Innovation and Design Thinking Teacher and Innovation Studio Department Chair

New England Innovation Academy seeks an Innovation and Design Thinking Teacher and Innovation Studio Department Chair for the spring semester of the 2025-26 academic year. The school welcomes applications for this role on a full-time basis. Full-time faculty teach four sections in Upper School, Middle School, or a mixture of both divisions with two or three different course preparations, participate in coaching two sports/activities or the equivalent, and serve as an advisor.

Teachers also collaborate and innovate with colleagues across other curricular areas and divisions, and attend weekly staff meetings for subject areas and divisions.

The Innovation and Design Thinking Teacher and Innovation Studio Department Chair inspires, instructs, and develops middle and high school students’ passions and curiosities, and will teach students integrated design, using human-centered design as a fundamental process to develop students’ empathy, passion, and curiosity in Innovation Studio courses. This role will help students think deeply about the world through various lenses of human needs, positive societal impact, and environmental sustainability, and enable them to take action through real-world, hands‑on projects.

Innovation Studio courses are semester‑based, with a foundations course that all new students enroll in, and the remaining program is built on relevant electives.

The Department Chair will provide support to the Directors of the Upper School and the Middle School, and the Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning. They will assist with teaching, learning planning, and implementation, and help ensure that academic initiatives run smoothly and efficiently, facilitating effective communication, collaboration, and organization within the subject‑learning. The Department Chair will serve a term of two years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Teaching and learning revolve around a competency‑based education system aligned with our Pillars:
Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Human‑Centered Design, Integrated & Experiential Learning, and Belonging & Togetherness. This system assesses "Pillar" competencies applicable across all academic departments, as well as department‑specific competencies, to demonstrate expertise in a particular subject. The NEIA values of equity, agency, and adaptability are deeply embedded in this approach, ensuring that students develop skills crucial for the next generation of leaders.

NEIA's educational process extends beyond traditional classrooms, encompassing activities such as advocacy groups, after‑school activities, residential programs, service projects, expeditions, and internships. These activities embody and promote NEIA's values, striving to provide an innovative, relevant, and future‑focused learning experience. At its core, NEIA believes in the transformative power of empathy, curiosity, and collaboration in making a positive impact on the world.

Teachers invest deeply in the school's community by participating in the advising (called Advocacy at NEIA) program with a group of five to eight students, contributing to social and emotional learning initiatives, participating in extracurricular activities such as explorations and clubs, and chaperoning weekend activities once or twice each term. The role is integral to enhancing the overall student experience and requires a commitment to the various facets of school life at NEIA.

Under the supervision and guidance of the Head of Teaching & Learning, teachers are responsible for preparing lesson plans, regularly updating curriculum, and collaborating with colleagues. Their duties include assessing student work and performance through NEIA’s competency‑based model, providing feedback, documenting student progress, writing student report notes, and assigning learning extensions. Teachers are expected to create and manage a learning environment that guides and encourages students to develop and fulfill their academic potential and accomplish the learning goals of NEIA.

Finally, teachers are also expected to understand and apply human-centered design as a process, and to embed it as an ethos across our…