Chief Operating Officer

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 200 KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 170,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students.

About the Organization

KIPP North Carolina is a network of eight tuition-free, college-preparatory public charter schools educating approximately 3,000 students in grades K-12 in Durham, Halifax, Northampton and Mecklenburg counties. At KIPP NC, we are committed to improving the life outcomes of North Carolina's children through the delivery of culturally relevant curricula that are grounded in research, and clearing the paths that our students choose to follow by ensuring that they have the roadmaps and guideposts they need to arrive at success - however they define it.

KIPP North Carolina is also committed to building the pipeline of the state's most talented and effective teachers and leaders through competitive compensation, integrated professional development lead by coaches and mentors, and resources they need to succeed, all rooted in core values that articulate our collectively designed organizational beliefs:

Core Values

Pursue Excellence: We uphold high standards for our staff, and are committed to providing the necessary resources, training, mentorship and feedback to help each staff member not only meet, but exceed, expectations. We believe excellence is a habit and a sustained pursuit, not an endpoint. Build Knowledge: We offer our educators robust school-based, regional and external professional development opportunities, before the start of and during the school year, designed to empower them with the latest teaching strategies and technology integration techniques. School Leaders and a statewide teacher development team provide professional coaching for school-based staff and foster collaborative learning, encouraging the exploration of effective teaching strategies and best practices.

Fight Injustice: As a staff, we dismantle the white supremacy within our institution and deepen our own learning and understanding of anti-racism and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) through providing organization-wide regular workshops designed to holistically guide us through the redesign of our workplace culture through the lens of liberation. Additionally, we train and prepare our educators to deliver culturally responsive curricula that respect learners' cultures and prior experiences, and acknowledge and value the legitimacy of different cultures, not just the dominant culture of a society.

Spark Joy: We believe in publicly and privately acknowledging and celebrating the outstanding contributions of our staff, and recognize exceptional individuals across the region. We also understand the importance of fostering a positive and collaborative work environment. We organize monthly school-based staff outings to provide an opportunity for our team to unwind, socialize, and engage in activities that promote camaraderie and a sense of community.

Rise Together: We create space for our region to assemble and celebrate all successes - a space in which we strengthen community by embracing each other's unique identities, and honoring the contributions that will allow us to lift as we rise in the years ahead. We believe Team always beats Individual.

About the Role

What You'll Do

KIPP NC's Chief Operating Officer (COO) sits on the regional leadership team and plays a critical role in advancing and achieving the organization's strategic goals and initiatives. The COO leads a team in executing world-class operational support for the schools in our network, ensuring that KIPP NC delivers exceptional performance while meeting our ambitious student growth goals. The COO ensures our schools are operationally excellent, fully enrolled, well-maintained, and compliant by leading high-performing teams that enable instructional leaders to focus nearly exclusively on driving academic results for kids.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Team and Organizational Leadership

• Manage, coach, develop, and lead a high-performing team of senior operations leaders (Regional Directors of Operations, Director of Student Enrollment Strategy, Director of Data Analytics, Director of Technology, Director of Transportation, and Director of School Nutrition) across the region. Through this team, the COO will ultimately be accountable for excellent school operations and ensuring goals are met in enrollment, budget and finance, compliance, and growth.
• Lead network-wide operations leadership team in driving operations initiatives in support of the organization's strategic goals and to advance operational excellence across the region.
• Actively participate on the regional leadership team and collaborate with the regional leadership team to implement initiatives, strategies, and programs to realize the organization's strategic plan.
• Manage mission critical special projects and initiatives; develop ideas into implementable projects (including projects outside of operations function).
• Lead cross-functional teams with colleagues from other departments (e.g., Finance, External Affairs, and Talent) to monitor and create strategies to minimize institutional risk and maximize effectiveness.
• Establish relationships with all principals, Directors of Operations of schools, and regional leaders to ensure that school-based operations are delivered equitably, efficiently, and effectively, ultimately enabling instructional leadership to focus on academics without distraction.
• Foster organizational culture, and model our core values and commitment to liberation, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Champion and manage change across the organization, and invest internal and external key stakeholders in strategic initiatives, always ensuring that students and academic excellence are at the center of decision making.
• Participate in relevant board working groups and meetings to provide updates and solicit input on operation goals.

