Cathedral Catholic High School is a private Catholic high school operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. The school was founded as an all-boys high school in 1957 as the University of San Diego High School, shortened to University High School or Uni. In 1970, Cathedral Girls High School merged with Uni High. The school’s named changed to Cathedral Catholic High School when its new campus opened in Carmel Valley in 2005.
Cathedral Catholic High School, with a fully enrolled student body of nearly 1700 students, is the premier Catholic high school in San Diego. Located in the north coastal region of San Diego, Cathedral Catholic’s 54-acre campus includes 12 buildings, 98 classrooms, and 9 athletic fields/outdoor spaces. Ongoing campus improvements have been the norm, including the school’s newest building, the McSweeney Engineering Complex which opened in 2017, and the opening of Zak Myers Memorial Park in 2023.
Cathedral Catholic is recognized for its comprehensive and inclusive college preparatory academic program, its extensive extracurricular offerings, and a nationally known athletic program. The entire Cathedral Catholic student and employee experience is deeply rooted in the Catholic tradition.
Overview:
The principal is responsible for building and nurturing an excellent educational program in the Cathedral Catholic High School community of faith, where worship, service, and social concern are integrated, diversity is celebrated, and all are welcomed and valued. The principal is hired by the diocese and the president; supervised and evaluated by the president and reports to the president.
Who You Are:
Epitomizes the ideals of servant leadership.
Works with the president to administer the total school program, including faith formation, academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities.
Assists the president in overseeing school plant needs and security protocols.
Develops effective working partnerships with faculty, parents, and community members.
Maintains appropriately transparent and timely communication with all stakeholders.
Networks and collaborates with other schools to problem-solve, exchange ideas, and engage in best practices.
Collaborates with the Diocesan Office for Schools to maintain a program consistent with the expectations of the Bishop of San Diego, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA).
Promotes and guides a school culture of continuous improvement.
What You Will Do:
Spiritual
Works with the dean of mission and ministry to nurture the faith formation of those in the school community by providing many and varied opportunities for spiritual growth.
Ensures a quality Catholic religious education instruction of students.
Coordinates activities between the school and the parish communities Cathedral Catholic serves.
Maintains appropriate communications with feeder Catholic elementary schools.
Collaborates with employees to give witness to the Catholic identity of the school, including religious signs, symbols, and displays.
Provides opportunities for the school community to celebrate liturgies and prayer services.
Ensures coordination of the student service program.
Supports community cohesion by making every effort to create a culture of inclusivity, including respect and acceptance of students of other faiths, races, and ethnicities.
Strives to make CCHS an instrument of evangelization for all who enter its doors.
Educational
Keeps the needs and welfare of students central to all decision-making.
Directs faculty assignments and student schedules.
Works with faculty to develop and maintain an instructional program of the highest caliber.
Stays abreast of current research in educational best practices in instruction and assessment.
Identifies, with faculty input, needed change and uses research in the development of action plans to improve instruction.
Supervises and collaborates with the deans and counselors.
Promotes healthy morale and fosters shared leadership among school employees.
Encourages the use of a variety of educational and pedagogical strategies to support student engagement.
Provides appropriate in-service opportunities for the school employees to address identified needs.
Supervises and evaluates instruction and collaborates with faculty members on the development of individual professional growth plans.
Works to ensure equal opportunity for all students, including support for the special learning needs of students within the regular classroom setting or enrolled in our special education program.
Supervises issues of student conduct including restorative practices.
Stays abreast of college admission requirements and tracks acceptance rates.
Tracks AP test scores across the grades and subject areas.
Managerial
In collaboration with the president, supports student recruitment and retention strategies, primarily building a program that ensures excellent student outcomes.
With the approval of the president, recruits, interviews, and selects the school faculty and academic team members.
Under the direction of the president, develops and monitors the educational budget.
Initiates appropriate consultation with the Office for Schools.
Complies with diocesan, state, federal and local laws, and policies.
Directs development of annual progress reports to WCEA and keeps accreditation efforts current.
Enforces HR policies with all direct school reports.
Convenes and moderates appropriate meetings.
Attends and participates in board meetings as directed by president.
Minimum Skills/Qualifications:
Is a practicing Catholic with general knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Church.
Displays excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrates proficiency in technology usage and applications.
Shows aptitude for effectively analyzing information.
Quickly establishes rapport, relates to a variety of personalities and cultures.
Works independently and maintains strict confidentiality and professional ethics.
Possesses professional temperament and appearance.
Master’s degree in educational leadership (or related field) preferred, and/or California Administrative Credential. Graduate education must include the successful completion of a Catholic School Leadership Formation Program either before job acceptance or within 3 years after.
Have a minimum three years of successful administrative experience in a Catholic high school.
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to remain in an office at a computer workstation and access information from a computer and use a telephone. The employee is required to be mobile to, from, and within the office, as well as maneuver throughout the parish/school facility to attend meetings, briefings, and other work-related events. The employee may be required to conduct trips to, from, and within various city and county-wide locations to attend meetings or events. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Please note this position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Cathedral Catholic High School as part of the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status.