Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Principal serves as the senior educational leader of Orange Lutheran High School and operates under the authority delegated by the Chief Executive Officer.  The Principal is accountable for the oversight, supervision, and performance of all academic and student-facing programs, including academics across all delivery models, student services, arts, athletics, and missions programming. The Principal advances and implements the institutional mission, vision, and strategic priorities through the leadership of faculty, staff, and program directors, ensuring academic excellence, student formation, and a unified Christian educational experience. The Principal must be an active, participating member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and demonstrate a life and leadership consistent with LCMS doctrine and practice. In the absence of the Chief Executive Officer, the Principal serves as the senior campus administrator responsible for the day-to-day leadership of educational and student-facing programs; this authority does not extend to enterprise operations such as finance, facilities, marketing, or other functions under the oversight of the Chief Financial Officer or those aligned with the Chief Operations Officer. The Principal works in close partnership with the Campus Pastor, who serves as the campus's primary spiritual and ecclesiastical leader, to ensure that the educational program reflects and supports the school’s Lutheran Christian mission.

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Supervises:  Assistant Principal of Academics, Assistant Principal of Student Services, Assistant Principal of Athletics, Director of the Arts, Director of Missions, and the Executive Assistant to the Principal

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Academic Leadership

• Lead the advancement and continuous improvement of all academic programs in alignment with the institutional mission and strategic priorities
• Develop and implement a comprehensive academic plan that promotes excellence in teaching, learning, and student engagement
• Oversee curriculum development and implementation, ensuring alignment with Christian worldview and rigorous academic standards
• Foster innovation in teaching and learning across all instructional modalities
• Ensure curriculum effectiveness and student achievement using data-informed strategies
• Champion faculty excellence through recruitment, development, evaluation, and retention of high-quality educator

Administrative Oversight

• Supervise and evaluate direct reports to ensure alignment with the mission, policies, and educational standards
• Ensure that athletics, arts, student services, and missions programs operate as integrated components of the school’s unified educational ministry
• Provide executive oversight and accountability for co-curricular programs, ensuring integrity, consistency, and alignment with institutional expectations
• Collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer to develop educational program budgets and steward allocated resources responsibly
• Lead campus-level accreditation efforts and collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer on institutional accreditation strategy
• Partner closely with the Executive Leadership Team on high-impact strategic initiatives across athletics, facilities, financial stewardship, and donor alignment, ensuring that all programs advance the mission and the school's long-term sustainability
• Promote consistent standards, communication practices, and operational coherence across all educational divisions

Employee Engagement and Leadership Development

• Ensure that faculty, coaches, directors, and educational leaders are recruited, developed, supervised, and evaluated in alignment with the school’s mission and standards of excellence
• Cultivate a culture of collaboration, professional growth, and accountability
• Provide mentoring, training, and professional development aligned with instructional excellence and staff well-being
• Lead with integrity and presence, modeling alignment with the school’s Christian mission and guiding principles

Student Belonging, Support, and Discipline

• Provide leadership and accountability for student belonging, welfare, academic progress, and behavioral standards
• Ensure disciplinary policies reflect Christian values and uphold a safe, structured, and nurturing environment
• Cultivate a campus culture where students are known, valued, and supported

Spiritual Leadership

• Model Christian faith and leadership
• Support the integration of the Christian worldview and discipleship across all educational programs
• Participate in chapel services, Daily Gatherings, and other Christian faith formation activities
• Maintain active membership in an LCMS congregation

Strategic Partnership and Execution

• As a member of the senior leadership team, collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer and fellow executive leaders to shape and refine the school’s educational priorities in alignment with the institutional strategy established by the Chief Executive Officer
• Translate institutional strategy into actionable campus-level plans with measurable outcomes
• Lead coordinated implementation of strategic initiatives across all academic and student-facing programs
• Evaluate the effectiveness of educational initiatives and adjust plans accordingly

Community Engagement and Communication

• Serve as the primary campus leader for student and parent engagement, including regular communication, gatherings, and educational forums
• Lead internal communication during complex or sensitive campus situations with clarity and discretion
• Coordinate with the Chief Executive Officer on external communications with donors, media, board members, and major community stakeholders
• Partner with the Chief Executive Officer in faculty and staff gatherings to communicate shared priorities and model unified executive leadership
• Represent Orange Lutheran High School at Association churches and community events in coordination with the CEO

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

• All other duties as assigned

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The qualifications and competencies listed below represent the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and physical demands. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position

Education

Master’s degree in education or related field required

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in a school setting, including responsibility within a secondary or upper school environment
• Demonstrated success supervising and developing faculty, senior administrators, and program leaders
• Experience leading or coordinating complex academic and co-curricular programs in a college-preparatory and Christian,  mission-driven school setting

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES, AND CLEARANCES

• Valid fingerprint, CPR, TB, and First Aid certifications
• Ministry Safe Clearance
• Valid California Driver's License

KEY COMPETENCIES

Knowledge

• Proven success in integrating academics, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programming into a cohesive educational culture
• Capacity to contribute to institutional strategy while exercising disciplined execution

Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional communication skills, including active listening, persuasive speaking, and clear written communication
• Ability to translate institutional strategy into measurable campus-level outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to lead calmly and decisively in high-pressure situations
• Professional presence to lead large student and parent audiences with clarity and confidence
• Ability to represent unified executive leadership in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer in faculty and staff settings
• Confident decision-maker within the scope of educational leadership
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion in matters involving students, families, staff, and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to think systemically and align multiple departments toward shared goals
• Ability to cultivate unity, shared purpose, and consistent standards across diverse program areas

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Strong Christian faith with the ability to articulate and integrate prayer and Christian belief into leadership and daily practice
• Exhibits the highest standard of Christian integrity, with a life that reflects Christ in character, conduct, and relationships
• Active member of the church; membership in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS)
• Fosters a Christ-centered environment reflecting Grateful Servanthood, Accountability, Compassion, and Collaboration in alignment with Orange Lutheran's Guiding Principles
• Committed to supporting the Mission and Statement of Faith of Orange Lutheran High School

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• The employee must have the physical abilities to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above
• Frequently move about the campus, sit for extended periods, talk and hear, and use hands to handle, feel, or finger
• Occasionally stand, walk, push, pull, or lift up to 50 pounds, reach with hands or arms, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crawl, taste, or smell

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• The majority of work is performed in a climate-controlled school setting, with occasional outside exposure to varying weather conditions
• The noise level is that of a typical quiet office setting, with occasional exposure to moderate to loud noise at school events