Chief Educational Solutions Officer

Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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Chief Educational Solutions Officer Supported By/Director/Supervisor: Superintendent Department/Division: Executive Leadership FLSA Status: Exempt Contract: 228 Days Position Description The Chief Educational Solutions Officer (CESO) is a senior member of the Hamilton County Educational Service Center's (HCESC) leadership team, responsible for strengthening the alignment, integration, impact, and growth of HCESC's educational solutions and district partnerships. The CESO provides executive leadership for HCESC's educational service delivery focus areas, including Early Childhood, Student Services, and Curriculum and Instruction, as well as other educational solution areas assigned by the Superintendent. Department Directors within these areas report directly to the CESO. The CESO is accountable for the strategy, quality, growth, performance, and customer experience of Educational Solutions and works in close partnership with the Chief of Operations, who leads the organizational systems and infrastructure that support service delivery. The CESO serves as a strategic connector between HCESC's internal expertise and the evolving needs of school districts, using district and school data, customer feedback, educational trends, and organizational capacity to develop integrated solutions and measurable outcomes for students, educators, and school systems. The CESO also provides strategic oversight for grants and statewide educational initiatives that fall within or are assigned to Educational Solutions, represents HCESC in state and national educational networks as appropriate, develops leadership capacity across assigned departments, and helps position HCESC as a preferred partner for innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing education. Task Title /Domain Essential Job Functions % Time Spent (estimate)

1. Educational Strategy & Organizational Alignment Provide executive leadership and direct supervision for the alignment, integration, and continuous improvement of HCESC's educational solutions across Early Childhood, Student Services, Curriculum and Instruction, and other educational service areas assigned by the Superintendent. Establish shared priorities, annual goals, operating strategies, and measures of success with Department Directors, and hold assigned leaders accountable for results aligned with HCESC's mission, vision, and organizational priorities. Identify and act on opportunities to reduce duplication, leverage expertise across departments, strengthen collaboration, and create integrated solutions for districts and schools. Translate emerging educational needs, policy changes, workforce trends, and other external conditions into 20% Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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organizational priorities, services, and strategic recommendations. Advise the Superintendent and executive leadership team on long-range planning, organizational decision-making, and complex initiatives that span multiple departments.

2. District Partnerships, Customer Experience & Service Growth Develop and lead a systematic approach to building, maintaining, and strengthening relationships with school districts and other educational partners, including processes for identifying needs and connecting partners to appropriate HCESC expertise and resources. Ensure districts experience HCESC as a unified, responsive, and strategic partner by coordinating cross- departmental responses to complex priorities and emerging challenges. Establish and oversee systematic customer feedback processes; analyze customer experience trends and partner with Department Directors to implement responsive improvements. Support superintendents, principals, and other district leaders in identifying integrated solutions to educational challenges and opportunities. Identify opportunities to expand, adapt, or develop services and strategic partnerships based on district needs, market conditions, organizational capacity, and demonstrated value. 20%
3. Data, Impact Measurement & Continuous Improvement Use district, school, student, customer, service, and organizational data to identify trends, needs, opportunities, and areas for strategic support and service improvement. Partner with Department Directors to establish meaningful measures of effectiveness, outcomes, customer value, and return on investment for educational services and initiatives. Develop and maintain an organizational framework for measuring, analyzing, and communicating the impact of HCESC's educational solutions. Provide data-informed recommendations to the Superintendent, Governing Board, leadership team, and other stakeholders, and use findings to guide service modification, expansion, resource allocation, and continuous improvement. 15%
4. Financial, Business & Operational Stewardship Hold executive accountability for the financial sustainability of Educational Solutions, including development and monitoring of departmental budgets, alignment of resources with strategic priorities, financial performance, and responsible stewardship of programs, grants, and initiatives. 15% Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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Guide pricing and business strategies for educational services using market conditions, district needs, service demand, organizational capacity, cost, and expected outcomes. Provide executive oversight for the review and negotiation of service agreements, contracts, memoranda of understanding, and related partnership agreements, including systems for monitoring performance, changes, renewals, capacity, pricing, and customer expectations. Spending, contract execution, and other formal approvals are subject to established HCESC approval thresholds, Treasurer requirements, Superintendent authority, and Board policy. Own the strategy, quality, growth, performance, and customer experience of Educational Solutions while collaborating with the Chief of Operations, who leads the organizational systems and infrastructure that support service delivery, including assigned HR/talent, technology, communications/marketing, and operational processes. Collaborate with the Chief of Operations and other operational leaders on staffing, technology, communications, contracts, resource planning, and implementation when educational strategy and organizational infrastructure intersect.

