and partners with the Director of Teaching & Learning to implement processes for faculty recruitment, support and evaluation, professional development, and faculty meetings
• Leads the Department Chairs in developing and implementing assessments for curriculum review, including analyses of student performance data and qualitative assessments of students’ experience
• Develops and manages budgets for all curricular and co-curricular programs.

Student Services Team Responsibilities

• Leads regular meetings of the Student Services Team, and reports progress to the Head of School
• Meets regularly with individual members of the Team to set goals, check progress on ongoing projects, and provide guidance and support 
• Along with the Team, monitors the general physical, social, and emotional safety of the members of the school community
• Along with the Team and the Head of School, monitors the implementation of the Vistamar Crisis Management Plan, responds to school emergencies, and works collaboratively with other administrators in emergency situations

QUALITIES AND ATTRIBUTES

The ideal Assistant Head of School for Academics will be a seasoned educator and thoughtful leader whose credibility stems from meaningful experience in the classroom and in academic leadership. This individual brings strong interpersonal and organizational skills, communicates with purpose and clarity, and leads with warmth, steadiness, and respect. They approach students, colleagues, and families with cultural fluency and an authentic interest in supporting a diverse community. The school seeks someone who understands contemporary research in teaching and learning, who guides faculty with professionalism and care, and who helps move the program forward through collaboration, sound judgment, and genuine presence on campus. They will navigate complexity with insight, build trust across constituencies, and help shape a learning environment that supports both high standards and human connection.

As with all positions at Vistamar, the school seeks an individual who takes initiative and demonstrates a strong desire to grow professionally. They are looking to add an all-around "school person" who wants to participate in and contribute to all aspects of their vibrant community. A love of high school students, flexibility, a sense of humor, and a willingness to embrace the mission of Vistamar School are required.

Additionally, the School seeks a leader who brings:

• Skill in mentoring, supervising, and supporting faculty, with the ability to develop professional capacity, set clear expectations, and sustain constructive accountability
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with a wide range of personalities, perspectives, and viewpoints
• A warm, visible, community-centered presence who builds relationships through trust, availability, and care
• Cultural responsiveness and DEIB fluency, with the insight to embed inclusive practices across the academic program and support a diverse community
• A thoughtful approach to guiding change, including the judgment to honor the school’s history while moving teaching and learning forward
• Educated perspective on emerging academic questions, such as AP, AI, experiential learning, and evolving pathways for high school students

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree in education or a relevant field from an accredited college or university; a graduate degree is highly preferred
• At least five years of educational leadership experience
• Demonstrated dedication to mission-driven education
• Experience as a school administrator guiding, coaching, leading, and supervising faculty
• Proven success leading complex, ongoing, and consensus-building change management initiatives in schools
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to articulate vision and reinforce key decisions
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and committees
• Demonstrated commitment and competency in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• An educator who uses student-centered approaches to teaching, along with a depth of content expertise in line with the school’s Four Attributes of Excellent Teaching
• A thought leader who can keep Vistamar on the cutting edge of best practices related to college admissions and post-secondary student opportunities, as well as equity, access, success, and belonging for all students
• Proficiency with Blackbaud

MISSION AND CORE VALUES

Mission

Vistamar School empowers students, preparing them to contribute and excel in higher education and in life, and commits to:

• A broad and balanced program that challenges and engages students, building their individual skills and inspiring a passion for learning.

• An intimate atmosphere that fosters initiative, responsibility, knowledge of self and connections to others.

• Diversity of thought and culture that encourages authentic exchange of perspectives, mutual respect and a mature understanding of the world.

In their studies, in their work, and in their communities, Vistamar students will embrace lives of learning, integrity, and purpose.

