Careers

The Role: The newly created role of Associate Head of School (AHoS) provides an exciting opportunity to join Forest Ridge’s Senior Administrative Team and to play a key role in firmly establishing Forest Ridge as the premier independent girls’ school in the Pacific Northwest.

The AHoS will be a highly visible and collaborative leader responsible for strategically building and sustaining a vibrant and healthy school community, rooted in a culture of joy, engagement and inclusivity. Reporting to the Head of School, and as a member of the Senior Administrative Team, the AHoS will be charged with the implementation of the initiatives outlined in our Strategic Framework designed to deepen and enrich our community connections and the School’s commitment to mission, service, equity and inclusion. In concert with the Head of School, Board of Trustees and other administrators, the AHoS serves as a leader in strategic planning—developing, directing, communicating and measuring results of strategy, specifically related to the School’s auxiliary programming, community engagement efforts and inclusion practices.

Successful candidates will understand the holistic development of girls and the interconnectedness of the social, spiritual and academic experience. The most promising candidates will be highly collaborative, warm and engaging, and strategic visionaries who are eager to establish the future of education. They are approachable and responsive and possess strong communication skills. They are eager to serve as a thought partner for the Head of School and other school leaders. Candidates should be committed to enhancing Forest Ridge’s leadership among Sacred Heart Network schools and independent schools in the Northwest.

Opportunities and Challenges:

• Shape a new and aspirational, yet not fully defined position.
• Strategically lead the community engagement efforts, student and auxiliary programming initiatives and our DEI practices to ensure a well-rounded experience for our students and families.  
• Reimagine organizational structures to enhance the integration of our mission, campus ministry and DEI work.  
• Envision and lead the development of auxiliary programming to enhance the overall student experience and design assessments to measure program success.
• Reinvigorate the parent community, providing opportunities for them to strengthen their relationships with one another and the school.
• Strengthen relationships between the school and local community to introduce opportunities for collaboration and partnership.
• Balance innovation and tradition in a growing school.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Represent the Head of School in her absence.
• Serve as a key thought partner to the Head of School in leading the School, while participating as a collaborative and engaged member of the Senior Administrative Team.
• Build and sustain a culture of exploration, joy, engagement and inclusion at Forest Ridge. Maintain congruency between the School’s mission, DEI work and student and parent programming.
• Oversee and advance the implementation of Forest Ridge’s DEI plan. Partner with key leaders to advance equity and inclusion practices in all functions of the school: hiring of faculty and staff, the retention and recruitment of students, curricular and pedagogical development, co-curricular programming, etc.
• Establish a vision for and oversee the implementation of auxiliary programming that compliments the academic program and includes opportunities for students to have fun, build relationships, serve their communities and grow their school spirit.
• Develop partnerships with mission-aligned organizations to enhance student programming.
• Collaborate with the Director of Residence Life to build a vibrant Residential Life culture, while strengthening the relationships between the boarding and day students.
• Supervise administrative leaders who are responsible for key aspects of the school culture including, but not limited to:  Director of Athletics, DEI Practitioners, Campus Minister and Director of Residence Life.
• Position Forest Ridge as a contributing member of the Sacred Heart Network of schools, ensuring active participation in the Network programming and embedding the Goals and Criteria throughout the culture at Forest Ridge.
• Work in collaboration with other senior administrators to build a vibrant and inclusive parent community where all can bring their unique talents and resources in support of the school community.
• Serve as a thought leader within the Forest Ridge community and nationally, sharing expertise and best practices, speaking, and presenting on Forest Ridge initiatives, and helping to elevate the School’s visibility.
• Other duties as assigned by the Head of school.

Desired Characteristics:

• Is an experienced educator with knowledge of best practices in girls’ education, current auxiliary program trends and diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
• Is an experienced leader in schools or non-profit organizations with knowledge of strategy, finance, marketing and fundraising practices.  
• Holds a master’s degree in a relevant field of study.
• Is motivated by, and committed to, the Goals and Criteria in Sacred Heart education. Understands the connection between the mission of Sacred Heart schools and DEI work. Experience in a Sacred Heart school is a plus.
• Has relevant experience in an academically rigorous, independent school setting. Experience working in an independent school is preferred.
• Has experience advancing equity and inclusion work inside of the workplace.
• Is an agile, creative, and collaborative colleague who finds joy in team success.
• Possesses multicultural competence and has experience working effectively in a diverse school setting.
• Finds energy and joy in working with students.
• Demonstrates hard work and ingenuity, while exhibiting humility and a commitment to personal growth.
• Is personable, approachable, responsive and has excellent oral and written communication skills, including strong skills of empathy and listening.
• Can motivate and coach others to success.
• Is technologically savvy, with experience using Microsoft products.

