Interim Director of Experiential Education

About the role

Reports to: Assistant Head of School for Inclusive Excellence

Position Type: Interim, 2026–27 School Year; position begins immediately and ends June 30, 2027.

Wage: $100,000 – $110,000 salaried exempt. The wage offered will depend on relevant education and/or years of experience.

Work Hours and Location: The Overlake School; Monday – Friday between 7 am and 6 pm. This position requires evening, overnight, and weekend responsibilities associated with experiential education programs as outlined in the job description.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning and implementation of major Experiential Education programs, including Retreats, Project Week, Outdoor Education, Service Learning, Service Days, field trips, and other experiential learning opportunities.
• Maintain clear project plans, timelines, responsibilities, and communication for major programs and events.
• Coordinate registration, scheduling, transportation, staffing, communications, vendors, community partners, and other logistics associated with experiential programming.
• Partner closely with faculty and staff to ensure they have the information, resources, preparation, and support needed to lead meaningful student experiences.
• Help faculty connect experiential programming to Overlake’s broader educational goals, mission, vision, and values.
• Support faculty in helping students reflect upon and transfer the skills, habits, and principles developed through experiential learning into other parts of school life.
• Encourage thoughtful connections between experiential education and students’ experiences as learners, athletes, performers, artists, leaders, teammates, and community members.
• Anticipate operational challenges, develop practical solutions, and participate in experiential programs, including overnight, outdoor, service, and travel experiences, as appropriate.
• Build trusting, productive relationships with the Experiential Education team and colleagues throughout the School.
• Create clarity around responsibilities, deadlines, and expectations while encouraging collaboration and shared problem-solving.
• Model calm, professional, responsive, and respectful communication, particularly when navigating competing priorities or challenging circumstances.
• Recognize and draw upon the expertise, institutional knowledge, and contributions of existing team members.
• Foster a department culture oriented toward service to the School, strong partnership with faculty, shared responsibility, and excellent program delivery.
• Work collaboratively across academic, student-life, athletic, arts, operational, and administrative teams.
• Develop a strong understanding of Overlake’s Experiential Education philosophy, programs, practices, partnerships, and institutional history.
• Understand how Experiential Education advances the School’s mission, vision, values, and broader educational program.
• Listen to faculty, staff, students, and program partners to understand what is working well and where opportunities exist.
• Preserve and build upon successful practices while helping the department respond thoughtfully to evolving school and program needs.
• Strengthen continuity and sustainability by documenting key processes and institutional knowledge.
• Identify practical improvements to systems, communication, faculty support, and program delivery that strengthen an already robust program.
• Help deepen the connection between experiential experiences themselves and the reflection, meaning-making, and transfer of learning that follow them.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Experience leading or coordinating experiential education, outdoor education, service learning, student programming, educational travel, or similarly complex educational programs.
• A demonstrated understanding of experiential learning as an educational practice, including the importance of reflection, meaning-making, and transfer of learning.
• Experience partnering effectively with faculty and helping educators translate program goals into meaningful student learning.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders, timelines, logistics, and competing priorities.
• Collaborative leadership and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build credibility, establish appropriate boundaries, listen well, and create clarity within a team.
• The ability to connect departmental work to the broader mission, values, and educational priorities of a school or organization.
• Sound judgment and the ability to remain calm, flexible, and solutions-oriented when circumstances change.
• Respect for institutional history and existing expertise, paired with the ability to identify and implement thoughtful improvements.
• Experience with databases, spreadsheets, project-management systems, scheduling tools, and other technology used to coordinate complex programs.
• Ability and willingness to participate in overnight, outdoor, travel, and weekend programming as required.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to sit/stand/walk for extended periods.
• Must be able to work in school and outdoor environment.

Benefits

• $5 employee premium for all medical plans
• 100% employee coverage for dental and vision plans
• 35% medical, dental and vision coverage for dependents
• 20 to 30 days of paid time off based on tenure for full-time 12-month staff
• Paid Holidays when school is fully closed
• 5–10% employer match based on years of service and employee contribution
• On-site health and wellness
• Professional development allowance
• Up to $2,050 meal allowance for breakfast, lunch, and snacks through on-campus dining
• Employee Assistance Program
• Long term and short term disability as well as life insurance
• Use of School Library
• New Employee Cross-Department Mentorship Program