Founding Elementary Chess Teacher, 2027 - 2028

About the role

Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast-growing, and high-performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole-child education regardless of zip code or economic status. When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential.

Founding Elementary Chess Teacher

At Success, non-academic subjects aren't 'extra' but essential. Scholar Talent and electives serve as critical, creative outlets for scholars to explore and develop their passions and talents in athletics, chess, debate and visual and performing arts. We expect Scholar Talent teachers to be masters of their craft and share their passion, talent and experience in the classroom.

We are looking for a results-driven Founding Elementary Chess Teacher to join our community and establish our inaugural elementary chess program.

A successful resume will detail competitive chess tournament participation/coaching experience, USCF rating (or equivalent), personal online rating, and/or your Chess.com username. If selected to move forward, we will ask questions about your experience preparing young scholars for high-stakes tournament play.

In this role, you will

• Found a championship-caliber elementary chess program and fostered a strong culture of competitive excellence, sportsmanship, and critical thinking.
• Design and deliver a rigorous elementary chess curriculum tailored for young learners, progressing from foundational principles to advanced tactical and positional play.
• Build, coach, and mentor a competitive elementary chess team, preparing scholars to successfully compete and win in local, state, and national tournaments.
• Invest in parents by coordinating and leading family chess nights and internal network chess tournaments.
• Engage in training and collaborating with chess teachers and leaders across the network to benefit from targeted feedback and professional development related to instruction and content.
• Support our high-performing competitive teams by coaching at tournaments at least 12 Saturdays per school year.

We invite you to apply if you

• Achieved outstanding academic results.
• Possess extensive competitive chess tournament experience, either as a player or coach, with a proven track record of tournament preparation.
• Are passionate about chess and learning.
• Demonstrate successful experience teaching elementary-aged students and leading teams to victory in competitive settings.
• Set ambitious goals for yourself and others, and are not afraid of putting in the hard work it takes to achieve them.
• Have confidence and presence -- You enjoy taking the lead and inspiring others with your passion and commitment.
• Enjoy collaborating with others (i.e., playing on an athletics team, or in a band or orchestra).
• Have leadership experience (i.e., leadership position on a club or team; experience overseeing/managing people or organizing activities).
• Pay strong attention to detail, and have experience juggling multiple responsibilities and planning around competing priorities.
• Have experience working with a group of children.
• Embody the character traits we value in our ETHOS - Excellence, Teamwork, Humor, Ownership, and making sure our Scholars are top of mind.
• A 2-year or 4-year degree is a plus but not required.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Fluency in English is required. Bilingual fluency in Spanish and/or Haitian Creole is preferred.
• Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM* (when after-school club is not in sessions, Chess Teachers' schedule will align with academic teachers.)

• Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience.
• Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. This position is not bonus eligible.