School Administrator

Description

The School Administrator acts as an assistant to the School Director at The Faison Center’s Peninsula Campus. In this role, the School Administrator helps the Director lead the campus, serves as the campus HR lead, and coaches and mentors teachers, teaching assistants, and campus leaders.

The role brings both school leadership and human resources expertise. On the school side, it reports to the School Director and acts on the Director’s behalf in their absence. On the HR side, it reports to the HR Director and is supported by the Senior HR Business Partner. The goal is a well-run campus where staff are supported, developed, and retained, and students receive consistent, high-quality services.

Embody The Faison Center’s TEAM values—Together, Excellence, Accountability, and Mission-driven.

Essential Functions

School Leadership & Operations

• Assist the School Director in leading the Peninsula Campus and act on the Director’s behalf in their absence, making operational decisions within established guidelines.
• Partner with the School Director on campus priorities, staff and family communications, and follow-through on action items.
• Coordinate enrollment and intake with families and placing school divisions.
• Keep licensing, accreditation, and regulatory files current, ensure the campus meets Virginia Department of Education regulations for private special education day schools, and lead preparation for reviews and audits.
• Participate in IEP meetings as the administrative representative when assigned.
• Respond to escalated student and staff situations alongside the School Director.
• Serve as the campus liaison to Faison’s central departments, including Human Resources, Finance, Facilities, and IT.

Coaching, Mentoring & Staff Development

• Coach and mentor teachers, teaching assistants, and lead staff through regular classroom observation, constructive feedback, and individual goal-setting.
• Lead the campus mentoring program for new teachers and teaching assistants, including mentor pairing and 30-, 60-, and 90-day check-ins.
• Help teachers build culture and connection with their teaching assistant teams to strengthen engagement and reduce turnover.
• Coach supervisors and lead staff on performance conversations, documentation, recognition, and professional conduct.
• Identify training needs and coordinate professional development and in-service training with Faison’s training team.
• Model Faison’s values and professionalism standards and reinforce them in daily practice.

Human Resources Leadership

• Serve as the on-site HR lead for the Peninsula Campus, partnering with the HR Director and Senior HR Business Partner on policy, compliance, and employee matters.
• Lead hiring for campus positions with Faison’s recruiting team, from interviews and selection through offers.
• Oversee onboarding, I-9 verification, background checks, and licensure and certification tracking, and keep personnel files in Paylocity complete and audit-ready.
• Lead first-level employee relations: address concerns promptly, coach on corrective action, and conduct or support investigations under the direction of the HR Director.
• Coordinate workplace injury reporting, workers’ compensation, and leave with the Benefits Administrator.
• Track campus turnover and retention data, conduct stay and exit interviews, and recommend retention actions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required; master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Special Education, Human Resources, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of school administration or school leadership experience required; experience in a special education, private day school, or autism services setting preferred.
• 3 to 5 years of human resources experience required, including employee relations, hiring, and onboarding.
• Demonstrated success coaching and mentoring staff, including teachers or paraprofessionals.
• Virginia Administration and Supervision PreK–12 endorsement preferred.
• Working knowledge of Virginia and federal employment law, I-9 compliance, FERPA, and IDEA.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.
• Experience with an HRIS (Paylocity preferred) and student information systems; proficiency in Microsoft Office required.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer, balanced with frequent movement throughout the building.
• Lift up to 25 pounds, maintaining a straight back.
• Move quickly throughout the building to respond to student, staff, and safety needs, and complete Faison’s required crisis prevention and intervention training.
• Occasional travel to other Faison Center locations; valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.