Executive Director, The Excel Center High School, Evergreen Goodwill

About Evergreen Goodwill

Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1923 that helps people get jobs across Northwest Washington by offering high-quality free job training, education and job placement. Goodwill empowers individuals to overcome barriers to working, by providing comprehensive support and connecting them with life changing job opportunities, ensuring they are career-ready and can support themselves and their families.


The organization employs over 2,000 people, operates five job-training centers, 23 nonprofit retail stores and more than 27 donation sites in King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom and Kitsap Counties. Every day, Evergreen Goodwill connects people with the jobs, services and skills they need — because Jobs Change Lives. We are committed to creating and sustaining a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion (DEI) and are focused on creating a joyful, inclusive and successful organization.


Job Title: Executive Director – The Excel Center High School, Evergreen Goodwill
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports to: VP, Mission
Location: Seattle, WA
Salary Range: $135K-150K annually

Evergreen Goodwill is seeking a transformational builder and leader with the gravitas, vision, and executional expertise to launch, scale, and operate a charter high school for adults that changes lives and expands access for greater opportunity. This role is not about maintaining a program; it is about building an institution. The school will be based on the Excel Center model, developed by Goodwill of Indiana and operating at other Goodwills nationally. Located in Seattle, WA, The Excel Center, Evergreen Goodwill will be the first adult high school of its kind on the west coast.

We are looking for a proven executive who has designed and scaled complex education systems, who is equally credible in front of a classroom, a boardroom, and a room full of major donors. The Executive Director of The Excel Center, Evergreen Goodwill will bring bold vision, disciplined execution, and the ability to lead and earn trust of students, staff, partners, and the community. They are a leader who can inspire school teams, and confidently represent The Excel Center to funders, policymakers, community and technical college leadership, and business leaders who will build The Excel Center into a flagship model that is locally transformative, nationally respected, and financially sustainable. If you are a builder, have passion and expertise in education administration, and want to help break cycles of poverty, this is your chance.

The Excel Center is a nationally recognized adult high school model developed by Goodwill Industries to support adults who did not complete high school. Excel Centers provide students with an opportunity to earn a tuition-free, fully accredited high school diploma while receiving intensive academic support, career coaching, and pathways to postsecondary education and employment. Across the country, Excel Centers have demonstrated strong outcomes in graduation, credential attainment, and postsecondary transition, particularly for students who have historically been underserved by traditional education systems. Evergreen Goodwill is launching and scaling the first-ever Excel Center High School on the West Coast, offering a once-in-a-career opportunity to build a nationally proven model from the ground up and shape a groundbreaking institution responsive to local community needs. Learn more about the national Excel Center model at: https://www.goodwillexcelcenter.org/

Core Responsibilities and Scope of Leadership

Executive Leadership and School Strategy

• Partner closely with Evergreen Goodwill leaders to set and execute a school-wide strategy aligned to enrollment growth, student persistence, graduation outcomes, and postsecondary success.
• Establish ambitious, data-driven goals for academic achievement, enrollment, retention, and completion, and adapt strategy as needed to ensure results.
• Serve as the founding leader accountable for translating vision into measurable outcomes, systems, and culture.

Academic Excellence and Student Outcomes

• Ensure strong alignment to Washington State Learning Standards, Common Core State Standards, and 21st Century Skills, with a particular emphasis on college and career-ready instruction.
• Lead the design and continuous improvement of college and career pathways, including dual credit attainment, credentialing, and postsecondary transition outcomes.
• Analyze student and graduate data to identify trends, strengthen programming, and drive continuous improvement.
• Use data intentionally to inform interventions, professional development, and instructional strategy.


Culture, Talent, and Organizational Leadership

• Build, lead, and sustain a high-pe