Calgary Academy (CA), founded in 1981, is an independent school dedicated to empowering unique learners through personalized education. With a focus on individual needs, CA fosters a growth-oriented, nurturing culture that emphasizes academic performance, independent work habits, pro-social skills, and self-confidence. Serving 750 students across four programs, CA is part of the Headwater Learning Group (HLG), which includes the Headwater Learning Foundation (HLF) and Headwater Learning Solutions Foundation (HLS). Together, these entities aim to transform education through innovative, student-centric approaches and support for neurodiverse learners, striving to create lasting change in education systems across North America.
The successful candidate will lead advancement initiatives across Headwater Learning Foundation, Headwater Learning Solutions, and Calgary Academy, driving synergy in philanthropy, alumni engagement, communications, marketing, admissions, recruitment, and stakeholder engagement. Reporting to the President & CEO, they will develop and implement strategic plans, foster relationships from first contact to legacy donors, and serve as a trusted advisor to the Board and partner to the CEO. Exemplifying the REACH principles, they will oversee high-quality services, ensure compliance with fundraising standards, and lead a multi-year fundraising strategy. Additionally, they will integrate strategic synergies across communications, admissions, and stakeholder engagement, fostering innovation and supervising the advancement function, including directors of admissions, communications, philanthropy, and stakeholder engagement.
The ideal candidate will excel in fostering effective relationships by building positive connections within the school and local community. They will model a commitment to professional learning through ongoing career development and critical reflection, identifying opportunities for growth and leadership improvement. Embodying visionary leadership, the candidate will collaborate to create and implement a shared vision for employee success, engagement, learning, and well-being.
They will lead a community of learners, nurturing a culture that supports evidence-informed practice and continuous learning. Additionally, the candidate will support the application of foundational knowledge about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, ensuring the organization acquires and applies this essential understanding. They will develop leadership capacity by providing opportunities for growth and supporting others in their roles. Effective management of operations and resources will be a key strength, along with the ability to understand and respond to the larger societal context, including political, social, economic, legal, and cultural factors impacting the organization.
Headwater Learning Group has engaged the Executive Search Firm, DHR Global to manage this search. To explore this exciting opportunity further, please apply directly and a member of the DHR Global team will be in touch. All expressions of interest and applications should be emailed to Nathan Pariseau at npariseau@dhrglobal.com.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those qualified or under consideration for the role will be contacted.