Salary and Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation and benefits.

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Mary Rose Guerin, Head of School, at careers@forestridge.org. This position begins July 1, 2021.

Together with the Head of School and the Formation to Mission Team, the Director of Community Ministry ensures the vitality of the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education for students, faculty, families, and alumnae. As an active and integrated member of the Forest Ridge community, she/he is responsible for developing positive and supportive relationships with all members of the community. As we prepare to launch a new strategic direction, we are re-envisioning our campus ministry program, and the person hired for this position will play an integral role in that work. Through this process, we want to ensure that our school supports the spiritual development of students of all faiths, while modeling that through our Catholic identity, including Catholic social teachings. 

The Director of Community Ministry collaborates with the Head of School, the Formation to Mission Team, the school program administrators and student leaders. This position primarily follows an academic school year calendar, with some responsibilities for work during June, August or occasionally during school holidays. 

Responsibilities Include: 

• Planning and supporting liturgies, prayer services and other activities that enable the development of the faith life of the entire Forest Ridge community.  
• Planning and supporting student retreats, in collaboration with grade-level teams 
• Supporting service opportunities for students and the wider community 
• Creating opportunities for spiritual exploration in the extended community, including alumna and parents 
• Building connections with youth ministers in the Archdiocese of Seattle and with campus ministers in the Sacred Heart Network. 
• Attending relevant meetings and school events 
• Teaching one or two religion classes, depending on need and time available 

The Successful Candidate: 

• Is a practicing Catholic 
• Holds a relevant degree, master’s degree preferred. 
• Has at least 3-5 years of successful work in middle-school or high-school campus ministry 
• Demonstrates a commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity 
• Collaborates effectively with students and colleagues 
• Understands the spiritual development of adolescents as they grow from age 10 to 18 
• Models her/his ongoing spiritual formation in work with students 

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation.  

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Teri Anderson at tanderson@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.

This teacher will work collaboratively with the grade-level team, under the direction of the department chair, and the Director of Teaching and Learning. Main responsibilities include teaching 5th or 6th grade integrated humanities course and serving on the grade-level team to shape the experience of the students in that grade.  Additional responsibilities will be determined by the experience and interest of the candidate.

The successful candidate:  

• Holds degrees in a relevant subject area; a master’s degree is preferred

• Has 3-5 years of teaching experience at the middle-school level and a demonstrated ability to differentiate instruction

• Demonstrates expertise in humanities curriculum, including social studies, reading and writing

• Designs instruction that engages students and is differentiated to meet the needs of diverse learners

• Has experience in standards-based instruction and assessment

Personal Qualifications:  

• Willingness to engage in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work  
• Builds connections among academic disciplines 
• Collaborates with colleagues in shaping advisory and academic curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices in alignment with best practices 
• Demonstrates the ability to build positive relationships with students 
• Understands the developmental needs of adolescents, both in academic and social-emotional development 
• Commits to ongoing professional and personal growth 
• Commits to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education and to the school’s Catholic, Sacred Heart, single-gender identity. 
• Has successful experience working with a diverse constituency 
• Desires to be a part of a collaborative, supportive and enriching environment for both students and adults 
• Supports the school’s mission by participating in and attending required meetings, professional development, and other events  
• Demonstrates fluency with technology, including Microsoft Office 

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation.  

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Teri Anderson at tanderson@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.

This teacher works collaboratively with the grade-level team, under the direction of the department chair, and the Director of Teaching and Learning. Main responsibilities include teaching 7th and/or 8th grade English and/or social studies, based on the teacher’s background and experience, and being part of a grade-level team to shape the experience of the students in that grade.  

