Department Lead Engineering & Technology Education

Job Title: Department Lead - Engineering & Technical Education
Reports to: CTE Division Head
Terms and Conditions: Full-time 10 months 183 day teacher calendar.
FLSA Status: Exempt
Stipend: $5500.00

OPRF WHO WE ARE

Oak Park and River Forest High School or OPRF is a comprehensive public high school located in Oak Park IL a suburb eight miles due west of downtown Chicago. We are a one-school district with the majority of our students coming from two sender districts River Forest Public Schools District 90 and Oak Park Elementary School District 97. We offer more than 200 courses a variety of programs for students with special needs 75 clubs and activities and 29 competitive sports. We prepare our students well for post-secondary success with an average ACT composite score of 24 and a 94% graduation rate.

Oak Park and River Forest are communities that highly value diversity. OPRF is a founding member of the national Minority Student Achievement Network and our school is racially and economically diverse with about 48% of our 3300 students identifying as African-American Hispanic multiracial or Asian. Our villages have long embraced the LGBTQ community and we have a significant mix of homeowners and renters.

We seek faculty and staff who have high expectations for all students and who value student voice in education. As a school we are particularly focused on closing opportunity gaps for our students of color and other under-represented groups. OPRF is an equal opportunity employer that provides equal employment opportunities to all without regard to race color religion sex national origin age disability or genetics. OPRFs goal is to increase the diversity of its workforce.

Purpose:
The Department Lead supports the Division Head in advancing the mission and strategic priorities of the Career and Technical Education Division by providing instructional programmatic and operational leadership within an assigned department. This position serves as the primary leadership liaison between the Division Head and department faculty fostering collaboration continuous improvement and the successful implementation of Division goals.

Collaborative and Leadership Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary leadership liaison between the Division Head and faculty within the assigned department.
• Facilitate communication among department members and elevate concerns opportunities and recommendations to the Division Head.
• Support implementation of Division standard operating procedures and contribute to their ongoing development and refinement.
• Participate in regular CTE Leadership Team meetings and individual department leadership meetings with the Division Head.
• Facilitate and document department meetings
• Support the TCT/PLC leader in the facilitation of TCT/PLC work.
• Collaborate with other CTE Department Leads to promote consistency coordination and alignment
• Mentor and support new teachers through onboarding guidance and ongoing professional support.
• Serve on hiring committees and assist with teacher recruitment as requested.

Curriculum and Instructional Support:

• Lead curriculum evaluation and development in accordance with District curriculum processes and Division priorities.
• Facilitate collaboration around curriculum instructional resources common assessments and course sequencing.
• Support implementation of district curriculum frameworks instructional best practices and assessment alignment.
• Coordinate curriculum review cycles course revisions and instructional improvement initiatives.
• Recommend curriculum revisions instructional materials textbooks equipment and other instructional resources.
• Encourage and promote high-quality professional learning opportunities for department faculty.
• Serve as an instructional resource for department faculty as appropriate

Program and Pathway Leadership:

• Assist the Division Head in leading the continuous development and implementation of pathways. including dual credit opportunities industry credentials work-based learning experiences and community partnerships.
• Coordinate department participation in recruitment events showcases advisory meetings competitions and community outreach activities.
• Monitor and communicate department progress toward Division goals strategic priorities and pathway success metrics.
• Assist the Division Head in establishing and facilitating Workforce Advisory Groups

Administrative and Operational Responsibilities

• Monitor department budgets and provide staff with preliminary authorization to request routine expenditures in accordance with Division purchasing procedures.
• Support communication with students families industry partners and community stakeholders regarding department programs and opportunities.
• Coordinate maintenance replacement inventory and organization of specialized instructional equipment and facilities.
• Assist with development of promotional materials departmental communications and pathway recruitment resources.
• Recommend budget priorities capital improvements instructional resources and equipment purchases to the Division Head.
• Coordinate implementation of department projects and initiatives.
• Perform other appropriate duties as assigned by the Division Head.

Leadership Expectations

• Foster a collaborative solution-oriented department culture characterized by professionalism trust shared ownership and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate visible support for Division priorities strategic initiatives Support the Division Head in establishing implementing and monitoring annual department and Division goals and established standard operating procedures.
• Make student-centric recommendations grounded in data professional expertise and Division priorities.
• Represent the Career and Technical Education Division with professionalism and integrity.
• Take ownership of assigned responsibilities and follow projects through to completion.
• Demonstrate initiative organization and effective project management.
• Anticipate challenges and proactively develop solutions.

Engineering & Technology Department Specific Responsibilities:

• Oversee the maintenance lifecycle replacement calibration and safety protocols for specialized tools lab environments and manufacturing centers.
• Liaise with Facilities IT services and outside partners to manage equipment upkeep new installations and physical plant enhancements.
• Manage the execution of laboratory safety standards and ensure adherence to relevant industry safety benchmarks.
• Provide strategic guidance on significant capital expenditures facility upgrades and long-term planning for the engineering and manufacturing pathways.

These department-specific duties may be adjusted to align with shifting programmatic needs facility updates workforce partnerships or Division strategic goals. The Division Head may assign further tasks consistent with the roles core purpose.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is not an exhaustive listing of the duties performed in this position. The individuals currently holding this position perform additional duties and additional duties may be assigned.

Please no phone calls. The respective hiring manager will review candidates once the job posting closes. If selected to move forward you will be contacted by phone or email. After reviewing the job posting if you have any questions please send an email to .

Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200 (OPRF) is an Equal Opportunity Employer