A Chief Academic Officer is a position that is responsible for the education and learning of the environment or industry you are in. You will be responsible for the entire learning and curriculum set forth for the students who are learning. This responsibility will stretch across an entire organization. As the CAO you might be responsible for the training of new employees coming into an organization like a hospital. This position is more popularly found in academic entities like colleges, universities, high schools, public schools, and even private schools.
This position is a full time job. It is very rare you would get the opportunity to work from home and there will most likely be a lot of travel required if you have many schools you are responsible for. If you are a CAO for a public school district then you will be responsible for many different schools. This may require you to travel to the different schools frequently. Although you will travel frequently, you most likely will work out of the main district office most of the time. If you are the Chief Academic Officer for a college or a university then you will spend most of your time in your office and in meetings with other personnel.
The educational experience for executive positions in this area requires a graduate degree. That is because you cannot be in charge of an education if you do not have the highest education. Some companies may even demand that you have a doctorate degree, which is the highest you can get. Smaller organizations and school districts usually demand a graduate degree.
Your background must be recognized in education and reform. You must have experience working in various schools and learning environments so you can be fit for the position. If you do not have a background in education and your overall goal is to eventually become a Chief Academic Officer then you will start at the bottom working in a school possibly as a teacher.
Many of the requirements for a position like this include the education, background in learning environments, and a national profile with the educational communities. You should be a member of a national education board. It is important to have experience working in a profit based environment, experience as a district superintendent, and have a proven track record to produce results.
Communication skills are very important in a position like a Chief Academic Officer. You need to be able to effectively communicate with staff members and community members in a written manner and orally. You will also be required to do quite a bit of public speaking. This will be required at public conferences and meetings you will hold. A strong and solid history of public speaking as well as published work in the areas of education is usually required or strongly desired.
The market for executive job positions in the nation like a Chief Academic Officer is actually good if you are willing to travel. There may not be a position for you in the local community you live in but you are sure to find one in the nation. The availability of jobs and executive positions like this are not found often and the turnover rate is not high either. The pay for a position like this will pay anywhere from $75k to $150k depending on the entity. The higher rates usually are for a CAO for a big university.
The places you will inquire for a Chief Academic Officer position are places like universities, colleges, K-12 school districts and even online organizations. These are your best bets for finding this position. There are companies that require extensive training before they will put someone in the field. These types of organizations will also have executive positions in demand also. Hospitals also have training and academic officers because they put every staff member, no matter what the position is, through training before they put them to work.
When you put your resume together it is best to gather letters of reference together also. This is a position that people will want to see what others think about you. The more organizations you belong to and the more reference letters you have the better. They want to be able to do a complete profile of you in every aspect. This will help a company be able to make a determination if you are the right person for the job or not.
The education for the students today is extremely important because these children are who will be making the decisions for our futures. If you want to be a Chief Academic Officer because you think you can reform and design the learning structures for students today you will be required to have a high education. You need to be able to communicate effectively and have an extensive background in education. This is a great paying position but you may need to move to an area where you can find work.
