Middle and Upper School Math Department Chair

Job Description

Job Description

Riverdale Country School, a Pre-K through Grade 12 independent all-gender school in New York City, is dedicated to inspiring students to live meaningful and purpose-driven lives. The school achieves this by fostering a culture of academic excellence, critical thinking, and curiosity, supported by a diverse and inclusive community. Riverdale emphasizes both high challenge and high support in its approach to education, encouraging students to engage deeply in interdisciplinary learning, research, and experiential education, both inside and outside the classroom and beyond our campuses. This holistic approach aims to develop well-rounded individuals who are prepared to make a positive impact on the world.

At Riverdale, we strive to reflect the diversity of the New York metropolitan area in our students, faculty, and staff. We believe that a diverse and inclusive community enriches the educational experience and is integral to our mission. With a student body of approximately 1,300 students from 117 different zip codes, Riverdale is a vibrant community where 48% of our students identify as students of color.

We seek to employ educators and leaders who bring a student-centered approach, passion for their work, a commitment to DEIB, and a desire to contribute to the growth and development of our entire school community.

Position Overview

Riverdale seeks an enthusiastic and visionary mathematics teacher to serve as our next math department chair. Our ideal candidate is an outstanding pedagogical leader within their discipline, deeply experienced in mathematics teaching, with a strong knowledge base across the mathematical disciplines from sixth grade through calculus and statistics.

Our new chair will lead a cross-divisional department, shepherding curricular development, guiding excellent teaching and learning, and fostering an inclusive, collaborative team ethos. This position also requires liaising and designing curriculum with the Lower School (PK-5) math teachers to create cohesion and alignment across divisions.

Candidates for this position should have significant teaching experience and demonstrated interest in engaging students in an environment that is both supportive and rigorous. Leaders at Riverdale Country School are expected to show competence in all domains outlined in the R+ Leadership Capacities. The optimal candidate for this position will successfully contribute to a positive school culture, especially during periods of change, and will thrive in a fast-paced environment where they manage multiple priorities.

Interested candidates should apply for the position no later than December 13, 2025.

• In collaboration with our academic dean and teaching faculty, shapes and implements an ambitious vision for rigorous and immersive 6-12 mathematics education that is relevant and applicable to real-world experiences.
• In conjunction with course coordinators and department members, oversees curricular and pedagogical change that ensure vertical and horizontal alignment; supports the creation of new courses and electives and serves on the Middle and Upper School Curriculum Committee.
• In collaboration with our Dean of Faculty, develops and supervises departmental staffing strategy - including deployment of the current team, coverages and leave replacements, recruitment and retention efforts, and faculty feedback and evaluation.
• Designs and leads monthly department meetings and departmental professional development.
• Responds to parent and dean queries about curriculum, placement, and classroom experiences.
• Teaches 3 academic courses.

To apply for this position, please click on the red “Apply for this Job” button. Please submit a resume and cover letter. If there are pronouns we should use in potential future communications, we invite you to share that information with us. For information about this position and all open positions, please visit the Careers page of Riverdale’s website.

Benefits of Full Time Work at Riverdale Country School

Working at Riverdale Country School is a purposeful and meaningful career choice that comes with many benefits including:

Transportation: Shuttle service is available to/from the 242nd St / Broadway subway station. Limited stops are also available near transit hubs in Manhattan including the Metro North Harlem Station and subway lines – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, A, B, C, and D. If there is need in the community, we can also run a shuttle from the Henry Hudson Parkway / 246th St bus stop which connects to the #7, #10, and Express Buses to/from Manhattan.

Professional Development: A generous professional-development budget provides for conferences, skills training, and onsite training in areas such as mindfulness, coaching, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Grants and Stipends: All employees are eligible for Frankel Fellow grants, known as “passion grants,” which pay for enrichment activities. More than 120 grants have been made to faculty and staff since the program started in 2014. Stipends are available for coaching, affinity group facilitation, advising clubs with significant out-of-school time, and chaperoning trips (including global trips!).

Sabbatical: Full time teaching faculty are eligible for a sabbatical after 10 years of employment.

Health Benefits: Riverdale offers and subsidizes health, dental, and vision insurance. In addition, the school offers a flexible spending account through which employees can use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses.

Retirement: Employees are eligible to join our Defined Contribution retirement plan through TIAA. The school contributes 7% of an employee's annual salary to their retirement account.

Vacation: Riverdale Country School has a generous time-off policy for staff in addition to vacations afforded by the school calendar.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.