Chief of Staff

Reports to: Superintendent Grow Public Schools

Exempt, Year-Round

Organizational Overview:

At Grow Public Schools (GPS), our mission is fueled by a need for educational equity and a belief in the transformative power of academic excellence and wellness. We believe education and wellness are regarded as fundamental pillars for success and their harmonious integration paves the way for brilliant and vibrant futures. Founded by the Grimm Family Education Foundation in August 2011, Grow Public Schools is committed to underserved communities in, and building a brighter future for, Kern County, California.

Grow Public Schools operates Grow Academy Arvin, and Grow Academy Shafter, both TK-8 schools, serving over 1,600 students with a plan to open two additional schools to serve a total of 3,200 students.

Job Overview and Summary

The Chief of Staff will be responsible for ensuring that the Superintendent and organization have the systems and structures in place to deliver on strategic priorities, initiatives, and critical organizational functions. The Chief of Staff will achieve excellence through the implementation of systems, special projects, and strategies to carry out the priorities and goals of the organization through cross-functional execution. This leader will galvanize people to align in the work for student achievement and be instrumental in leading the growth of the network over the next several years.

The COS will be instrumental in leading the growth of the network over the next several years, while maintaining and accelerating high-quality programs and student achievement across the GPS network. The Chief of Staff will be part of a Cabinet team also consisting of the Superintendent, Chief Business Officer, and Chief Academic Officer. S/he will have direct oversight of the Director of Talent, Director of Marketing and Communications, Manager of Data, and the Director of Alumni and Family Supports.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Strategy & Planning

• Strategic Advisor: Trusted counsel to the Superintendent, a key leader of Grow’s Cabinet, helping define organizational priorities, and clarifying the strategic direction of Grow in its next phase of organizational development and expansion to four schools.
• Project management: Serve as lead for key strategic projects that span different functions of the organization including overseeing strategic initiatives to drive organizational growth and long-term sustainability.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work with individual members of the Cabinet and other organizational and functional leaders as a thought partner and support to ensure the accomplishment of strategic priorities.
• Progress monitoring: Establish systems and structures to monitor progress, share updates, and keep team members apprised of key initiatives and activities. Determine appropriate project timelines, communication, and training structures that make change more likely and successful. Drive successful Executive Team performance and health, including through the design and implementation of meeting and planning structures and processes.

Network Effectiveness & Excellence

• Coordinate & lead team meetings: Maximize the Superintendent’s effectiveness by coordinating and leading team meetings to ensure maximum focus on the most pressing and highest-leverage organizational issues and initiatives. In partnership with the Superintendent, set and lead the Home Office’s tactical rhythms and ensure a highly collaborative, functional organizational culture is set and maintained through regular pulse checks, and ongoing capacity and team building across all levels of employees at the Home Office.
• Board management: In partnership with the Executive Liaison to the Board of Directors and Key Stakeholders, ensure excellent management and implementation of executive processes, including meetings, communications, governance, membership, and performance evaluation.
• Policies & practices: Plan, develop, implement, assess, and improve policies and practices to support network-wide excellence.

Team Engagement & Staff Support

• Internal communications: Develop and manage internal communications strategy in partnership with key team members to ensure transparency, clarity, and coherence when communicating high stakes information across teams and members of the Grow community.
• Build a culture of growth. Keep a pulse on the broader organizational health on behalf of the Superintendent, including organization-wide culture, systems health, crisis, and risk management. Leverage data analysis to assess organizational culture and health.
• Staff support: Serve as a representative on behalf of the Superintendent to manage, mediate, and facilitate the resolution of complex problems, ensuring timely, thorough and effective outcomes. Invest in the development and collaboration with others.

Leadership and Management

• Manage, coach, develop, and support direct reports and their functional areas including:
• Talent - Lead the teams that manage talent and human resources. This includes overseeing the HRIS system (Bamboo), talent management systems, performance management and talent acquisition for new schools and the home office.
• Marketing & Communications - Lead the team charged with network-wide communication strategy for both internal and external communications, marketing materials, enrollment marketing support including Grow’s website and brand management.
• Data Systems - Lead the team tasked with ensuring secure, reliable, and integrated technology and data reporting solutions that support learning, teaching and core business functions in alignment with Grow Public School's mission and priorities. This includes managing academic data and dashboards, managing student information systems and CALPADS, and special data projects and analysis.
• Alumni & Family Supports - Oversee the team focused on Grow Alumni and Family initiatives, including Grow Alumni Case Management and family engagement.

Qualities and Competencies:

• Commitment to Grow Public Schools core beliefs and mission
• Experience working in a rapidly evolving and entrepreneurial environment leading and navigating change
• Knowledge of rural school environments and school culture
• Experience working in schools or nonprofit organizations.
• Deep people skills including relationship building, team leadership & development of others.
• Able to cultivate staff sense of belonging and excellence, both with one’s team and across the organization
• Strategic Leadership & Counsel: Relentless dedication to holistically centering the work of the organization on the experience of school sites and students, including excellence in building systems and deepening cross-functional collaboration
• Analytical Decision-Making: Ability to operate with excellence across both big-picture vision-setting and weedy implementation, bridging big ideas with realities on the ground
• Project & Operations Management: Outstanding project management and problem-solving skills

Required Education and Experience:

• At least 6 years of progressive professional work experience in a related field and a Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• Experience advising high-performing executives in high-stakes roles and systems
• Experience leading complex and/or cross-functional projects and teams through change
• Experience scaling complex projects across multiple school sites
• Experience in the TK-12 education ecosystem is highly preferred

Compensation & Benefits

This position is exempt. The compensation range for this position is $170,000-190,000 depending upon experience, with the potential for both a signing and relocation bonus.. Home Office Employees at Grow Public Schools are also eligible for a Performance Bonus of up to 10% of their annual salary based on the completion of goals for the academic year. The organization also offers a 403b retirement plan, generous employer contributions toward healthcare premiums for employees and dependents, a variety of medical, dental, and vision HMO and PPO plan options, employer paid Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, and a multitude of other ancillary benefits.