EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

POSITION OVERVIEWThe Board of Directors of Hydrostone Academy is seeking to hire an experienced full-time, permanent Executive Director.

Reporting to a Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) is the administrative head of the school leading a team of gifted educators, administrative staff, and many parent volunteers. Using a collaborative leadership approach, the ED leads, manages, supports, and develops this team.

Responsible for the school’s overall success, the ED directs and manages the school's ongoing day-to-day operations, while ensuring alignment with the creative vision for the school. The ED identifies priorities and objectives, leads IB Coordinators and collaborative teams, supports committees, and ensures the school’s financial and organizational viability.

The sustainability and future growth of the school requires strong fundraising and communication skills and a solid understanding of financials. In addition to the overall fundraising strategy, the ED is individually responsible for meeting fundraising targets, using their external presence and relationships to engage potential sponsors, inspire a spirit of generosity, and share the benefits of a Hydrostone Academy education with community donors and bursary sponsors. In so doing, the ED holds a fiduciary responsibility for ensuring sustainable and well-managed revenue growth for this not-for-profit organization.

Hydrostone Academy aims to build a community of diverse, kind, and informed people and a space of compassion, dignity, and holistic education through the five pillars: mindfulness, outdoor education, community, arts education, and culturally-sustaining academics. The ED embodies and cultivates this mission.

Key Responsibilities

Institutional Leadership & Strategy:

• Drives the school's long-term vision, operationalizes the strategic plan approved by the Board, and maintains the school’s core values and educational philosophy across all grade levels.

Personnel Management & Human Resources:

• Recruits, hires, supervises, and evaluates administrative and teaching staff, fosters professional development, and oversees performance reviews and workplace culture.
• Provides strong people management, team development, and leadership.
• Creates a positive work environment with engaged staff and volunteers, working together towards common goals.
• Oversees and provides guidance to academic, functional, and operational teams.

Financial Management & Sustainability:

• Collaborates with the Bookkeeper and Board on annual budget development, monitors financial health, oversees major fundraising or donor initiatives, and manages bursary/tuition assistance decisions.
• Ensures budgets are adhered to, and that operational and capital expenditures are aligned with the school’s business plan, mission, vision and values. Ensures timely and accurate financial and operational reports to the Board of Directors.
• Works together with the Registrar and other staff to support the admissions process.

Facilities & Safety:

• Develops and enacts a strategic plan to maintain and improve the heritage building and grounds.
• Provides leadership to the school’s Health and Safety team to decide on and communicate the school’s health and safety protocols, in relation to public health guidance and best practices.

Academic & Program Oversight:

• Oversees school-wide curriculum implementation and IB accreditation requirements, supporting program coordinators and ensuring alignment with educational standards.
• Develops and maintains school processes, policies, and practices to meet the needs of the organization while ensuring compliance with applicable legislation.

Community Relations & External Representation:

• Serves as the primary public spokesperson for the school, leads major donor and stakeholder relations, and maintains key relationships with community partners and regulatory agencies.
• Engages in the daily life of the school and community and communicates with parents regarding significant events, policy changes, and curricular issues/changes/ enhancements.
• Oversees the Student Life and Storytelling team, providing direction and resources as needed.

Crisis Management & Escalations:

• Serves as the final internal decision-maker for critical operational crises, complex family or personnel issues, severe student disciplinary matters, and legal or compliance escalations.
• Provides guidance to the Restorative Interventions team and ensures behavior support and interventions are appropriate and timely.

Skills and Qualities

• Has strong leadership and management skills, leading change effectively and with transparency. Takes a diplomatic approach, while also energizing and inspiring staff and community to achieve positive results.
• Enjoys working within and fostering a healthy and inspiring community.
• Capable with formal project management practices and tools.
• Strong analytical and numeracy skills, capable of reviewing financial and operational data, extrapolating and compiling various analyses.
• Ability to use business tools and frameworks (Environmental Scanning, SWOT, RACI, etc) to facilitate discussion and plan strategic organizational risk management.
• Is an excellent communicator, both orally and written.
• Experience and success in applying for grants and funding.
  
• Demonstrates a dedication to the cultivation of children’s intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development.
• Possesses a strong commitment to accessibility and demonstrates an understanding of pedagogies that promote and sustain accessibility.
• Establishes and maintains high standards of excellence in all work completed across the organization.
• As a life-long learner, possesses a growth mindset and eagerness to explore new ideas and approaches.
• Is flexible, has a sense of humor, and enjoys working in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to build and maintain robust community relationships.

Ideal Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required, Masters Degree in a related field is preferred.
  
• Minimum five years in non-profit or other leadership roles.
• A familiarity with the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and has completed the IB Leadership workshop “Leading and managing teams” or is prepared to acquire certification.
• Demonstrated acumen for mentoring and guiding staff professional development.
  
• History of fundraising success and a firm understanding of stewardship.
• Successful financial oversight of a similar institution.
• Proven record of adapting to new environments, identifying areas for improvement and affecting change, while cultivating positive relationships.

DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT

The Executive Director is a full-time employee of the Hydrostone Academy, working an average of 40-hours per week, as well as occasional evenings and some weekends throughout the school year. The ED will almost always be on campus during regular school hours. This is a full-time permanent year-round position.

Conditions of Employment:

The successful candidate will be required to complete a Criminal Background Check, Vulnerable Sector Check, and Child Abuse Registry Clearance. All applicants must hold a valid first aid/CPR certificate, and live or be willing to relocate to the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Competitive salary, $75,000 - 95,000 commensurate with experience.
• Performance based bonus.
• Hydrostone Academy extended health benefits.
• Tuition benefit for children of staff.
• 10 statutory holidays, two week Christmas break, and 1 week March break.
• Competitive illness and vacation benefits.

Diversity Statement:

Hydrostone Academy is committed to inviting, appreciating and working with a diverse population of staff and students in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s abilities and strengths, which in turn builds a strong school community. We are committed to employment equity and invite applications from traditionally under-represented groups including but not limited to the African Canadian community, Indigenous peoples, and the LGBTQ+ community.

How to Apply:

Please forward the following to [email protected]

1. A cover letter expressing interest in this position.
2. Your current résumé.
3. At least three professional references with contact information (references will not be contacted without applicant’s permission).

Closing date: Rolling. Only applicants qualified for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest.

Expected hire date: November 2026

ABOUT OUR SCHOOL

Founded in 1993, Hydrostone Academy is a well-established secular independent school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, serving students from Pre-Primary through Grade 12. Our pedagogy and school culture is based on five pillars: Mindfulness, Outdoor Education, Community, Arts Education, and Culturally-sustaining academics. Our academic program is rooted in a creative integrated approach that allows every student to become a confident, compassionate, and self-aware community member ready to thrive within a dynamic and ever-changing world.

Art and music are incorporated throughout our curriculum, recognizing the delight they foster and the importance of the arts in the holistic development of human beings. Our outdoor education program cultivates an appreciation for the natural world, which is the basis for future stewardship of the earth. Parents are woven into the fabric of our shared community through volunteerism. Charitable projects, guest presentations, and collaborations with an array of local service organizations encourage students to become global citizens.

For more information about the Hydrostone Academy please visit our website at:

https://www.hydrostoneacademy.org/