5. Grants, Statewide Initiatives & External Leadership Provide strategic oversight and coordination for grants and major statewide or cross-organizational educational initiatives that fall within or are assigned to Educational Solutions, including implementation, outcomes, compliance, sustainability, and alignment with broader organizational strategy. Identify grant and partnership opportunities that align with HCESC's strategic priorities, expertise, and capacity. Develop and maintain strategic relationships with state agencies, educational service agencies, universities, foundations, professional associations, policymakers, and other partners that expand HCESC's reach and impact. Represent HCESC in state and national educational networks, as assigned or appropriate, and contribute to conversations shaping educational service agencies and the future of educational service delivery. Position HCESC as a trusted thought partner and leader in educational transformation and innovative solutions. 15%
6. Executive Leadership & Organizational Capacity Serve as a member of the HCESC executive leadership team and model HCESC's mission, vision, values, and Culture Blueprint commitments to Serve with Care, Collaborate with Authenticity, and Innovate with Intention. 15% Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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Directly supervise assigned Department Directors and leaders; set expectations, coach and develop leaders, evaluate performance, approve routine personnel matters, participate in hiring, and make recommendations regarding staffing, discipline, renewal/nonrenewal, and other employment decisions consistent with HCESC policy and Superintendent authority. Exercise authority for day-to-day strategic and operational decisions within Educational Solutions and hold Department Directors accountable for implementation. Decisions with significant impact on organizational structure, Board policy, major financial commitments, executive personnel, or HCESC-wide strategy require consultation with or approval of the Superintendent, consistent with applicable policy and law. Foster a culture of collaboration, shared ownership, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across departments. Establish clear expectations and systems that move organizational priorities from strategy to implementation and support coordinated execution across educational and operational functions. Support organizational initiatives and perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent. The intent of this job description is to provide a representative description of the types of duties and responsibilities required for this position. Employees may be asked to perform other job-related duties as assigned. Qualifications Employment in this position is contingent upon compliance with applicable pre-employment requirements, including the satisfactory completion of required criminal records checks and fingerprinting in accordance with Ohio Revised Code § 3319.39 and other applicable laws and HCESC policies. Required Education: Master's degree from an accredited college or university. Licensure: Valid Ohio Superintendent License or Ohio Administrative License. Experience: Minimum of three years of successful experience as a school district superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, central-office administrator, educational service agency administrator, or comparable educational leadership position. Supervision: Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible supervisory experience leading professional and support staff, including responsibility for planning, directing, and evaluating the work of one or more organizational functions or departments. Demonstrated experience leading complex initiatives involving multiple departments, schools, districts, or organizations. Demonstrated ability to analyze data and use findings to inform strategy and decision-making. Demonstrated experience with budgeting, resource allocation, and organizational planning. Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.

Preferred Experience working within an educational service center, regional education agency, or similar educational support organization. Experience developing strategic partnerships with school districts or other educational organizations. Experience overseeing grants or statewide educational initiatives. Experience developing pricing structures, service agreements, contracts, or other business processes. Experience leading organizational change, cross-functional teams, or system-wide improvement initiatives. Experience representing an organization in state or national professional organizations.

Position Characteristics The CESO must be a highly collaborative, strategic, and entrepreneurial leader who can see beyond individual programs or departments and understand the organization as an integrated system - equally comfortable working with a superintendent to understand a district's strategic challenge, analyzing data to identify potential solutions, working with Department Directors to assemble the appropriate expertise, and collaborating with operational leaders to ensure the organization has the people, resources, technology, and processes necessary to deliver. The CESO should be viewed by school district leaders as a trusted strategic partner, and by HCESC staff as a connector, facilitator, and champion of collaboration and innovation. The position requires the ability to operate effectively in both strategic and operational environments, navigate complex organizational relationships, manage multiple priorities, and consistently translate HCESC's mission and vision into meaningful outcomes for students, educators, and communities. Performance Expectations Success in this position will be demonstrated through: Increased alignment and collaboration among HCESC's educational departments. Stronger and more systematic partnerships with school districts. Improved customer experience and customer satisfaction. Increased utilization of integrated HCESC solutions across departments. Clearer evidence of the impact and value of HCESC services. Strong financial performance and sustainability of educational services. Effective oversight and implementation of grants and statewide initiatives. Increased leadership capacity across HCESC departments. Stronger state and national partnerships and recognition of HCESC as an educational thought leader. Effective coordination between educational and operational functions. Improved ability to anticipate and respond to the changing needs of HCESC's partner districts.

Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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The essential functions, qualifications, physical and sensory abilities, mental and psychological demands, and work environment requirements described in this job description are representative of those necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. A qualified individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. Hamilton County Educational Service Center will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, as required by applicable law, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship. Employees or applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or perform the essential functions of the position should contact Human Resources. Supervisory Responsibilities Supervisory Activities: Direct and supervise assigned Department Directors and leaders; establish expectations; coach and mentor; evaluate performance; approve routine personnel matters; participate in hiring; make recommendations regarding staffing, discipline, renewal/nonrenewal, and other employment decisions; and support budget and staff allocation decisions within assigned areas, consistent with HCESC policy and Superintendent authority. Supervisory Responsibility: Directly supervises the senior leadership responsible for Early Childhood, Student Services, Curriculum and Instruction, and other educational solution areas assigned by the Superintendent.

Financial & Asset Management Tasks Performed: Create/develop a budget Manage/monitor a budget Review/negotiate contracts and service agreements Spending or purchase authority: Authority to approve expenditures and execute or approve agreements is governed by established HCESC approval thresholds, Treasurer requirements, Superintendent authority, and Board policy. The CESO recommends or routes matters requiring approval beyond delegated authority. Asset Security Based on the essential functions above, this position would reasonably be responsible for the safety and security of: Financial assets (e.g., budgets, grants, pricing/service agreements) Technological assets (e.g., software, hardware, IT systems involved in service delivery and data analysis) Confidential assets (e.g., district and student/school data, contract terms, personnel-related program information) Asset Responsibility Responsible for the appropriate stewardship, safeguarding, and use of financial, technological, confidential, and other assets within assigned areas, consistent with HCESC policies and delegated authority.

Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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Interactions & Decision-Making Interaction Scope This position represents the organization and works with many different internal and external groups across the district, region, and state (e.g., Department Directors, superintendents, principals, district leaders, state and national agencies, and other partners). Stakeholder Interactions Extensive: Leads high-level or sensitive interactions that affect key relationships or outcomes (e.g., represents HCESC, negotiates and manages partnerships and agreements, leads cross- departmental coordination with districts). Decision-Making Responsibility This position exercises authority for day-to-day strategic and operational decisions within Educational Solutions and holds assigned Department Directors accountable for implementation. Decisions with significant impact on organizational structure, Board policy, major financial commitments, executive personnel, or HCESC-wide strategy require consultation with or approval of the Superintendent, consistent with applicable policy and law.

Desired Leadership Competencies The successful candidate will demonstrate: Systems Thinking - Understands how organizational components connect and identifies opportunities to create greater alignment and collective impact. Strategic Leadership - Converts data, trends, and emerging needs into clear strategies and actionable priorities. Relationship Building - Develops trusted relationships with superintendents, district leaders, staff, partners, and external stakeholders. Customer-Centered Leadership - Consistently considers the experience, needs, and outcomes of school districts and their communities. Collaborative Leadership - Brings people and teams together around shared goals while respecting individual areas of expertise. Data-Informed Decision-Making - Uses multiple sources of evidence to inform strategy, resource allocation, and improvement. Business Acumen - Understands budgeting, pricing, contracts, resource allocation, sustainability, and organizational growth. Innovation and Adaptability - Anticipates changes in education and develops innovative responses to emerging challenges. Communication - Communicates complex ideas clearly and effectively with diverse audiences. Leadership Development - Builds the capacity of others and develops leaders throughout the organization. Accountability and Execution - Establishes clear expectations, measures progress, and ensures strategies move from concept to implementation.

Working Environment (Physical, Mental, & Psychological Demands) The position requires regular travel to HCESC locations, partner districts, and regional, state, or national meetings as necessary to perform the essential functions of the role. Work Type Title: Chief Educational Solutions Officer Board Approved: 9/16/2026

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Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job/occupation is rated Light Work when it requires: (1) walking or standing to a significant degree; (2) sitting most of the time while pushing or pulling arm or leg controls; or (3) working at a production rate pace while constantly pushing or pulling materials even though the weight of the materials is negligible. Physical demand requirements are in excess of these for Sedentary Work. Physical & Sensory Abilities Continually or almost continually: Multi-limb Coordination, Finger Dexterity, Repetitive Motion, Speaking, Hearing in-person speech, Near vision clarity, Far vision clarity More than half the time: Standing, Sitting, Walking, Balancing About half the time: Reaching, Hearing remote speech Less than half the time: Crawling/Crouching/Kneeling, Carrying/Lifting, Pulling/Pushing Mental and Psychological Demands Frequent High-Stress Exposure: The work for this position often involves intense or prolonged stress from conflict, trauma-related situations, or public attention. Emotional regulation and resilience are needed most of the time. Work Environment This position is not exposed to any environmental work hazards. Typical Noise Level: Moderate - Similar to a business office or department store No personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to perform the duties of this position.

Hamilton County Educational Service Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal and state laws. HCESC provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. Last Updated: 09/26