The Successful Candidate:  

• Holds degrees in a relevant subject area; a master’s degree is preferred 
• Has 3-5 years of successful teaching experience at the middle-school level and a demonstrated ability to differentiate instruction 
• Demonstrates expertise in humanities curriculum, including social studies, reading, and writing 
• Collaborates with colleagues in shaping advisory and academic curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices in alignment with best practices 
• Is involved in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work  
• Designs instruction that engages students and is differentiated to meet the needs of diverse learners 
• Builds connections among academic disciplines 
• Has experience with standards-based instruction and assessment practice  
• Is willing to engage in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work 

Personal Qualifications:  

• Demonstrates the ability to build positive relationships with students 
• Understands the developmental needs of adolescents, both in academic and social-emotional development 
• Commits to ongoing professional and personal growth 
• Commits to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education and to the school’s Catholic, Sacred Heart, single-gender identity. 
• Has successful experience working with a diverse constituency 
• Desires to be a part of a collaborative, supportive and enriching environment for both students and adults 
• Supports the school’s mission by participating in and attending required meetings, professional development and other events  
• Demonstrates fluency with technology, including Microsoft Office 

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation.  

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Teri Anderson at tanderson@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.

Math at Forest Ridge: Applicants should understand and support the all-girls identity of the school and have a particular passion for ensuring that girls believe they are and can be mathematicians. The majority of FR students take algebra in 7th or 8th grade, and we offer multiple courses to ensure successful trajectories for math students of all aptitudes. Instructors in the mathematics department can confidently teach across the math curriculum. 

The successful candidate: 

• Has a degree in mathematics, MA preferred 
• Has three to five years of successful teaching experience at the middle-school and/or high-school level, as well as experience in planning curriculum 
• Has demonstrated the ability to teach mathematics to students at varied ability levels 
• Ensures students’ growth in all aspects of learning mathematics 
• Works collaboratively with department chair, the Academic Dean, and the Director of Teaching and Learning 
• Works collaboratively with department members and other colleagues in shaping curriculum and instructional practices in alignment with best practices 

Personal qualifications: 

• Is willing to engage in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work 
• Builds connections among academic disciplines 
• Collaborates with colleagues in shaping advisory and academic curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices in alignment with best practices 
• Demonstrates the ability to build positive relationships with students 
• Understands the developmental needs of adolescents, both in academic and social-emotional development 
• Commits to ongoing professional and personal growth 
• Commits to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education and to the school’s Catholic, Sacred Heart, single-gender identity. 
• Has successful experience working with a diverse constituency 
• Desires to be a part of a collaborative, supportive and enriching environment for both students and adults 
• Supports the school’s mission by participating in and attending required meetings, professional development, and other events 
• Demonstrates fluency with technology, including Microsoft Office 

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation. 

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Teri Anderson at tanderson@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.

Job Responsibilities:

• Teach religious studies courses, as cooperatively determined by the religious studies department members and the Director of Teaching and Learning
• Make the curriculum relevant to all students, including non-Catholic and non-Christian students
• Infuse the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education into the religious studies curriculum
• Work collaboratively with department members and other colleagues in shaping curriculum and appropriate assessment practices
• Assist grade-level teams and campus minister in planning student experiences that support their spiritual growth, such as service, retreats, and prayer experiences

Personal Qualifications:

• Willingness to engage in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work
• Builds connections among academic disciplines
• Collaborates with colleagues in shaping advisory and academic curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices in alignment with best practices
• Demonstrates the ability to build positive relationships with students
• Understands the developmental needs of adolescents, both in academic and social-emotional development
• Commits to ongoing professional and personal growth
• Commits to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education and to the school’s Catholic, Sacred Heart, single-gender identity.
• Has successful experience working with a diverse constituency
• Desires to be a part of a collaborative, supportive and enriching environment for both students and adults
• Supports the school’s mission by participating in and attending required meetings, professional development, and other events
• Demonstrates fluency with technology, including Microsoft Office

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation.

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Teri Anderson at tanderson@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.

