Director of Technology

In July 2015, the Walton Family Foundation announced the appointment of Clayton Marsh, former Deputy Dean of the College at Princeton University, to serve as the founding head of a new independent school in Bentonville, Arkansas. Named in honor of Louise Thaden, a pioneering aviator who was born and raised in Bentonville, the school opened in the fall of 2017 with approximately 45 students in grades 7 and 9 and will grow incrementally over the next few years to serve approximately 600 students in grades 6-12.  The school now seeks its first Director of Technology.

The Position

Reporting to the Founding Head of School, the Director of Technology is an innovative and dynamic leader charged with developing a strategic vision in all areas of technology at Thaden School. They facilitate the integration of digital tools and best practices into both curriculum and administrative systems. Equally a big-picture thinker and a hands-on implementer, the Director engages with teachers and administrators, and with students and families, to ensure creative and responsible uses of technology.

You are an ideal candidate if you are:

• A learner first. You care about the how but are more interested in the why of new technologies in education. Your passion for inquiry is infectious and inspires faculty to expand their repertoire of teaching tools. You love to tinker and play and enjoy bringing students along in your adventures in discovery. You are well-connected in the EdTech community and energized by new initiatives in both academic and infrastructure systems, from digital research tools and Maker Ed to data security and campus safety.  
• An adept educator. You have a strong educational and experiential background in technology and understand the changing role of a technology director in 21^st century schools. You are as comfortable talking about how programming skills equip students to address community issues as you are about the importance of mindfulness and unplugging.
• A nurturing leader. You know that “soft” people skills are just as important as technical skills, and value open communication. You can create and cultivate an effective team. You guide, support, mentor, and evaluate those on your staff to ensure their ongoing growth. The technology department under your leadership is an environment of shared knowledge and purpose, and of trust.
• A collaborator with exceptional listening skills. You offer ideas and blaze trails for technology at Thaden, but you also encourage stakeholders in the Thaden community to navigate and shape the pathways. You begin conversations with students, teachers, families, and colleagues with the question, “What do you want the future of technology to be at Thaden?” and are prepared to bring what you know to the table while also inviting and directing input from others.
• Able to get the job done. You carry out the vision effectively and efficiently, even with a small team. When the server goes down, you are the calmest person in the room.

Experience and Qualifications

You are qualified for this position if you can:

• Ensure the educational technology program supports the mission of the school.
• Create a strategic plan for technology and guide a consensus-driven community through its execution.
• Collaborate with faculty so that technology supports their dreams for student learning and innovation; proactively share ideas, advances, and opportunities about which faculty may not be aware.
• Evaluate Thaden’s technology infrastructure and create a plan to ensure it meets the needs of the school.
• Manage your team so they work well together, provide excellent support, and are happy at work.
• Build relationships across Thaden, including students, faculty, and administrators; become a go-to person, partner, and advocate for all things technology.
• Find great vendors, drive fair bargains, and maintain strong relationships with external technology partners.
• Define and implement best practices for when things go wrong, including disaster recovery and business continuity.
• Maintain secure, efficient, and robust server and network architecture, and cost-effective improvements to network and cloud-based applications.
• Support and oversee improvements in the collection, analysis, usage, retention, and sharing of academic and administrative information and data.
• Prioritize the most impactful work while keeping longer-term projects moving forward.

In addition, you will:

• Understand progressive education and have a proven record of integrating technology into a student-centered classroom setting.
• Have classroom teaching experience and an understanding of independent schools and their culture.
• Possess a Bachelor’s degree; a Master’s or other degree in a related field is preferred.
• Clear a criminal background check.

Applications 

Applications should include a resume and cover letter that addresses salary requirements, if any.  Applications must be submitted to ​careers@thadenschool.org​​ by February 15 for full consideration. The start date is negotiable but must be no later than July 1.

Thaden is an equal-opportunity employer and complies with all federal, state, and local laws that prohibit discrimination in employment because of race, color, national origin, citizenship, age (18 or older), religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, and sexual orientation.

About the School and the Region

A non-sectarian independent school under the direction of its own board, Thaden School offers a challenging and innovative educational program that ignites in its students a passion for discovery and learning, prepares them to succeed in college, and inspires them to lead lives of integrity, purpose and responsible global citizenship. At the core of the school’s mission is a commitment to balance that takes many forms: a curriculum that integrates the sciences and the humanities; indoor and outdoor teaching spaces where sustainability is a tangible part of the lesson; hands-on programs for civic engagement; athletics and physical education programs that build confidence and character through competition and meaningful participation; and a diverse faculty and staff that empower students to think deeply and expansively about their potential and place in the world. The school’s indexed tuition program further supports the creation of a balanced learning community where many perspectives, talents, and interests come together.

Located on a 30-acre campus in downtown Bentonville’s emerging Arts and Market District, the school is walking distance from the town square, Brightwater Culinary Institute, the future site of Crystal Bridges’ center for contemporary arts, and a variety of other educational resources. With the support of the Walton Family Foundation’s Design Excellence Program, the school has engaged a nationally renowned team of architects to design an enduring and innovative campus that will spark curiosity, inspire creativity, and invite reflection. The design and construction of the campus will be complete before the school commences its third academic year in the fall of 2019. During its first two academic years (beginning in the fall of 2017), Thaden School operating in a combination of temporary and permanent structures located on a 5-acre portion of its campus.

The school serves students from all parts of the growing and diverse region of Northwest Arkansas, which also includes Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, and several other townships. With more than 500,000 residents, the region combines a thriving economy with the natural beauty of the Ozarks and a rich variety of cultural and recreational amenities such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Razorback Regional Greenway Trail System, the Scott Family Amazeum, and the Bentonville Film Festival. Northwest Arkansas is also home to the world headquarters of three Fortune 500 companies (Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt) as well as the University of Arkansas, the flagship campus of the state’s higher education system. For more information about the region and its resources, see the website for the Northwest Arkansas Council.

Please visit the Thaden ​website​ for detailed information regarding its mission, leadership and faculty, educational programs, indexed tuition program, and campus plan as well as recent news releases.