Laboratory Schools: Associate Director for Culture and Engagement

About The Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education.

Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity. No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness.

We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes.

Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships.

In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.

Reporting to the Director, Family Life Programs (FLP), the Associate Director for Culture and Engagement is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that attract, retain, and enhance the professional skills of employees across the Family Life Programs portfolio—which currently includes Extended Day (Early Day and Late Day student programs) and Summer Lab programs, and may expand in the future. The role fosters a positive workplace culture, strengthens staff engagement, and ensures teams deliver high-quality programs that meet the needs of students and families, consistent with the Laboratory Schools’ priorities and mission.

This position oversees all aspects of recruitment, training, staff relations, and performance management for FLP staff, collaborating closely with assistant directors, program managers, the HR department, and the Associate Director of Operations and Programs to ensure programs are properly staffed and supported through effective budgeting and resource planning.

• Oversee recruitment, selection, and interviewing strategies to attract highly qualified candidates for Family Life Programs.
• Collaborate with HR partners to design, post, recruit, develop, and retain successful FLP teams.
• Conduct reference checks for all new employees.
• Partner with assistant directors and program managers to assess and fulfill program-specific hiring needs in Extended Day, Early Day, Late Day, and Summer Lab programs.
• Attend hiring fairs and other recruitment events when possible to attract candidates and promote Family Life Programs.
• Create comprehensive onboarding programs to ensure new hires are…