Job Responsibilities:  

• Teaching includes classroom instruction, with an emphasis on building oral proficiency, promoting students’ ability to read and write in the language, and exploring the culture and history of the Spanish-speaking world; actively participate in the work of the department on curriculum development and pedagogy, including scope and sequence, in collaboration with teachers across grades 5 through 12.  
• Ensure students’ growth in all aspects of learning a language, including speaking, listening, reading and writing skills 
• Teach Spanish courses, as cooperatively determined by the international language department members, the Academic Dean, and the Director of Teaching and Learning  
• Work collaboratively with department members and other colleagues in shaping curriculum and instructional practices in alignment with best practices 
• Engage in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work  
• Support the school’s mission by participating in and attending required meetings and events  

Personal Qualifications:  

• Willingness to engage in all aspects of the school program, including advisory work  
• Builds connections among academic disciplines 
• Collaborates with colleagues in shaping advisory and academic curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices in alignment with best practices 
• Demonstrates the ability to build positive relationships with students 
• Understands the developmental needs of adolescents, both in academic and social-emotional development 
• Commits to ongoing professional and personal growth 
• Commits to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Education and to the school’s Catholic, Sacred Heart, single-gender identity. 
• Has successful experience working with a diverse constituency 
• Desires to be a part of a collaborative, supportive and enriching environment for both students and adults 
• Supports the school’s mission by participating in and attending required meetings, professional development, and other events  
• Demonstrates fluency with technology, including Microsoft Office 

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through competitive compensation.  

Application Process: Qualified applicants should email a letter of interest and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Teri Anderson at tanderson@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.

Job Summary: Working as a member of the four-person Development Office, the Annual Giving Manager is responsible for leading and implementing a $600,000 annual giving program. The manager focuses on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding trustees, parents, alumnae, grandparents, past parents, and former trustees.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Develop an effective yearly strategy to achieve annual giving goals
• Analyze constituency to determine appropriate segmentation
• Target constituents using giving history as well as information provided by the Director of Institutional Advancement
• Design, write, and implement annual giving solicitations
• Supervise mail, email, phone, text, and social media solicitation processes
• In collaboration with the Director of Institutional Advancement:
  • Conduct face-to-face solicitations/visits with constituents
  • Recruit, train, and support annual giving volunteers
  • Prepare and facilitate volunteer meetings, training sessions, and phone-a-thons
  • Build relationships with prospects with the goals of strengthening their affiliation with and support of the school
  • Record visits through use of contact reports and document all activity in the database
• Supervise gift entry process to ensure accuracy and proper coordination with the Business Office
• Develop, compose, and manage gift acknowledgements
• Acknowledge all Annual Fund gifts
• Generate and proofread data for appropriate sections of the Annual Report
• Develop and implement appropriate and beneficial stewardship strategies
• Coordinate cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities for leadership annual giving ($3,000) prospects, collaborating with the Director of Institutional Advancement
• Manage and regularly update content of the annual giving section of the school’s website

Specific Skills
In order to embrace the mission of the school and be successful in the position, the Annual Giving Manager must possess and exhibit the following skills:

• Familiarity with and endorsement of the School’s mission, culture, and values
• Personal and professional integrity as well as respect for the confidentiality of colleagues and constituents
• Self-motivation, flexibility, problem-solving, and commitment to innovation
• Cooperation, collegiality, and commitment to teamwork
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Excellent quantity, quality, accuracy, and timeliness of work produced
• Excellent planning, prioritization, organization, multitasking, efficiency, and follow-through in execution of responsibilities
• Dependability, punctuality, and attendance at all required and some optional meetings and events
• Professional appearance and demeanor
• Commitment to professional development and self-improvement
• Proficiency in use of technology: Raiser’s Edge database, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point), and web editing software
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Ability to travel locally

General Responsibilities:

• Educate constituencies about the importance of supporting the school
• Help to identify prospects and volunteers for capital fundraising effort
• Attend Development Committee meetings when necessary or appropriate
• Delegate appropriate tasks to the Database Administrator
• Manage annual giving budget
• Maintain annual giving program supplies
• Support and staff events run by the Development Office

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university required (degree in business administration, marketing/communications or finance preferred)
• 5 years’ professional experience in a variety of roles, including business development, sales, communications and auction/event planning with a proven track record of volunteer recruitment and personnel management required
• Experience managing various functions, often simultaneously required
• 2-3+ years’ experience in fundraising or related work in non-profit or independent schools required
• Experience working with volunteers, faculty and staff required
• Minimum 2-3 years’ experience in annual giving or annual fund experience preferred

Salary/Benefits: Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding employees through a competitive compensation and benefits package.

Application Process: Applicants should email the required information: Cover letter and resume to Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Attn: Casey O’Rourke, Director of Institutional Advancement, corourke@forestridge.org. This position is open until filled.