Lead Learning Designer (Superintendent Pipeline Programs)

Lead Learning Designer,

Superintendent Pipeline Programs

The Holdsworth Center seeks a Lead Learning Designer (Superintendent Pipeline Programs) who believes in the promise of public schools to deliver excellent and equitable results for students, and who believes their unique skills and inner purpose would be a great match for Holdsworth's mission, culture, and values.

Our organization & mission

The Holdsworth Center is an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit founded in 2017 by Charles Butt, an education philanthropist and Chairman of H-E-B, a regional retail company.Our mission is to impact, over time, the quality of K-12 public education for all Texas students by supporting and developing leaders.

The Holdsworth Center partners with Texas public school districts to help educators become experts at leadership and to grow stronger leaders within their own systems. Holdsworth makes investments within districts and brings education leaders from across Texas to learn at its Campus on Lake Austin, a one-of-a-kind place dedicated to the idea that public education matters. Holdsworth hosts educators for learning sessions on the 44-acre campus, which has 186 sleeping rooms and state-of-the-art classroom space.

Our work

In our leadership development programs, superintendents, central office administrators, principals, assistant principals, teachers, and other campus leaders engage with some of the nation's top experts in their fields from a variety of sectors, including K-12 education, academia, government, and business.

In some of our partner districts, we embed Holdsworth consultants to work hand-in-hand with central office leaders to define what great leadership looks and help them build custom solutions to identify and develop future campus leaders, place them in leadership roles and support them as they progress in their leadership journey.

Our theory of action is that stronger leaders will build stronger systems that achieve stronger results for students. That belief is backed by research showing that after teachers, school leaders have the greatest influence on student outcomes.

Our culture & values

We have three core values at Holdsworth: Drive for Excellence & Equity, Be of Service and Believe in People. Our values flow from the vision and beliefs of our founder, Charles Butt, and guide our daily words and actions, bringing meaning to the work we do.

About the Position

In 2021, Holdsworth launched its first program offering specifically designed to support early-career superintendents as they lead school districts through the demands of an ever-evolving education landscape. In the years since the pandemic, we have seen increased pressures on school systems and a corresponding upswing in vacancies at the superintendent level. To help address this challenge, Holdsworth is designing a new program meant to prepare senior district leaders who aspire to the superintendency for the rigors of this demanding role so that Texas has a stronger bench of ready leaders when superintendent vacancies arise. In the coming years, Holdsworth will expand to offer programming to support the leadership of aspiring superintendents.

TheLead Learning Designerwill work in a team todesign and refine programmatic offerings for both the new program designed for aspiring superintendents along with content for our existing Superintendent Leadership Program. Alongsidea partner Lead Learning Designeranda team (including a Coordinator, Director, and Managing Director), you will guide cohorts through these programs.

As a Lead Learning Designer, you will play a critical role in ensuring that our vision for impact in these expanded program offerings is realized. Your portfolio of work may include learning experiences from any of superintendent pipeline programming and may change over time, providing you the opportunity to deepen your perspective and expertise about the superintendency in Texas.

You must have a strong desire to help leaders in our programs thrive in their careers and lead their districts effectively. We are looking for individuals who share our passion for developing leadership in public education toimprove the life opportunities for all students.

Reporting to the Director of Superintendent Programs,youwill work with talented,mission-driven peers to:

• Lead the detailed planning of content, learning experiences, and logistics to help ensure that learning outcomes and objectives for each programming session are met, and that the content delivered through program sessions is part of a coherent and powerful arc of learning.
• Support the team to develop and continually improve the curriculum for each of our superintendent pipeline programs
• Adapt and differentiate the curriculum to maximize leaders' learning and achievement of learning objectives through the design,implementation,and monitoring of learning assessments
• Serve as one of the "faces" of our programs, building relationships with leaders andincreasing coherency of the overall program

• Design effective and engaging learning experiences that bring cohorts together over amulti-session journey, building a learning environment where Leaders can effectively collaborate on a range of issues to grow their capacity and ability to lead sustainable improvement towards excellent and equitable outcomes forstudents
• Attend assigned program sessions and work as a team to effectively facilitate program delivery
• Work collaboratively with program coordinators to ensure flawless logistics and operations at each session
• Analyze data and use it to drive decisions and programmatic improvements

Desirable candidates will have a range of prior experience and capabilities to include:

• Strong alignment with organizational values-Drive for Excellence & Equity, Be of Service, Believe in People; including a demonstrated commitment to and engagement in learning and actions to promote equity, including conversations about race
• Extensive experience in a leadership development and/or adult learning role (any sector including K12 education as well as executive education in other fields) supporting the growth of organizational leaders through programmatic design and delivery

• Experience designing job-embedded /experiential learning and creating assessments that measure participant engagement and growth.
• Proven ability to facilitate engaging, challenging, and thought-provoking discussion among diverse audiences, manage group dynamics, and use questioning techniques to identify solutions and actions rather than taking a wholly directive approach(with large audiences as well as smaller groups)
• Creative and critical thinker with experience designing new programs and/or innovative solutions to sticky challenges in a team; willing to leave many ideas on the cutting room floor in pursuit of the best path forward
• Credible leader who is easily able to establish rapport and collaborate with executive district leaders and world- renowned faculty from best-in-class institutions
• Exceptional receptivity to feedback motivated by deep curiosity, keen learning mindset, and above all an obsession with delivering the highest impact experiences for our leaders

• Strong project planning skills and detail orientation in order to effectively manage multiple program sessions at one time
• Driven individual who demonstrates initiative without waiting for direction
• Ability to work well in a team environment and relate to people from diverse backgrounds
• Flexible; ability to adapt to an ever changing, growing organization as we learn from new endeavors; embraces a portfolio of work that may change over time
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution required

Geography

This is a full-time role with weekly on-site work at the Campus at Lake Austin required. Some evenings and weekends will be required while executing program sessions with leaders.

Austin//Central Texas strongly preferred. San Antonio, Houston, Dallas considered with weekly travel to Austin to work with team and deliver programming.

How to Apply Interested candidates can submit a current resume and cover letter, detailing their interest in this position and how their experience will contribute to the work of The Holdsworth Center by clicking here.

Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed.Applications will be screened regularly until a sufficient pool of candidates is identified.

If selected forthe interview process,next steps are tentatively scheduled to beginin April 2023.

***We currently have two different Lead Learning Designer positions posted and they are quite different in scope. Please be sure that your cover letter specifically addresses your unique fit for the Learning Designer role for Superintendent Pipeline Programs.***

The Holdsworth Center is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. All employment decisions are based on job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.