Director of Program - Speech & Debate

Company: Bellarmine College Preparatory
Location: San Jose
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Bellarmine College Preparatory, located in San José, California invites applications for a Director of the Speech and Debate Program position beginning on July 1, 2026. The Director of Speech and Debate leads one of the nation’s largest and most competitive high school programs, overseeing more than 200 students and a staff of assistant coaches. The Director is responsible for setting the strategic vision of the team, fostering a culture of intellectual rigor and collaboration, and ensuring the program continues its tradition of excellence at local, state, and national levels while ensuring that the entirety of the program holds true to the Jesuit way of proceeding. This position requires a balance of high-level program administration, curriculum design, coaching expertise, and community leadership. Additionally, working at Bellarmine requires a commitment to the mission and values of the school, as well as a collaborative spirit and enthusiasm for engaging with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and families in our community. Bellarmine complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and considers reasonable accommodations that may be necessary to perform the essential functions of the job. Essential Responsibilities: Program Leadership and Administration Provide strategic direction and day-to-day oversight of a 200 student Speech and Debate program. Establish clear systems and processes for program operations and coach collaboration. Manage and mentor a team of assistant coaches, ensuring alignment with the program’s pedagogical philosophy, competitive goals, and mission. Oversee communications with a community of 400 stakeholders, ensuring transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness. Collaborate with school administrators, faculty, alumni, parents, and the Parent Committee to support program growth, visibility, and sustainability. Serve as a liaison between the Speech and Debate program and the Business Office, including budget oversight and financial processes. Curriculum and Instruction Implement and oversee rigorous curricula for speech and debate offerings, including Rhetoric, Rhetoric Honors, and afterschool novice training. Teach multiple sections of Rhetoric Honors. Evaluate Rhetoric Honors course applications and support appropriate student placement. At Bellarmine, instructional focus includes Policy Debate, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking, and Original Advocacy. Develop structured learning systems (e.g., rubrics, interactive modules, digital tracking tools) to scaffold student growth in analysis, delivery, research, and critical thinking. Foster inclusive, student-centered learning environments that promote creativity, empathy, resilience, and intellectual risk-taking. Coaching and Competitive Excellence Coach and mentor students across all major speech and debate events. Demonstrate deep expertise in Policy Debate, including preparing students for both traditional, lay-audience debate and technical, faster-paced formats, with strong emphasis on judge adaptation. Provide daily student coaching and attend weekly after-school event meetings. Be available during the school day for formal and informal meetings with students, student leaders, and coaches. Train students for competition at the highest levels, including State Championships, Tournament of Champions, and NSDA Nationals. Provide individualized, advanced feedback on speeches, debates, and written work. Empower and guide student captains and leadership teams in helping to run and sustain the program. Cultivate a culture of collaboration, leadership development, and mutual support. Tournament, League and Travel Management Organize and oversee tournament participation at the local, state, and national levels. Handle tournament registration, payments, travel logistics, flights, hotel reservations, and judging obligations. Coordinate tournament judging sign-ups in collaboration with the Parent Committee. Maintain records of hired judges and ensure timely payment and reimbursement. Host the National Qualifying Tournament in March and potentially other league tournaments. Chaperone and attend league and travel tournaments. Participate in Coast Forensic League coaches’ meetings (approximately three per year). Admissions, Community, and Alumni Engagement Partner with the Admissions Office to increase program visibility at Open House, Admitted Student Night, and other on-campus events. Speak with prospective students and families, including shadows and their guides, about Speech and Debate opportunities. Build and sustain strong parent, alumni, and donor networks. Organize annual showcases, banquets, and fundraisers celebrating student achievement. Serve as a visible ambassador for the program within the school community and the broader forensics community Minimum Qualifications/Skills: Bachelor’s degree in English, Communication, Education, or a related field. Significant experience teaching and coaching Speech and Debate at the high school or collegiate level. Demonstrated record of student success at the state and national levels. Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills. Ability to manage complex logistics and coordinate large-scale operations. Preferred Qualifications: Experience directing a large, nationally competitive program. Expertise across multiple competitive events, including Policy Debate and individual speaking events. Familiarity with digital tools for team management (like Slack, Excel sheets, mail merge, etc.) Commitment to Jesuit educational values of intellectual excellence, justice, and cura personalis. Physical Requirements: Ability to lift 20 pounds, using proper lifting techniques Ability to sit, stand, and/or move around the applicable working environment as needed Ability to safely and comfortably travel around our campus Ability to use a keyboard (or an alternative input device) and other office equipment Ability to read information in printed material on a computer screen (often for extended periods of time) and/or on a mobile device/laptop General Information: This is a Regular Full-Time Exempt position; the employee is expected to work as many hours as their job responsibilities require, which could include evenings and weekends. Compensation for this role starts at $130,000 - $150,000 annually. This position is eligible for benefits. This is not a telecommuting position. The general expectation is that this position will begin work on or about July 1, 2026.

Keywords: Bellarmine College Preparatory, Fairfield , Director of Program - Speech & Debate, Education / Teaching , San Jose, California