The CEdO leads the Education team and is responsible for developing and implementing innovative and evidence-backed strategies that advance Scholar success, strengthen school and community partnerships, improve program quality, and measure organizational impact. This role works collaboratively with the CEO, COO, Board of Directors, and leadership team to ensure DMSF continues to deliver exceptional outcomes while remaining responsive to the evolving needs of Scholars and families.

Mission of the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund 

The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund (DMSF) unlocks educational opportunities for talented Chicago-area students facing financial need. We partner with Scholars, families, schools, alumni, donors, and community leaders through high school and beyond by providing scholarships, academic programs and personal support so that each Scholar can reach their full potential. 

 

Founded by the Murphy brothers in 1989, DMSF now offers around 150 scholarships to 8th graders each year, supporting more than 500 Scholars in high school with a 100% graduation rate. Those Scholars are attending roughly 40 different parochial and independent day schools in the Chicago area, as well as 40 boarding schools from coast to coast. For more information, please visit https://www.dmsf.org  

Position Overview 

The Chief Education Officer (CEdO) serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and strategic partner to the CEO at DMSF. The CEdO provides vision, leadership, and oversight for all Scholar-facing programs and educational initiatives, ensuring that every Murphy Scholar receives the academic, personal, and developmental support necessary to thrive through high school, college, and beyond. 

The CEdO leads the Education team and is responsible for developing and implementing innovative and evidence-backed strategies that advance Scholar success, strengthen school and community partnerships, improve program quality, and measure organizational impact. This role works collaboratively with the CEO, COO, Board of Directors, and leadership team to ensure DMSF continues to deliver exceptional outcomes while remaining responsive to the evolving needs of Scholars and families. 

The ideal candidate is a strategic, mission-driven, relationship-focused leader who combines educational expertise with strong organizational leadership and a deep commitment to equity and student success. 

Primary Responsibilities 

Educational Strategy & Vision 

● Lead the strategic vision and long-term direction for all educational programming and Scholar services. 

● Ensure educational initiatives align with DMSF's mission, strategic priorities, and organizational values. 

● Identify emerging needs of Scholars and develop innovative programming that supports academic achievement, leadership development, college success, and lifelong engagement. 

● Foster a culture centered on equity, excellence, service, partnerships, continuous improvement, and Scholar success. 

Scholar Success & Program Leadership 

● Provide executive oversight of all Scholar-facing programs from recruitment through college graduation and alumni engagement. 

● Ensure programs consistently deliver high-quality, equitable experiences for Scholars and families. 

● Evaluate program effectiveness and implement improvements based on data, participant feedback, and best practices. 

● Lead efforts to identify barriers to Scholar success and proactively develop interventions that improve educational outcomes.

● Ensure a seamless Scholar experience across all stages of the DMSF journey. 

School & Community Partnerships 

● Serve as DMSF's primary executive relationship manager with partner schools and educational institutions. 

● Strengthen relationships with school leaders, admissions professionals, counselors, colleges, and community partners. 

● Identify and cultivate new school partnerships that expand educational opportunities for Scholars. 

● Represent DMSF throughout the education community and position the organization as a leader in educational access and Scholar success. 

Leadership & Talent Development 

● Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the Education team of 9 staff, including 7 direct reports. 

● Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, professional growth, and continuous learning. 

● Establish departmental goals aligned with organizational priorities and monitor progress throughout the year. 

● Support recruitment, onboarding, professional development, succession planning, and performance management for Education staff. 

● Foster an environment where staff feel supported, empowered, and connected to DMSF's mission. 

Data, Outcomes & Continuous Improvement 

● Lead the organization's efforts to measure Scholar outcomes and evaluate program effectiveness. 

● Develop meaningful performance indicators that measure academic achievement, persistence, college completion, leadership development, and long-term Scholar success. 

● Utilize quantitative and qualitative data to guide strategic decisions and continuous program improvement. 

● Collaborate with the leadership team to communicate organizational impact to the Board, donors, and community stakeholders. 

● Champion a culture of data-informed decision-making across the Education Department. 

Executive Leadership & Organizational Strategy 

● Serve as an active member of DMSF's executive leadership team. 

● Partner closely with the CEO and COO to advance organizational priorities, strategic planning, and cross-functional initiatives. 

● Contribute to Board meetings, committee work, strategic discussions, and organizational planning. 

● Collaborate across departments to ensure alignment between programs, development, operations, communications, and organizational goals. 

● Represent DMSF with credibility among families, school partners, funders, volunteers, and community leaders. 

Budget & Resource Management 

● In partnership with the COO, develop and manage the multi-million dollar Education Department budget. 

● Ensure responsible stewardship of financial resources while maximizing impact for Scholars.

● Monitor program investments and recommend strategic resource allocation based on organizational priorities. 

● Support grant reporting and provide educational data and impact stories for fundraising initiatives. 

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in Education, Educational Leadership, Public Administration or a related field preferred
• 5+ years of nonprofit leadership in education, youth development, nonprofit or a related field (a typically aligned candidate will have 10+ years of relevant work experience)
• Demonstrated success (and direct accountability for) overseeing multiple concurrent programs serving K-12 and/or college students, measured on student outcomes rather than activities delivered
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing strategic initiatives and organizational change
• Demonstrated success managing a high-performing team (must have direct supervisory experience)
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining collaborative partnerships with educational institutions (K-12 and/or college) and community organizations; experience working with families is a plus
• Demonstrated success defining outcomes metrics, analyzing results, and using data to change program design (not just reporting results)
• Demonstrated success owning and tracking a departmental budget and making allocation decisions across competing programs 

Core Competencies:

• Strategic leadership: You set multi-year direction for a program portfolio and translate it into annual goals, staffing, and budget proposals. You name trade-offs explicitly when priorities compete, and hold them. You are comfortable serving as part of the executive leadership team. 
• Educational equity and Scholar focus: You anchor decisions in what demonstrably improves outcomes for Scholars. You identify where existing systems produce deficient results and redesign them, rather than building workarounds for individual Scholars.
• People leadership and development: You build and retain a high-performing team. You coach directly, give specific developmental feedback, and address problems promptly rather than deferring them.
• Partnership and external influence: You build durable relationships with school leaders, counselors, colleges, and community partners. You communicate credibly with funders, families, and the Board, including when the news is not good.
• Data-informed decision-making: You define the small number of indicators that actually matter, read them honestly even when they are unflattering, and change course based on the evidence.
• Cross-functional collaboration: You operate as a peer to the COO and development leadership. You surface disagreement early and directly, and commit as a leadership team fully once a decision is made.

 

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $165,000 to $175,000 (commensurate with experience and qualifications) with excellent comprehensive benefits highlighted below. This is a full-time exempt position in a hybrid work environment (3 days per week in DMSF’s downtown Chicago office) and will require periodic weekend and evening work for Scholar, donor and other events. 

 

Benefits: 

Current benefits (which are subject to change) are outlined below: 

• HMO & PPO Health Insurance options 
• Dental/Vision
• Paid Time Off:

• Vacation: 10 days in Year 1 with an additional day added each year worked 

• 10 Sick and Four Personal days 

• Winter Holiday Office Closure

• Retirement match 
• Flex spending 
• Life insurance, short & long-term disability 

 

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume at danielmurphyscholarshipfund.applytojob.com
The priority submission date for applications is October 8, 2026. This search is being supported by recruitment firm Civic Search. Please email search@mbtcivic.com if you have difficulty submitting your application (please do not contact Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund staff members directly).

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy 

The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. 

 

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