Associate Chief Operating Officer: Uncommon Schools

Uncommon Schools is a non-profit network of 54 outstanding public charter schools in grades K-12 across New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Our mission is to start and manage outstanding urban public charter schools that close the achievement gap and prepare students from low-income backgrounds for success in college and beyond. We are accomplishing that mission every day, with a college graduation rate that is well above the national average and thousands of stories of our students and alumni achieving their dreams.

Job Description

Location(s): within their placement region; travel to other Uncommon regions will be required

TEAM & ROLE OVERVIEW

The Associate Chief Operating Officer (ACOO) oversees school and regional operations within their region, in conjunction with the Managing Director of Operations. The ACOO is responsible for ensuring that the schools in their region operate at the highest level, with systems in place that allow teachers and Principals to focus on instruction and academic achievement. The ACOO ensures excellent school operations through direct management of a “portfolio” of Directors of Operations (leaders in each school who manage all non-instructional aspects of the school). The ACOO reports to the Managing Director of Operations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

We are seeking an experienced operational leader who will set a high bar for school operations and will achieve that vision of excellence by managing and supporting a team of Directors of Operations. The ACOO must be able to effectively build their DOOs’ capacity to run high-functioning, operationally excellent schools. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

School Management

• Effectively support and develop a team of school-based Directors of Operations; ensure outstanding school operations through their core areas of responsibility, including but not limited to:
• Daily School Systems
• Facilities
• Financial Management
• Technology
• Food and Transportation
• Government Reporting
• HR & Personnel
• Assessment & Program Evaluation
• Enrollment Management
• Operations Leader Collaboration
• Operations Team Management
• Student & Staff Culture
• Hold DOOs accountable to performance metrics (Operations Dashboard, Operations Inspections, Mid-Year Evaluations, etc.), and support them in improving performance and meeting goals.
• Create, implement, and monitor cross-Uncommon operations initiatives in their regions (e.g. aligned toolkits for State Testing and School Launch; PD session facilitation and follow-up).
• Steward a leadership culture for DOO teams within regions.
• Ensure that school leaders are correctly implementing policies/procedures and intervene when needed if serious issues arise.
• Oversee hiring, on-boarding, management, and evaluation of all operations staff, including Directors of Operations and school-based operations teams.
• Partner with ACOOs within and across regions to ensure consistent implementation of operations priorities.
• Work seamlessly with Assistant Superintendent(s) to facilitate the support of Principal/DOO co-leader pairs for schools that they jointly manage.
• Partner with regional school support team on all region-specific initiatives and systems (e.g. enrollment, Child Nutrition, government reporting, other projects identified through annual strategic planning).
• Serve as the liaison between schools in their region and Home Office teams to identify issues and implement sustainable solutions.
• Serve as an exceptional role model as a leader and manager, investing deeply in supporting and developing team members and growing their capacity to learn, contribute and engage in the work of the team and organization.

Qualifications

Preferred

• Significant experience in school operations management.
• Demonstrates a high bar for excellence in school operations.
• Able to effectively manage team members to concrete outcomes.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills and ability to work towards a common vision with various stakeholders (e.g. school leaders, regional leaders, Home Office teams, Uncommon parents).
• Able to effectively prioritize between multiple high-leverage, high-risk issues; impeccable judgment and understanding of the implications of decisions on schools and stakeholders.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-change organization; flexible.
• Excellent organization, time management, and follow-up skills; ability to demonstrate an appropriate sense of urgency.

Minimum

• 3-5 years of experience in school or non-profit operations management.
• Experience managing a team to outcomes.
• Strong commitment to the organizational mission.

Additional Information

Uncommon Schools offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package. Aside from extensive professional development, all our staff members are equipped with a laptop computer, email, and all necessary supplies.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for important dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.