Director of Experiential Education Full Time NEW

OUR MISSION: Oregon Episcopal School educates students to realize their power for good as engaged citizens of the world.

ABOUT US: Founded in 1869, Oregon Episcopal School today occupies a wooded 59-acre campus where 880 students in Pre-K through 12th Grade share an excellent faculty, an inquiry-based curriculum, and a strong sense of community. The Upper School also includes a small boarding program of international and domestic students who live and learn together, enhancing the vibrancy of the school community.

OES seeks and values employees who continually grow in their work practices. Teaching faculty engage in the Characteristics of Effective Teaching for their ongoing learning in service of students. All other employees engage in professional growth specific to their responsibilities. Together, faculty and staff create a vibrant and diverse community of lifelong learners.

As an Episcopal school, we are rooted in a rhythm of gathering and reflection that values and respects all beliefs and cultures. As such, we educate toward a larger purpose – toward inclusion and respect, service and justice , and commitment beyond ourselves.

JOB SUMMARY: The Director of Experiential Education provides strategic leadership and oversight for OES’s PK–12 experiential learning programs, including outdoor education, grade level trips, weekend excursions, Winterim, and signature divisional experiences. Grounded in OES’s mission and risk philosophy, the Director designs and sustains a comprehensive, developmentally aligned program that promotes meaningful challenge, environmental stewardship, student well-being, and inclusive access.

This role is responsible for building and maintaining robust institutional systems for risk management, program quality, and staff hiring, onboarding, supervision, and evaluation. The Director ensures that all experiential programming meets the highest standards of safety, compliance, and educational impact, and leads the school’s response to internal audits and external reviews, translating findings into actionable plans that strengthen systems and practice.

The Director collaborates closely with Division Heads, Health and Safety staff, HR, and faculty leaders across the school and serves as the primary institutional leader for experiential education.

In addition to the qualifications detailed below, the successful Director will promote the School’s commitment to attracting and retaining a highly talented faculty, possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to support the School’s educational mission. As professional educators in a dynamic living and learning environment, faculty are required to model professional behavior and observe appropriate adult-student boundaries to support a safe and supportive community for teaching and learning. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated gift for engaging students and strengthening the inclusive community of OES.

Faculty also participate in a variety of activities typical to the independent school environment, including advising, committee work, support of experiential education, and other duties as assigned. In addition to strength in their teaching discipline/area, faculty candidates who bring an interest in dormitory association or coaching are encouraged to apply for these additional opportunities for student engagement and are strongly considered.

Essential Duties

Vision & Program Leadership

• Articulate and steward a cohesive, mission-aligned PK–12 experiential education philosophy
• Design and maintain a developmentally sequenced PK–12 scope and sequence, with clearly defined outcomes for student growth, challenge, and safety.
• Lead long-range planning for experiential and outdoor programming, including program expansion and innovation.
• Ensure experiential learning advances equity, access, sustainability, and student belonging.
• Oversee signature Upper School experiences, including the junior backpacking trip and senior trip.
• Supervise the design, implementation, and evaluation of divisional trips and weekend programs.
• Partner with the Assistant Director of Upper School in overseeing Winterim
• Lead the recruitment, hiring, selection, onboarding, coaching, and supervision of experiential education staff, including seasonal instructors and trip leaders, in partnership with HR.
• Foster a culture of safety, professionalism, reflection, and continuous improvement for experiential education staff
• Manage the experiential education budget, vendor selection, insurance, and certification
• Ensure consistent equipment management, inspection protocols, and replacement planning.
• Build and maintain systems that support efficient, consistent, and scalable program operations.
• Represent experiential education to families, trustees, and prospective families.

Risk Management & Student Safety

• Serve as the school’s lead for experiential risk management, establishing a comprehensive system that includes prevention, preparedness, response, and post-incident policies and practices, including decision-making frameworks, ongoing audits, learning, communication and documentation.
• Serve as a senior advisor during emergency response situations.

Faculty Partnership & Professional Development

• Collaborate with faculty to integrate experiential learning into academic programs and student life.
• Design and deliver professional development programs to build faculty capacity in experiential education and risk management.
• Promote and oversee the use of the challenge course and team-building initiatives.
• Partner with Upper School Division Head and HR on performance management, contract decisions, and personnel concerns.
• Serve as a key institutional leader contributing to cross-divisional collaboration and strategic initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Minimum of five years of leadership experience in experiential or outdoor education.
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading risk management systems.
• Experience with staff hiring, onboarding, supervision, and evaluation across multiple employee types.
• Teaching or youth development experience with adolescents.
• Wilderness First Responder (or higher) certification.
• Advanced Challenge Course certification (or willingness to obtain).
• Experience managing budgets, vendors, and program operations.
• Familiarity with industry standards and best practices in experiential education.
• Commitment to inclusive, mission-driven education and student-centered learning.
• Intercultural competence, ability to work with sensitivity and effectiveness with students, families, colleagues of diverse backgrounds and identities, demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion for people of all backgrounds and identities
• Digital literacy; intermediate to advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite, Google Docs/Sheets and other web-based applications; database and cloud storage solutions, such as Google Drive, ability to troubleshoot common hardware and software issues, and good understanding of data privacy principles, particularly in safeguarding student data and personal information.
• Video-conferencing experience, as appropriate to job duties; flexibility and willingness to learn as digital tools evolve
• Ability to pass a criminal background check
• Oregon Central Background Registry qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Verbal and written communication skills, ability to manage confidential information in compliance with the law and best practice
• Ability to consistently apply principles of equity and inclusion in day to day work and in the broader workplace community
• Organizational skills, ability to work well on teams

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit at computer and keyboard for moderate periods
• Mobility sufficient to move about the campus, to include climbing stairs
• Sight and hearing adequate to perform the duties of the job, ability to communicate clearly
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis