Hawken School in Gates Mills, OH, has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for an Upper School Theater Director beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at zack@dovetailedsourcing.com, and Ashlyn Chillemi, Senior Recruiter, at ashlyn@dovetailedsourcing.com. Please do not reach out to Hawken School directly.

Hawken School is committed to doing school differently and better. We seek to create an inclusive and accepting community where adults are empowered to design educational experiences for students that are deep and learner-centered. Hawken School seeks culturally competent teachers, administrators, and staff members who are committed to equity and social justice, who are comfortable taking risks, and who embrace a growth mindset. We are constantly looking for new ways to inspire student curiosity and agency while remaining dedicated to nurturing compassion and kindness in our students.

THE POSITION:

Hawken School is seeking a full time Upper School Theatre Director. The essential duties/responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

● Teach courses in acting, technical theater, and other areas of expertise to students in grades 9-12. ● Direct and produce two major school productions.
● Lead all technical aspects of theatrical productions including: set design and construction, lighting and sound design, acquisition of costumes and props.
● Oversee and organize the Hawken Players’ Society (HPS), including the coordination of casting, rehearsals, marketing and production.
● Support the Performing Arts Department Chair to promote faculty collaboration and establish a cohesive musical theatre team.
● Promote and support student directed theatre productions and projects. ● Oversee and maintain theatre related spaces including the school’s state of the art Auditorium as well as coordination of internal/external reservation requests. ● Collaborate with the Director of Maker Spaces on student projects, usage and safety of the wood shop and the Computer Numerical Control Machine.
● Work collaboratively with the Performing Arts Department Chair to establish a strong network to the Cleveland theatre community.
● Contribute to the ongoing work of the PS-12 performing arts department and the life of the school community.
● Support oversight for the budget and all funds related to Hawken’s theatre program. ● Perform other duties as assigned by the Upper School Director or Head of School.

QUALIFICATIONS:

● Bachelor’s degree in fine arts; master’s degree preferred.
● Position requires extensive expertise in acting, directing and lighting design, set design and construction, and stagecraft.
● Outstanding communication skills are required for this position because of the extensive
collaboration required to oversee all major theatre productions.
● Candidates must be creatively generative and excited about interdisciplinary opportunities to share their expertise.
● An intuitive understanding of the developmental stages and emotional needs of high school students is necessary in order to successfully support student leadership in all theatre related endeavors; we seek teachers who possess a healthy combination of flexibility, energy, high expectations and sense of humor.
● Candidates should also have demonstrated experience working in a diverse community and possess strong cross-cultural competency skills.

HAWKEN CANDIDATE COMPETENCIES:

Mission, Culture, and Philosophy Alignment: Successful candidates show they can thrive at Hawken and are highly motivated by the school’s mission.
Fair Play: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice: Successful candidates indicate a commitment to and have experience with serving students and communities equitably.
Relationship Building and Cultivation: Successful candidates show they can build relationships throughout the Hawken community.
Content Knowledge: Successful candidates demonstrate depth in content area knowledge as well as an ability to inspire students to a high level of excellence and challenge and take a student-centered approach to all aspects of their work.
Humility and Growth Mindset: Successful candidates are eager to learn new approaches and methods and be able to team effectively with others.
Approach to Work: Successful candidates show initiative and agency with a commitment toward feedback and flexible problem-solving.

THE SCHOOL: Founded on the ideal that “the better self shall prevail and each generation introduce its successor to a higher plane of life,” Hawken School is a coeducational independent day school with 1,600 students in toddler through grade 12. Our four campuses are located within 25 minutes of downtown Cleveland, and an urban extension center in the city’s museum district provides a demanding and integrated course of study in a diverse and dynamic environment.

Hawken School in Gates Mills, OH, has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for an Upper School Theater Director beginning in the 2025-26 school year.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at zack@dovetailedsourcing.com, and Ashlyn Chillemi, Senior Recruiter, at ashlyn@dovetailedsourcing.com.

Hawken School is an equal-opportunity employer dedicated to promoting all forms of diversity in the workplace and in our student body. We strongly urge all qualified individuals to apply