Executive Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives
Fort Bend Independent School District
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Description
Description
Job Overview
The Executive Director of Innovation & Strategic Initiatives provides forward-thinking leadership to drive transformative practices across the district. This position is responsible for advancing innovative instructional models, expanding choice programming, and cultivating a strategic pipeline of future leaders. The Executive Director works collaboratively across departments to implement systems that promote access, exposure, and excellence, ensuring the district remains responsive to emerging needs and poised for long-term success. The incumbent will foster the development of programs to support the District's mission, vision, and core values.
The Executive Director of Innovation & Strategic Initiatives provides forward-thinking leadership to drive transformative practices across the district. This position is responsible for advancing innovative instructional models, expanding choice programming, and cultivating a strategic pipeline of future leaders. The Executive Director works collaboratively across departments to implement systems that promote access, exposure, and excellence, ensuring the district remains responsive to emerging needs and poised for long-term success. The incumbent will foster the development of programs to support the District's mission, vision, and core values.
Position Description
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Instructional and Program Management
- Champion the creation of innovative programs, refinement and/or redesign of existing programs that require extensive cross-departmental collaboration and internal consensus.
- Lead cross-departmental collaboration to ensure programs are developed with input from key stakeholders and are sustainable, scalable, and responsive to school and community needs.
- Coordinate and ensure the successful integration of evidence-based strategies to support the growth and success of all innovative programs and scale successful strategies to other campuses.
- Oversee support of innovate programs and academies, including professional development for campus and central office staff.
- Utilize knowledge of innovative programs, procedures, and objectives to facilitate professional development and implementation of appropriate learning experience for students
- Design and develop innovative programs that align with district goals, respond to emerging needs, and promote student access, equity, and excellence.
- Establish clear implementation plans with defined timelines, deliverables, and success metrics to ensure effective rollout and alignment to district priorities.
- Monitor program fidelity and effectiveness through regular data analysis, school feedback, and field observations to ensure initiatives are executed with consistency and impact.
- Develop and refine systems of accountability for continuous improvement, ensuring programs remain aligned with strategic goals, priorities, and instructional standards.
- Prepare and present reports and recommendations to executive leadership and the Board of Trustees, highlighting program progress, impact, and future opportunities.
- Create professional learning communities to promote innovative thinking and collaborative learning among principals and district instructional leaders.
- Communicate with campuses and appropriate district leaders to ensure desired outcomes of each program within the department.
- Systematically monitor effectiveness of assigned programs by collaboratively reviewing campus and student level data with principals and departments to ensure that goals are being met.
- Develop, plan and assist in the delivery of effective staff development activities for instructional personnel.
- Collaborate with all departments in the academic division to provide service and support for learners, teachers, and campus administrators.
- Support efforts by principals to achieve district goals and campus goals where appropriate.
- Facilitate communication and collaboration among campus administrators, district departmental leaders, and community members to enhance service delivery, program development, customer satisfaction particularly around innovative schools and programs.
- Lead the recommendation, review, and implementation of professional learning consultants and instructional resources aligned to district curricular goals.
- Invest and engage internal and external stakeholders in innovative school models and educational practices.
- Support and follow local, state, and federal rules and policies.
- Interpret and implement school district policies and procedures.
- Define program and other needs in the budget development process.
- Work with staff to develop budgets for each team within the department.
- Assist in the process of recruiting, screening, interviewing, and hiring of assigned staff
- Initiate personnel actions including documentation and termination under the guidance of Human Resources
- Conduct the performance appraisals of assigned staff
- Oversee program development, implementation, and evaluation
- Supervise and manage the Innovation process
- Supervise the District’s Innovation and Strategic Initiatives Department
Qualifications
Qualification Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the above essential duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities, required unless otherwise stated as preferred. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions.
The work environment characteristics and physical demands 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. Work is performed in classrooms, offices, work stations and meeting rooms.
The position requires occasional walking, standing, sitting, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and lifting/carrying work related items weighing less than 40 pounds, such as books, papers and presentation materials. The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Attendance at conferences and professional development is required. Work involves everyday risks and discomforts which require normal safety precautions when operating equipment or performing job duties. May work prolonged or irregular hours and must be able to maintain emotional control under stress.
Additional Information
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each of the above essential duties satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities, required unless otherwise stated as preferred. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions.
- Master's degree
- Doctorate degree preferred
- Valid Texas Mid-Management or Principal Certification
- Minimum of 3 years experience as a classroom teacher
- Minimum of 5 years experience in instructional program leadership at campus or district level, including 2 years of oversight of district innovative programming
- Proficiency in using Windows Operating System as well as Microsoft Office applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both orally and in writing
- Demonstrated leadership in the development and implementation of instructional programs and intervention
- Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in implementation of district Initiatives
- Experience working with both elementary and secondary level schools and programs
The work environment characteristics and physical demands 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. Work is performed in classrooms, offices, work stations and meeting rooms.
The position requires occasional walking, standing, sitting, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and lifting/carrying work related items weighing less than 40 pounds, such as books, papers and presentation materials. The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Attendance at conferences and professional development is required. Work involves everyday risks and discomforts which require normal safety precautions when operating equipment or performing job duties. May work prolonged or irregular hours and must be able to maintain emotional control under stress.
Additional Information
- This position requires travel to various campuses, district meeting sites and conferences/meetings in and out of state. This position may require the employee to work some evenings and weekends.
Primary Location: TEXAS-SUGAR LAND
Work Locations: ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ANNEX 3119 SWEETWATER BLVD. SUGAR LAND 77479
Job: District/Campus Leadership
Organization: DEPARTMENT
Position Calendar: 238JUL
School Year:2025-2026
Salary Grade: 109
Unposting Date: Aug 8, 2025, 11:59:00 PM