The Ellis School
Director of Culture & Community Life
Start Date: July 1, 2026
All Girls, PreK-12, Day School
400 students
6425 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Educators Collaborative is pleased to be assisting The Ellis School in their search for a Director of Culture & Community Life, to begin July 1, 2026.
About the School -- ALL GIRLS...ALL IN!!!!
The Ellis School, Pittsburgh’s premier independent all-girls school serving students from age 3 to grade 12, invites visionary, strategic, and equity-minded leaders to apply for the position of Director of Culture and Community Life.
For over 100 years, The Ellis School has stood as a beacon of empowerment for young women. As the only age 3 to grade 12 all-girls school in the region, Ellis offers a unique and vital laboratory for leadership, where girls are not just participants—they are the focus, 100% of the time. In this intimate environment, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1 and an average class size of 12, every girl is known, her voice is amplified, and her potential is nurtured without the constraints of gender stereotypes.
About the Position
The Director of Culture and Community Life is a senior leadership role designed for a strategic thinker and deft facilitator who understands that a truly excellent education is inseparable from a culture of belonging. Reporting directly to the Head of School, you will be a partner in executing the institutional vision, ensuring that belonging, equity, justice, and culturally responsive practices are not just ideals, but lived realities for every student.
At Ellis, “All Girls All In” is more than a slogan; it is the bedrock of the pedagogy. Ellis educates girls to become bold, authentic, and intellectually vibrant changemakers who lead lives of purpose and consequence.
- A Nurturing & Challenging Environment: Ellis strikes a deliberate balance between support and challenge, pushing students beyond their comfort zones to grow into resilient leaders.
- A Culture of Individuality: Ellis celebrates “quirkiness” and individuality, believing there is no single way to be a girl.
- Global Citizens & Confident Leaders: From robot-building to competitive athletics, Ellis girls have access to every opportunity. Ellis graduates enter the world with a rock-solid foundation of knowledge, a sense of agency, and an international network of 3,000+ alumnae.
- A Diverse Community: The student body represents 59 zip codes and 27 school districts, with 51.6% of students receiving need-based financial aid. Ellis is deeply committed to reflecting the diversity of the region and ensuring every learner is valued and challenged.
As a senior leader, you will collaborate with the Head of School and the Board of Trustees to embed principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) into the very fabric of the school’s governance and policies. You will lead cross-divisional initiatives that promote systemic change, using data-driven insights and research-informed practices to guide the school’s continuous growth.
Innovative Program Design
You will be the architect of community life, designing and evaluating programs that nurture student identity and intercultural competence. You will oversee signature traditions like Culture Jam, an annual student-led diversity conference now in its 22nd year, which empowers high school students from across the region to engage in courageous conversations about race, gender, and social justice.
Teaching and Curriculum Integration
Unique to this role is the opportunity to stay grounded in the student experience by teaching the ninth-grade Voice & Vision course. This course anchors the Upper School experience in identity exploration and social justice leadership, allowing you to mentor young women directly as they find their voices. You will also partner with faculty to embed culturally responsive pedagogy across all academic and advisory programs.
A Catalyst for Professional Growth
You will serve as a lead resource for faculty and staff, building their capacity for equity-minded leadership and culturally sustaining practices. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and providing support for community conflict resolution, you will ensure that the adults in the community are as empowered and supported as the students they serve.
Qualifications and Personal Attributes
The ideal candidate will be a compassionate, courageous, and collaborative leader with:
- A Bachelor’s or Masters in Education, Organizational Development or a related field
- A minimum of 3 years in a senior leadership role focused on DEIJ or student development in a K-12 setting.
- Deep expertise in culturally sustaining pedagogy and identity development research.
- Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with a proven ability to build trust across diverse constituencies.
To Apply
The Ellis School is ready for a leader who will not only sustain our culture but transform it—ensuring that every young woman who walks through our doors is seen, heard, and empowered to change the world.
Interested candidates who find alignment with the mission and the leadership profile are asked to submit the following materials in one merged pdf to André Withers, Partner, Educators Collaborative awithers@educatorscollaborative.com
- EC Candidate Summary (Request from search consultant)
- Letter of Interest capturing your professional biography
- CV
- Leadership Statement capturing your approach to inspire and operationalize Community Building and Belonging in a community of young women and girls
- Five References (with email and phone contact)
- Disclosure Form (Requested from search consultant)
For more information about the School’s mission and community, please visit The Ellis School Website.
André Withers, Partner, Educators Collaborative
Listing Date: February 13, 2026
SEARCH, TRANSITION & STRATEGY
