School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA - Chief Talent Officer

Position Description for School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  Board of Education, is seeking a highly qualified and fully certified Chief Talent Officer.  The Board wishes to have the successful candidate assume the responsibilities of the position mid-August 2025.

McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C., Executive Recruitment and Development has been engaged as the consultant in a search for outstanding candidates. They will assist the Board of Education in identifying and screening the candidates.

Enrollment: 118,000

Location: Philadelphia

Philadelphia, a city steeped in history, culture, and innovation, offers a dynamic and rewarding environment for educational leadership. As the birthplace of American democracy and home to renowned universities, museums, and diverse neighborhoods, Philadelphia provides a rich backdrop for advancing equity and excellence in public education. The School District of Philadelphia—one of the largest in the nation, serving more than 200,000 students—is seeking a Chief Talent Officer to help lead its continued transformation. This critical leadership role offers a unique opportunity to shape the district’s strategic vision for attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional educators and staff, ensuring that every student has access to high-quality teaching and support.

Position Summary

The Chief Talent Officer drives the effort to staff 100% of schools with exceptional principals, teachers and school-based support staff to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education. The Chief Talent Officer is responsible for setting the vision and direction for The School District of Philadelphia’s approach to recruiting, selecting, deploying, developing and retaining high-quality talent for all positions across the organization. The Chief Talent Officer oversees the development and implementation of the District’s strategic human resources plan, priorities and benchmarks with the goal of improving school performance by focusing primarily on teacher and principal effectiveness. Additionally, the Chief Talent Officer leads the strategy and day-to-day operations of the Office of Talent with a keen focus on providing superior service to schools and central offices on all matters related to talent. 

Minimum Requirements 

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in human resources, public administration, business administration or related areas.
• Ten years of full-time, paid, professional operational management in a large, complex organization, five of which have been in human resources in an administrative capacity and have included overseeing professional and support staff and strategic and organization planning. 

Key Characteristics

A successful candidate for the position of Chief Talent Officer in the School District of Philadelphia will possess the following key characteristics:

• Proven executive-level human resources leadership, preferably in a large, urban public school district or similarly complex organization.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a change agent, leading transformative initiatives that improve talent systems and outcomes.
• Collaborative leadership style, with a strong track record of building effective partnerships across departments and with external stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to engage, inspire, and influence diverse audiences.
• Unquestioned integrity, with a deep commitment to equity, transparency, and ethical decision-making.

Salary Range:  Low to mid $200’s based on background and experience

Search Timeline:   TIMELINE (subject to change)

• Closing date for applications: July 28, 2025
• District selects finalists to interview: August 1, 2025
• Finalist Interviews with the District:  August 5, 2025
• Start date: Mid August

Contact information:

            McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C.

            11725 Arbor St., Suite 220

            Omaha, NE 68144

            888-375-4814

            Email: apps@macnjake.com

School Website:  http://www.philasd.org       

Consultants:           

Mr. Robert Copeland                    r_copeland@macnjake.com

Dr. Ralph Ferrie                             r_ferrie@macnjake.com

Dr. Kathleen Sottile                       k_sottile@macnjake.com

Philadelphia School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The district does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability and, when needed, will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees. Anyone requesting a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruitment process please contact McPherson & Jacobson at the address/phone/email above.