Academic Director

Elite Sports Academy — Academic Director

• Full-time, year-round position


• 40 hours per week


• Monday–Thursday primarily on campus


• Friday is an administrative/workday


• Remote work may be possible on Fridays when appropriate


• Location: Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona area


• Target salary: $70,000–$85,000, depending on experience, qualifications, and scope

About Elite Sports Academy

• Private school serving student-athletes in grades 5–12


• Combines rigorous academics with high-level athletic development


• Small, entrepreneurial school environment


• Academic Director will lead the academic program as the school grows

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the academic program for grades 5–12


• Maintain academic integrity, rigor, and continuous improvement


• Build and maintain the school master schedule


• Make student course-placement decisions


• Review transcripts, credits, assessments, and academic needs


• Manage high-school credit tracking


• Oversee graduation planning and diploma readiness


• Supervise, coach, and develop teachers


• Establish clear academic expectations


• Support strong classroom instruction


• Oversee grades and student progress


• Manage academic interventions


• Address escalated academic concerns


• Lead dual and concurrent enrollment implementation


• Coordinate teacher qualifications with college partners


• Oversee the academic side of NCAA/student-athlete eligibility


• Coordinate eligibility records with the registrar and athletic staff


• Lead accreditation, association, and academic compliance initiatives


• Partner closely with the registrar


• Maintain separation between academic decisions and records/data administration


• Communicate with students, families, and staff throughout the workweek


• Participate as an active member of school leadership


• Support student recruitment


• Participate in feeder-school events


• Participate in open houses and other schoolwide initiatives


• Create systems, timelines, and accountability for academic projects


• Carry projects through completion ESA_Academic_Director_External_…

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required


• Master’s degree preferred in:
  
  
  
  • Education
  
  
  • Educational leadership
  
  
  • Curriculum and instruction
  
  
  • Related field
  
  
  
  


• At least 5 years of relevant secondary education experience


• Teaching experience strongly preferred


• Experience in one or more of the following:
  
  
  
  • Academic leadership
  
  
  • Instructional coaching
  
  
  • Curriculum
  
  
  • Scheduling
  
  
  • Student support
  
  
  • School administration
  
  
  
  


• Strong understanding of:
  
  
  
  • Transcripts
  
  
  • Credits
  
  
  • Graduation planning
  
  
  • Secondary course placement
  
  
  
  


• Experience with a student information system


• PowerSchool experience preferred


• Strong written communication


• Strong verbal communication


• Strong organizational skills


• Strong follow-through


• Ability to work in a small, fast-moving school environment


• Ability to handle multiple responsibilities


• Collaborative problem-solving ability


• Arizona fingerprint clearance or ability to obtain it ESA_Academic_Director_External_…

Highly Valued Experience

• Private-school experience


• Innovative or nontraditional school experience


• Dual-enrollment programs


• Concurrent-enrollment programs


• College partnerships


• NCAA academic eligibility


• College-bound student-athlete processes


• Accreditation


• School-association applications


• Academic compliance


• Building academic systems in a new or rapidly growing school


• Working with student-athletes


• Coordinating academics around intensive athletic training schedules ESA_Academic_Director_External_…

What Success Looks Like

• Students are correctly scheduled


• Students understand exactly what they need to graduate


• Teachers receive meaningful leadership


• Teachers receive feedback and professional development


• Families receive timely and confident answers to academic questions


• Dual-enrollment initiatives stay on schedule


• NCAA initiatives stay on schedule


• Accreditation initiatives stay on schedule


• Academic records are coordinated effectively with the registrar


• Academic decisions are coordinated effectively with the registrar


• The Academic Director takes ownership of issues through resolution


• Routine academic leadership issues no longer have to be pushed back to the Founder

Type of fingerprint clearance: Shall be fingerprint checked pursuant to A.R.S 15-512

Physical functions: Must be able to remain in a stationary (standing or sitting) position for 50% of the time; may occasionally move around the campus 50% of the time.

Equipment used: Frequent computer and telephone use is expected. 

Work Environment: May be required to move or position equipment up to 10-15 pounds. May be exposed to outdoor weather.