ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Principal Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

previous page

Showing results 41-60

All JobsPrincipal JobsPrincipal Jobs in Virginia

Principal information

See Virginia salary details

$36.2K

$108.5K

$180.4K

How much do principal jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal in Virginia is $108,454.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,300.00 and $123,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal?

Principals are the lead administrators of schools, responsible for overseeing all daily operations, managing staff and students, and ensuring a safe and effective learning environment. They set educational goals, implement school policies, and work to improve academic performance and school culture. Principals also serve as the main point of communication between the school, parents, and the community. Their leadership is essential in shaping the direction and success of a school.

What does a principal do?

Principals are the lead administrators of schools. They are responsible for training and managing the staff, selecting curriculum, monitoring the school budget, and dealing with parent concerns. Principals must also deal with disciplinary issues that have escalated beyond what the student’s teacher can handle. They represent the school in district administration meetings and advocate for more funding or staff, new equipment, facility repairs, or anything else the school needs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal, you need a solid background in educational leadership, curriculum development, and typically a master's degree in education administration or a related field. Familiarity with student information systems, data analysis tools, and relevant certifications such as state principal licensure are commonly required. Strong interpersonal skills, decision-making, and the ability to inspire and manage staff are essential soft skills for success. These competencies are crucial for fostering a positive learning environment, ensuring regulatory compliance, and driving school improvement initiatives.

What are some common challenges principals face when balancing administrative duties with instructional leadership?

Principals often find it challenging to balance their time between administrative responsibilities—such as budgeting, compliance, and facility management—and their role as instructional leaders focused on curriculum development and teacher support. Effective principals prioritize tasks, delegate when appropriate, and implement systems to streamline administrative processes, allowing them to spend more time in classrooms and mentoring staff. Building a strong leadership team and fostering open communication are key strategies for managing these dual responsibilities successfully.

How much do most principals make?

Most principals earn a median annual salary of around $98,000, though this can vary based on location, school size, and experience. Experienced principals in larger districts or urban areas may earn over $130,000 annually. Certification and leadership skills are important factors in salary levels.

Is becoming a principal worth it?

Becoming a principal is a leadership role that involves managing school operations, staff, and student performance. It typically requires a master's degree, administrative certification, and experience in teaching or education administration. The position offers a higher salary and increased responsibility but also involves long hours and administrative challenges.

What qualifications do you need to be a principal?

To become a principal, candidates typically need a master's degree in education or a related field, along with state certification or licensure for school administration. Most principals also have several years of teaching experience and demonstrate strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
More about Principal jobs

What are the most commonly searched types of Principal jobs in Virginia?

The most popular types of Principal jobs in Virginia are:

What are popular job titles related to Principal jobs in Virginia?

For Principal jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Principal jobs in Virginia look for?

The top searched job categories for Principal jobs in Virginia are:

What cities in Virginia are hiring for Principal jobs?

Cities in Virginia with the most Principal job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Principal jobs in VA?

For Principal jobs in VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Principal jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 81% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,454 per year, or $52.1 per hour.

Principal, Implementation

McChrystal Group

Alexandria, VA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 27 days ago

Job description

About McChrystal Group:
McChrystal Group is a leadership and management consulting firm that partners with executive teams to solve their most complex performance and coordination challenges. Founded in 2011 by General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, we help organizations operate with the speed, alignment, and cohesion required to succeed in dynamic environments.
Our work is rooted in the Team of Teams® framework - a leadership system developed from General McChrystal's transformation of the Joint Special Operations Command. We believe that enduring performance depends not just on strategy, but on how effectively leaders, teams, and systems work together under pressure.
McChrystal Group consultants work on small, high-impact teams tackling challenges that matter. You'll work shoulder to shoulder with senior executives, world-class advisors, and teammates who take pride in the quality, integrity, and purpose of their work. The pace is demanding, the problems are complex, and the impact is tangible. People join McChrystal Group because they want to grow as leaders and do work that makes a difference.
Role Overview:
The Principal is a leader within McChrystal Group's Implementation Practice, the team that partners with senior executives to lead long-term, transformational engagements that blend leadership advisory, process improvement, and the design of systems that enable coordinated performance at scale. Implementation teams help clients translate strategy into action by building the capabilities that sustain results long after our engagement ends.
As a Principal, you will lead entire client engagements, shaping strategy, defining success, and guiding cross-functional teams from diagnosis through sustained execution. You'll serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders while ensuring delivery excellence across multiple workstreams. Principals operate with significant autonomy and influence - owning relationships, shaping the firm's approach, and driving both client and commercial outcomes.
Our work blends consulting discipline with operational execution. In one engagement, you might help a Fortune 100 company design and drive a global leadership and operating model transformation; in another, you might embed with a state government to rewire how critical services are delivered across a complex network of stakeholders. Every project is high-impact, hands-on, and built around measurable results.
Client Delivery and Impact
  • Lead complex, multi-phase engagements from launch through execution, defining scope, deliverables, and success measures.
  • Drive measurable outcomes that tie directly to client performance and strategic value.
  • Oversee multiple workstreams and ensure coordinated execution across teams and stakeholder groups.
  • Establish and maintain disciplined project management structures that enable transparency, accountability, and adaptability.
  • Anticipate and mitigate risks, resolve issues proactively, and adjust delivery to evolving client needs.
  • Monitor engagement economics (staffing, utilization, realization) to balance commercial health with client success.

Client Engagement and Business Development
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to senior client executives; lead relationship strategy across major accounts.
  • Identify and pursue new opportunities within existing portfolios; shape proposals and statements of work.
  • Build and deliver executive-level presentations and pitches; coach teams on compelling storytelling and strategic communication.
  • Represent McChrystal Group's distinctive value proposition with clarity, confidence, and credibility.

Leadership and Team Development
  • Lead and develop engagement teams, delegating with intention and providing consistent coaching and feedback.
  • Champion firm values across engagements - embedding Ship / Shipmate / Self and Client First principles into team norms and decision-making.
  • Foster innovation in delivery by encouraging experimentation, sharing learnings, and scaling what works.

Knowledge Management and Continuous Improvement
  • Capture lessons learned and codify successful practices to strengthen the firm's collective knowledge base.
  • Lead efforts to refine delivery frameworks, methodologies, and measurement tools.
  • Contribute to the development of new intellectual property and approaches that advance McChrystal Group's thought leadership.

Firm Growth and Culture
  • Contribute to firm growth through recruiting, industry engagement, and thought leadership.
  • Pursue ongoing personal and professional development through mentorship, client exposure, and continuous learning.

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree required; MBA or similar advanced degree preferred.
  • 10+ years of professional experience, ideally including consulting or relevant private-sector leadership.
  • Proven ability to lead large, complex programs and manage cross-functional teams.
  • Exceptional client relationship skills, with executive presence and strategic communication capability.
  • Demonstrated success developing and mentoring high-performing team members.
  • Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.
  • Proficiency in MS Office and comfort with data-driven storytelling.
  • Ability and desire to travel up to 75%.

McChrystal Group is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our goal is to embody and embrace a diverse workforce that is representative, at all levels, of the customers we serve. We are committed to cultivating an environment of mutual respect and all employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool and encourage applications of all backgrounds without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.
If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or need an alternative method for applying, you may contact [email protected] for assistance.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. 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.

Apply