President

Under the direction of the Board of Trustees, the President serves as the strategic leader and chief ambassador of St. Catharine Academy with responsibilities focused on planning, institutional advancement, external relations, financial management, organizational structure, and academic oversight. The President delegates to the Principal the daily responsibilities for academic and co-curricular affairs and leadership.

Guided by the Mercy tradition and an educational philosophy that reflects a learning, serving, and witnessing community, St. Catharine Academy’s next President will implement strategic initiatives designed to increase its enrollment and philanthropic support to lead the school through a new phase of growth, stewarding its resources and community.

Strategic Vision and Mission Leadership

• Provide for the integration of the philosophy and mission of the Sisters of Mercy in policies, programs, and procedures, assuring that the values of the Sisters of Mercy are realized.
• Develop and execute long-range plans, in consultation with the Board of Trustees and the Principal, consistent with St. Catharine’s mission.
• Provide visible, personal, spiritual leadership to all school faculty, staff, students, and families on issues related to the SCA’s mission and goals.
• Provide overall direction, motivation, and guidance to staff; inspiring colleagues to work to their fullest potential, taking the lead role in creating a culture of excellence and accountability.
• Supervise and evaluate the work of the Principal, finance, development, admissions, and marketing and communications.

Institutional Advancement

• Set strategic vision for development and enrollment goals and actively participate in advancement plans and capital campaigns while overseeing public relations.
• Represent St. Catharine Academy and develop and maintain relationships with the schools’ external constituencies, including individual donors, alumnae, businesses, parishes and institutional partners, community organizations, and others to advance St. Catharine’s image and to raise funds.
• Meet with potential donors and represent the school at community, civic, and religious events.
• Create a highly visible profile and unambiguous identity to help St. Catharine Academy distinguish itself in the marketplace.

Board Relations

• Serve as an ex-officio member of the Board and all committees of the Board.
• Ensure that the Board is appropriately staffed and orient new members of the Board.
• Cultivate a strong and transparent working relationship with the Board and ensure open communication about the measurement of performance against stated milestones and goals.
• Regularly report to and collaborate with the Board of Trustees on school operations and strategic and long-range plans, providing reports for the Board of Trustees, staff, and stakeholders of the school on SCA’s academic programs, school achievements, and progress on planned goals.

Finance

• Oversee the school’s $4M plus budget, ensuring its financial sustainability.
• Direct all long-range planning concerning finances, plant development, and utilization.
• Collaborate with Principal, Business Manager, and Audit/Finance Committee of the Board in preparation of the annual budget and other financial reports for presentation to the Board.
• Participate in decisions regarding student financial aid.

Operations

• Develop employee policies to be submitted to the Board for approval.
• Work with an appointed committee in negotiating salaries, fringe benefits, and working conditions.
• Establish the school calendar in collaboration with the Principal.
• Monitor and coordinate matters regarding employment, retention, and dismissal of personnel; salaries and contracts; job assignments, performance evaluation, orientation, and training.
• Oversee the operation and maintenance of school facilities and grounds to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and volunteers.
• Assist the Facilities Committee of the Board in planning plant improvement.

Academic Oversight

• Approve, in consultation with the Principal, all school policies and programs consistent with St. Catharine’s mission.
• With a mindset of growth, leadership, and innovation, ensure that the school leadership is pursuing the best talent in education.
• Ensure that all employees and volunteers comply with the mandates of the State of New York and the Archdiocese of New York regarding maintaining a safe and secure environment.
• Ensure periodic program evaluations occur and reports to external agencies are submitted as required.
• Ensure that St. Catharine Academy provides an environment where professional development is supported and encouraged for all faculty and staff.

The ideal candidate will be a faith-filled, dynamic leader who will continue the Catholic education mission in the Sisters of Mercy tradition. The President will exhibit a passion for learning, a commitment to academic excellence, and cultural competence to build an inclusive school culture. The new leader must be physically visible and available to the students, families, alumnae, and community. The President must be eager to engage with the St. Catharine Academy’s constituents to build support and implement a plan for the school’s long-term sustainability.

• A practicing Roman Catholic with a commitment to Catholic faith and values; familiarity with Mercy traditions is a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience in the education, nonprofit, or business sectors.
• Working knowledge of overall operations of a successful and integrated organization, including finance, budget development, admissions, fundraising, marketing, building projects, and care and maintenance of the physical plant.
• Demonstrated financial management skills including developing and managing budgets.
• Proven experience in revenue generation and the ability and willingness to lead in fund development, including identification, cultivation, stewardship, and face-to-face solicitation of donors; capital campaign experience preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to build, foster, and maintain positive relationships with internal and external constituencies including administrators, faculty, Board members, volunteer leaders, students, and donors.
• Excellent public speaking skills complemented by a demonstrated ability to interact with diverse personalities and situations easily and gracefully.
• Superior communication skills to express, orally and in writing, St. Catharine Academy’s mission, vision, and goals with clarity, passion, and persuasion.
• Enthusiasm, intelligence, and patience to inspire teachers, students, parents, and local community leaders.
• Master’s degree in education, organizational leadership, business, communications or related field required.
• Willing and able to travel; must be available to attend events after work hours or on weekends as needed.

St. Catharine Academy (SCA), a Catholic Mercy School for Girls, has symbolized excellence in Catholic education in New York City since its founding by the Sisters of Mercy in 1889. In September 2023, SCA extended its legacy of academic excellence for girls to an even broader spectrum of multi-cultural students, encompassing grades 6 through 12.

Over the past 134 years, St. Catharine’s mission has been to prepare young women in the Mercy tradition for college success, leadership, and engagement in the world community. Rooted in the Gospel through the Catholic faith and the spirit of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, the inclusive nature of SCA encourages learning about and sharing the gifts of other faith traditions. St. Catharine Academy fosters a safe and healthy environment where every girl feels respected and connected to one another. At SCA, they call it a sisterhood.

For additional information about St. Catharine Academy, please visit https://www.scahs.org/.