Core Values 

• Rigorously challenging the status quo

• Rich, intellectual engagement that opens the doors to any college

• Relentlessly embracing diversity of thought and experience

• Living a healthy and balanced life

• Purposeful engagement in the world beyond our walls

EQUITY AND INCLUSION AT VISTAMAR

Vistamar School was founded in 2005 on the principle that diversity of thought and culture encourages authentic exchange of perspectives, mutual respect, and a mature understanding of the world. These principles profoundly shape Vistamar’s multicultural curriculum, vibrant student co-curricular life, and lively family engagement and educational programming. We learn more in an environment where preconceived notions are continuously challenged by fellow students, faculty, staff, and families who come from different backgrounds. We practice authentic and ongoing commitment to promoting healthy social identity formation as well as the shared values that unite our community and allow us to develop greater empathy as a result.

THE SCHOOL 

Founded in 2005 in El Segundo, CA, Vistamar School is an independent college-preparatory day school serving 235 students in grades 9-12. With an eye towards helping the South Bay region keep pace with its changing population and economic growth, the founders set out to offer a high-quality, college-preparatory learning environment, serving a student body that reflects the diversity of Los Angeles. The Vistamar experience is guided by its core values and its mission, which rests on three pillars: challenging academics that engage and inspire students; an intimate atmosphere that supports students with caring relationships; and a diverse community that encourages the authentic exchange of perspectives and leads students to be comfortable crossing cultural boundaries.

THE PROGRAM

Vistamar School offers an academically rigorous, globally attuned program designed to prepare students for the complexity of the modern world. Rooted in inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary thinking, the curriculum blends strong college-preparatory academics with robust opportunities in the arts, world languages, design, and STEM. Across all subjects, students are encouraged to question deeply, collaborate thoughtfully, and apply their learning to real-world contexts, cultivating both intellectual agility and personal agency. With small classes, strong teacher-student relationships, and a culture that values wellness and balance, Vistamar equips students not only with the skills needed for college success but with the mindset, curiosity, and ethical grounding to thrive as engaged, purposeful global citizens.

Signature Programs

Life Planning

A comprehensive, four-year advising program that asks students to consider what matters to them, what skills, talents, and values they are developing, and how they would like to live and work in the future. Just as the curriculum and faculty prepare students for both the joys and challenges of higher education and the world, Vistamar’s Life Planning and College Counseling program offers advising that enhances important personal, emotional, and professional growth for students.

Senior Capstone Project

The Senior Project is a graduation requirement for all students and is an opportunity for them to continue their learning in a career or service setting by developing a curiosity-driven question into a meaningful project. The goal is for students to connect their interests and curiosities with real-world career or non-profit experience. Each senior will develop their interest into an essential question to frame their experience. They will contact industry and non-profit partners and secure an opportunity to shadow a professional in a field or area related to their question. During the winter and spring of the senior year, students will spend at least 40 hours shadowing their industry or community partner. They will observe meetings and processes, interview key leaders, and complete a project for the partner organization. Each project builds foundational skill sets, such as Inquiry with Application, Self-Reflection, Project Management, and Communication.

Taken together, Vistamar’s program reflects a curriculum that aims to cultivate in every student:

• Global consciousness, evidenced by communicative proficiency in a second language, awareness of the geographical and historical contexts of world affairs, an appreciation of different cultures, and a sense of stewardship for the natural environment.
• Cultural competence, evidenced by genuine interest in the experience of others, an understanding of the interplay between individuality and cultural identity, active valuing of diversity as an asset, and the skills that enable one to cross cultural boundaries.
• Strong communication skills, characterized by respectful listening, clear expression, and thoughtful consideration of various points of view.
• Mathematical and scientific literacy adequate to the demands of responsible citizenship in a complex, technical society.
• Habits of mind required to be a reflective practitioner in any field: observing, questioning, reflecting, making connections between ideas, seeking the bigger picture, self-awareness as a learner, and honest self-assessment.
• Intellectual skills required to be an effective knowledge manager in any field: flexible mastery of research strategies, a command of multiple frames of reference, and the ability to impose organizational structures on complex data.
• Experience in the arts as a doer and maker, as well as an observer, contributing to imagination, aesthetic sense, and creative expressiveness.
• Qualities of citizenship, marked by engagement in community affairs, participation in collective decision-making, and commitment to mutually beneficial interactions with others.
• Integrity and moral courage as an autonomous individual, supported by health and balance in one’s personal life.

