Director of Family and Community Engagement, Alpha

the Great Educational Equalizer
— Philosopher Johnathan Bi, on Alpha School

Alpha is hiring.

On-site in San Francisco or San Rafael, California. W-2 employee. $250,000 per year. Relocation assistance available.

Most schools have someone whose job is keeping parents happy. Alpha needs someone parents trust, including when the answer is no.

You will own the family relationship and partner closely with the Guides who mentor students. You will listen carefully, make firm decisions, protect Alpha's educational model, and keep trust intact through difficult moments.

Your growth ownership will depend on the campus phase. At a launch or under-enrolled campus, you will help build local demand and follow prospective families through enrollment. At a mature campus with admissions support, you will focus on retention, referrals, advocacy, and community depth.

Alpha students complete core academics in two hours a day using AI-powered apps, then spend the rest of the day on public speaking, critical thinking, and real-world projects. This role requires practical AI fluency, sound judgment, and the confidence to explain an unconventional model to sophisticated families.

• Own the relationship with every family on campus and lead difficult conversations from diagnosis through a clear decision and follow-through
• Operate as the parent-facing co-leader alongside Guides, align before and after sensitive conversations, and protect their authority with students
• Make timely calls in ambiguous student and family situations while escalating child-safety, legal, or high-risk matters through the correct path
• Build campus traditions, parent networks, and local partnerships with a defined retention, advocacy, referral, or growth outcome
• Own the growth contribution your campus phase requires, including local demand and admissions follow-through at a launch or under-enrolled campus

• Passing family concerns to someone else instead of owning the decision and follow-through
• Keeping the peace by saying yes, weakening a standard, or changing Alpha's model
• Escalating every ambiguous situation to avoid making an accountable call
• Taking over instructional decisions from Guides or leaving them to absorb parent issues you should resolve
• Running routine school administration, generic events, or one-way communications without a clear campus outcome

Build a campus where families stay, Guides feel supported, and hard decisions are made quickly and credibly. Own family trust and retention, parent-facing partnership with Guides, campus community leadership, and the growth contribution required by the campus's current phase.

• Live within commuting distance of San Francisco or San Rafael, or be ready to relocate within 60 days of an offer
• Legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
• Available on-site full-time, including early mornings, late afternoons, evening events, and occasional weekends
• 5+ years personally owning ongoing, high-trust relationships with families, clients, donors, members, or community stakeholders
• A specific record of listening, upholding a difficult or unwelcome decision, adapting when new information emerged, and preserving trust or achieving a measurable resolution
• Independent ownership of an ambiguous relationship, community, program, or growth outcome from problem identification through execution and follow-through
• Clear, concise communication and sound judgment with affluent or otherwise high-expectation families
• Willingness to own school growth and admissions follow-through when the campus phase requires it
• Hands-on daily use of AI tools and genuine conviction about AI-powered education

What it takes to do this job, plainly stated: benefits and other compensation: health coverage, life and disability insurance, voluntary benefits, tax-advantaged accounts, a 401(k), paid time off, parental leave, and a one-time relocation allowance.

• An established network in San Francisco, Marin County, private schools, civic groups, business, faith, or local community organizations
• Private or independent school experience with family retention and community outcomes
• Experience partnering with educators or other professionals while independently owning the family relationship
• A launch or early-stage assignment where you built local demand and converted it into committed families
• A track record of creating community…