Head of School

Position Overview

Following nearly 25 years of dedicated leadership from its retiring Head of School, Lowell Catholic seeks an exceptional, mission-driven leader to guide the school's next chapter. The next Head of School will inherit a strong and stable institution with a compelling story rooted in opportunity, service, faith, and the transformational impact of Catholic education within an urban and multicultural community.

Leadership Opportunities

The next Head of School will have the opportunity to:

• Build upon Lowell Catholic's strong foundation while leading the school's next stage of growth and institutional maturity.
• Serve as an energetic ambassador who clearly articulates the school's value proposition and compelling mission to current and prospective families.
• Bolster enrollment through strategic storytelling, outreach, and partnership with the Director of Enrollment and administrative leadership.
• Strengthen institutional advancement by expanding relationships with donors, foundations, alumni, and community organizations throughout Greater Lowell and Greater Boston.
• Lead long-term planning for campus improvements, facilities stewardship, and athletic infrastructure that enhance the student experience and support enrollment growth.
• Advance academic distinction through innovative programming, including STEM, emerging technologies, and expanded support for students with diverse learning profiles.
• Foster greater collaboration, communication, and a shared "One Lowell Catholic" culture across the school's PreK–12 divisions.
• Build upon strong community support while forging new partnerships that advance the school's mission and long-term sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide visionary, faith-filled, and strategic leadership for all aspects of the school.
• Advance Lowell Catholic's Catholic and Xaverian mission while promoting educational excellence and spiritual formation.
• Partner closely with the Board of Trustees to implement strategic priorities and ensure institutional sustainability.
• Lead enrollment growth, admissions strategy, marketing, and institutional positioning in a competitive educational environment.
• Oversee sound financial stewardship, budgeting, long-range planning, and responsible management of school resources.
• Expand philanthropic support for scholarships, operations, academic programs, and capital priorities.
• Recruit, develop, support, and retain exceptional faculty and staff.
• Serve as a highly visible leader who actively engages with students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, benefactors, athletics, co-curricular programs, and the broader community.
• Strengthen Lowell Catholic's reputation as a leading Catholic school serving a diverse and vibrant community.

Qualifications & Attributes

The successful candidate will:

• Be a practicing Catholic in good standing, faithful to the teachings of the Church and committed to the mission of a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School.
• Demonstrate integrity beyond reproach and genuine care for students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and benefactors.
• Be a highly visible, relational leader who embraces every aspect of school life.
• Recognize the important role of athletics, student activities, and co-curricular programs in building community and enriching the student experience.
• Be welcoming, trustworthy, compassionate, and empathetic while supporting the school's inclusive mission and commitment to serving a diverse community.
• Possess the spiritual depth, emotional intelligence, and institutional discipline needed to lead through both opportunities and challenges.
• Build trust, communicate clearly, make thoughtful decisions, and inspire confidence in the school's future.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to Catholic education, educational excellence, affordability, and the dignity of every student.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven executive leadership experience in education, nonprofit, or a comparable organization.
• Demonstrated business and financial acumen, including budgeting, financial planning, personnel leadership, risk management, and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Experience with enrollment management, admissions strategy, marketing, and institutional positioning.
• Success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding philanthropic support from donors, foundations, and community partners.
• Demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity to the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the Lowell community.
• Experience successfully leading organizational change while preserving institutional culture, traditions, and stakeholder trust.
• Collaborative experience working with a governing board and senior leadership team.
• An advanced degree in education, educational leadership, business, nonprofit leadership, or a related field is highly desirable.

All applications will remain confidential until finalists are selected for interviews with the Search Committee. Although most of the following timeframe is approximate, please note that:

• Review of applications begins immediately and will likely conclude in the early fall
• All rounds of interviews will be conducted during the first semester
• Selection of a new Head of School to occur in the late fall/early winter
• Start date of July 1, 2027

Interested candidates are to submit, electronically, the following materials:

• Cover letter and resume
• Educational and leadership philosophy
• List of references - references will only be contacted once an applicant has reached
• finalist standing, to preserve applicant confidentiality
• Materials are to be addressed to the "Lowell Catholic Head of School Search Committee" and sent electronically, preferably as one file, to:

Dr. Patrick Slattery - Executive Director, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools

• pjslattery@xbss.org | 443-939-0124

Lowell Catholic is a Preschool through Grade 12 Catholic school located in Lowell, Massachusetts, serving approximately 700 students and families from across the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire.

Rooted in a rich tradition of Catholic education, the school traces its heritage to several historic institutions in the city, including Keith Academy, Keith Hall, Keith Catholic, St. Joseph High School, St. Patrick High School, and St. Louis Academy. In 2009, Lowell Catholic became a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School in partnership with the Archdiocese of Boston, strengthening its commitment to the charism and educational vision of the Xaverian Brothers. The school further expanded its mission in 2016 with the incorporation of PreK-8 St. Margaret School, creating the current Preschool through Grade 12 educational community.

Lowell Catholic occupies a distinctive place in the region. It is a relational, mission-centered school in one of Massachusetts’ most culturally rich and economically diverse cities. The successful candidate will understand and commit to the unique socioeconomic, cultural, linguistic, and educational diversity of the families served by Lowell Catholic and will be responsible to ensuring that institutional decisions remain centered on the needs of students and families. Lowell’s history as a gateway city, its immigrant communities, its proximity to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and its identity as a center of learning, arts, industry, and renewal all shape the opportunity before the school.

The school’s location in one of New England’s most historically rich and culturally diverse cities provides unique opportunities to serve families seeking a values- based education within an accessible and community-oriented environment. Lowell’s continued revitalization, proximity to Boston, and growing network of educational, healthcare, and business partners position the school well for future collaboration and growth.