The 2025-26 curriculum guide is available here.

CAMPUS & GEOGRAPHY

Campus

Vistamar is located at the intersection of four cities in the South Bay: Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hawthorne, and El Segundo. With almost 80,000 square feet of space, the Vistamar campus boasts a state-of-the-art performing arts space; a practice gymnasium; a large, open atrium space; and 22 classrooms clustered into department pods, including four full-sized science laboratories and a contemporary creative commons housing the visual and performing arts pod. A recent addition is the Viking Commons, a new commercial kitchen and gathering space for the school. The commercial kitchen provides a nutritious lunch daily for the entire school community, and the innovative communal space has expanded ways for Vistamar’s students, faculty, and staff to connect. Future plans for campus expansion include updates to the gymnasium.

Geography

Beyond the campus, the South Bay offers an exceptional quality of life, blending coastal charm with metropolitan convenience. Situated along the southern shore of Santa Monica Bay in Los Angeles County, the South Bay encompasses a collection of beach and inland communities that together form one of the most desirable areas in greater Los Angeles. Just minutes from Los Angeles International Airport and major freeways, the area provides easy access to the broader Los Angeles region while maintaining a relaxed, community-oriented atmosphere. Residents enjoy miles of sandy beaches, year-round outdoor recreation, and a thriving local dining and shopping scene.

The surrounding cities each bring their own character: Manhattan Beach is known for its vibrant downtown and surf culture; Redondo Beach offers a picturesque harbor and family-friendly neighborhoods; Hawthorne is home to a growing tech and aerospace industry; and El Segundo combines small-town appeal with a strong business presence. Together, these communities create a diverse and dynamic environment where professionals can thrive both personally and professionally. The South Bay’s mix of cultural diversity, strong schools, and welcoming neighborhoods makes it an attractive destination for individuals and families looking to relocate.

FAST FACTS - text box

At A Glance 2025-2026

Enrollment - 235 students 

Students who identify as a person of color - 52%

Zip Codes represented: 67

Number of faculty/staff - 53

Faculty/staff who identify as a person of color - 50%

Faculty with advanced degrees - 80% 

Average Student/Teacher Ratio - 7:1

Average class size: 14

Academic Departments: 6

Current AP classes: 20

Current Athletic teams: 22 (in 17 sports)

Students participating in Moderated Tuition Program - 40%

Moderated Tuition Program annual budget - $2.7M

PROCEDURE TO APPLY

Vistamar School is a 503c non-profit corporation which does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin or sexual orientation in administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, employment, and athletic and other school administered programs. Vistamar School is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants. We administer all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or domestic partnership status, disability, protected veteran status or military status, genetic information, or any other category protected under applicable law.

Vistamar School is where educators come to thrive. To attract and retain faculty and staff of the highest caliber, we are dedicated to supporting the professional learning and growth of our entire faculty and staff community. The School offers a competitive compensation package and an opportunity to work in a joyful, inclusive community serving students from over 60 zip codes in the Los Angeles area.

Interested candidates should submit via https://bit.ly/Vistamar_AH_Academics_AppForm the following materials confidentially in one single PDF file: 

• A cover letter indicating your particular interest in and qualifications for the position
• A current resume
• An educational philosophy statement that also addresses your specific skills/experiences working with diverse populations, your values related to diversity and inclusion issues, and how you see yourself contributing to achieving equity and enhancing diversity at Vistamar School
• The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of five references, including your current supervisor and at least one other recent supervisor. References should speak to your ability to be an effective educator and administrator, to work successfully with children, and to work collaboratively and collegially with adults (references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission). Please indicate your relationship with each reference (i.e. supervisor, colleague, or direct report).

Please address any questions by email to ara@strategenius.org.

Salary range: $180,000-$200,000

Search Calendar - text box

• Application deadline: January 2, 2026
• First-round interviews with the Search Consultant: December 2025 through Early January 2026
• Semifinalist interviews: Week of January 19, 2026
• Finalist interviews: Weeks of February 2 and 9, 2026
• Announcement: February 2026
• Start date: July 1, 2026