Job Description
Job DescriptionDescription:
Job Title: School Leader (Academic) (2026-2027)
Reports To: Executive Director
Location: Aurora, CO
Salary: $120-130K
Vivo Colorado
Vivo Colorado is a nonprofit, public charter school network building innovative, recovery-focused high schools designed for young people who want different paths to success. Our schools combine rigorous, project-based academics with strong recovery supports, internships, and real-world learning to help students reconnect to purpose, community, and their future. We believe in high expectations, deep relationships, and continuous improvement, and we are relentless in pursuing outcomes that change life trajectories. At Vivo, adults and students learn, build, and grow together in service of meaningful, self-directed lives.
Vivo schools are Big Picture Learning schools, immersing students in work they are passionate about in order to develop skills, habits, and knowledge to actualize their post-high school plans and contribute positively to their communities. Teachers serve as advisors to a small group of 15 students and work with those students to develop individualized learning plans that include a substantial amount of learning through internships, apprenticeships, and rigorous, interest-based projects. Our schools align to Big Picture Learning’s Ten Distinguishers and our leaders embody the Leadership principles of Love, Breakthrough Leadership, Learning Organization, and Student-Aligned School Design.
Employment Status
This is a full-time, exempt, at-will position. The School Leaders report directly to the Executive Director.
Position Overview
The School Leader (Academic) is a co-leadership role at a high school serving students in recovery, in which the School Leader (Academic) and School Leader (Recovery) share responsibility for the school’s vision, daily leadership, and student outcomes. Working from a foundation of mutual trust, respect, and accountability, the two leaders collaborate as equal partners, balancing academic innovation with recovery-informed practices.
The School Leader (Academic) is responsible for all aspects of management and leadership of the academic program. School Leaders must possess and enact a clear vision for high-quality, engaging, rigorous, and relevant programming that works for non-traditional students in an innovative school environment. The School Leader (Academic) provides oversight and direction for curriculum and instruction, teacher support and coaching, professional development, assessments, and student support services. They also supervise instructional staff and co-lead the school’s leadership team, which collaborates weekly to set, implement, and monitor the school’s strategic direction.
Key Responsibilities
- Purpose-Driven, Shared Leadership: Leads in close partnership with the School Leader (Recovery) to steward a clear, shared school mission. Demonstrates the ability to collaboratively design, reflect, and decide while holding mutual accountability for student outcomes, staff culture, and organizational health. Models integrated leadership that honors both academic excellence and recovery-centered practice.
- Learning Design & Instructional Leadership: Serves as the lead designer of a personalized, competency-based learning model aligned to Big Picture Learning principles. Ensures learning experiences are rigorous, relevant, authentic and measurable in the contexts of internships, interest-driven projects, and authentic assessment.
- Personalization & Advisory Systems: Ensures every student is known well through strong advisory structures, family engagement and Individual Learning Plans. Leads systems that integrate academic progress, postsecondary planning, and recovery supports into a coherent learning experience.
- Adult Learning & Staff Development: Builds and sustains a reflective adult learning community capable of implementing relationship-based, equity-centered, high quality learning design. Coaches and supports staff to integrate Big Picture Learning practices and recovery-informed approaches into daily instruction and advising.
- Assessment, Evidence & Accountability: Designs and uses authentic assessment systems that make student learning visible and credible to students, families, staff, authorizers, and funders. Translates competency-based learning into clear evidence aligned with accountability frameworks.
- Organizational Coherence & Sustainability: Aligns schedule, staffing, professional learning, and resources to support high-quality implementation of the school model. Partners with the School Leader (Recovery) to ensure systems are sustainable, compliant with authorizer requirements, and responsive to student needs. Works with the Board and Central Admin team to ensure alignment across the Vivo network.
- Relational & Community-Embedded Leadership: Builds strong partnerships with families, community organizations, and real-world learning partners. Communicates the school’s mission, practices, and impact with clarity and integrity to internal and external stakeholders.
Job Duties
- This is a DRAFT of job duties for the 2026-2027 school year; this will evolve as school is launched; priorities may shift over time.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Salary and Benefits:
- Salary $120-130K
- Participation in the health benefits package
- Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program
- Eligible for participation in additional 401K and Roth plans (optional)
- Paid time off / Paid sick leave / Parental leave / FMLA
- Approximately 3-4 weeks of summer vacation; approximately 5 weeks of school holidays and vacation throughout the school year
Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Minimum of 3+ years teaching experience, ideally in a competency-based, Big Picture Learning, Deeper Learning, or other similar environment
- (Preferred) At least two years of leadership experience in public schools, ideally in a competency-based, Big Picture Learning, Deeper Learning, or other similar environment
- (Preferred) Spanish-speaker
- Fingerprint background check clearance; current eligibility to work in the U.S.