Director of the Pinnacle Program

Job Level
Senior position
Job Category
Director
Sector
  • Applied Tech (STEAM / Maker / CS / Design)
  • Curriculum / Program
Job Status
Full-Time
Areas of Responsibility
  • Innovation / Design
  • Entrepreneurship

Job Summary: The Pinnacle Program promotes student creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It provides a forum for students to pursue their talents and passions.   The Pinnacle Program is designed to give students a new learning system for innovation and entrepreneurship that will activate the idealism of young people and allow them to make a difference. The Director is responsible for running this program for students in grades 9-12 with a focus on helping students generate novel ideas, develop a vision and plan to execute these ideas, master discrete technical skills, collaborate with others, and ultimately bring their ideas to fruition.

The Director acts as a coach and facilitator to support students in their endeavors. In addition, this position oversees a state of the art makerspaces/digital lab and works with the faculty to utilize this space with their students, and helps the faculty brings the ethos of the Pinnacle program into classrooms across the curriculum.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Develop and implement a curriculum that facilitates student understanding of innovative, creative & entrepreneurial ideas and the application of the design process
  • Facilitate student collaboration and identify outside experts for students to work within relation to their individual projects
  • Spearhead techn ology initiatives that support a new approach to innovative learning that is integrated, practice-based, and purpose-driven
  • Work with the Director of Studies to promote the Pinnacle program, identifying potential students and facilitating the scheduling of students
  • Encourage all students to be actively engaged in their own learning and in reviewing their progress against targets
  • Oversee a process of student reporting, including public exhibitions of their work
  • Check that all subject matter is effectively communicated and understood by all groups of students
  • Train students in the use of a variety of traditional and high tech tools, ensuring all safety issues and regulations are met
  • Demonstrate depth of content knowledge of skills in the field
  • Become a role model for continuous learning to students, parents, peers and supervisors
  • Collaborate with the teaching faculty to bring the ideas of the Pinnacle program into classes across the curriculum

Other Expectations: This position is a member of a boarding school faculty. Candidates should be interested in contributing outside of the classroom and becoming fully involved in the student life program. Faculty are expected to demonstrate respect for diversity of identities and experiences, an orientation toward equity and inclusion, and cultural competency in all aspects of School life.

How to Apply

JOB SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS:

  • 5+ years of experience in fields related to engineering, technology, design, or similar discipline
  • Master’s degree in the applicable discipline (engineering, technology, design, curriculum development)
  • Student-centered educator, skilled in facilitating student discussion and collaboration
  • Ability to explain new ideas and unfamiliar concepts with authority and in a clear and concise way
  • Ability to write clearly and effectively in a variety of formats
  • Ability to promote student agency, guide a design thinking process, and facilitate student collaboration
  • Experience with working with students with different learning styles
  • Engage parents and create healthy relationships with students
  • Collaborate with faculty and administration