Regional and School Operations

• Set a vision of excellence for school and regional operations, and lead a team to ensure schools are efficient, beautiful, and reflective of KIPP NC's mission, vision, and values. Cascade operational goals across the region and schools, and ensure alignment to strategic initiatives. Actively monitor goals, and lean into areas that require additional support or where pivots need to be made, to ensure our region hits all key operational goals in support of the strategic plan.
• Achieve excellence across all our regional support-based operational functions (student recruitment and enrollment, facilities, school operations, technology, meals, transportation, procurement, student information systems, risk management, and safety).
• Lead the design and implementation of any changes to our operational processes, structures, or reporting relationships at both school and regional levels to achieve stronger coordination and collaboration and a seamless experience for schools.
• Partner with programmatic and instructional teams to ensure alignment and seamless integration of our operational and instructional functions.
• Seek feedback on what's working / where we have opportunities to grow.
• Drive results across the operations portfolio, including progress tracking, monitoring, and reporting, holding team and self accountable to short and long term outcomes and ensuring that operations enables instructional excellence at all levels.
• Ensure systems and processes for measuring school operations excellence (such as strong start walk throughs and Ops KPIs) are in place and executed with fidelity; strive to make it so that 75%+ of staff Agree/Strongly Agree that day-to-day operations run smoothly.

Student Recruitment and Enrollment

• Own all student recruitment and enrollment outcomes for the region (100% fully enrolled). In partnership with appropriate colleagues, set enrollment targets for each school and grade level (consistent with regional and school budgets, building capacities, and projected demand) and help design and execute a marketing and operational student enrollment strategy that enables all schools to reach their enrollment and budget targets.
• Oversee strategy for driving student attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism (95%+ Average Daily Attendance) in partnership with schools team.
• Participate in the KIPP national and local charter network of operations and leadership staff to access and share learning and support with peers in other organizations.
• Manage and coach the Director of Student Enrollment Strategy to hit annual enrollment and budget targets and ongoing ADM; Support the Director of Student Enrollment Strategy in designing and implementing enrollment strategies for each geography.

Risk Management/Compliance, Budgeting, and Financial Planning

• In partnership with colleagues, oversee decision making on substantial and complex legal and policy issues that affect schools and ensure KIPP NC and its schools hit all annual federal/state/local/regional /charter compliance goals.
• In partnership with colleagues, ensure that the organization has a sound risk management plan that is executed throughout the region and across departments.
• Lead charter renewal process and ensure that charters (or other operating structures) are renewed and allow for maximum student growth.
• Ensure regional budgets put student outcomes first and help operational colleagues weigh tradeoffs between academic goals, financial operating constraints, and efficiencies. Play an active role in the creation of regional and school-based budgeting, in partnership with the CFO, Regional Directors of Operations, and other operations colleagues.
• Ensure Regional Directors of Operations and regional operational colleagues are actively managing budgets throughout the year, making pivots as necessary.

Operational Systems Management (including Facilities, Transportation, and School Nutrition)

• Identify, develop, and implement operational systems improvements that will support highly efficient, effective, and equitable operational performance, both improving upon the current state of operations and preparing for future growth in size and complexity.
• Oversee the creation and management of standardized operating procedures for school-based and regional operations (facilities, facilities maintenance, safety, supplies, technology, food services, transportation, student recruitment) in order to maximize the economy of scale and avoid duplicative efforts; align and norm across regions as necessary.
• Set a clear, coherent vision for facilities across the region, ensuring the facilities function is executed at a consistent, high quality level and work with all facilities managers to establish and hit annual facilities goals.
• Ensure execution of a facilities management strategy to provide clean, safe, secure, and welcoming environments for students, families and staff, including capital planning and implementation, building improvements and maintenance, and safety and security.
• Manage the Director of Transportation to oversee a sophisticated network of both in-house and outsourced buses safely transporting our students to and from schools, field trips, and other activities.
• Manage the Director of School Nutrition to oversee the execution of a complex third-party food vendor contract responsible for the serving of breakfast, lunch, and snacks to most of the students in our daily care.

IT, Data Systems, and Data Analytics

• Manage the Data Analytics team around the use of non-academic data to help establish a strong data culture across all of KIPP NC.
• Oversee strategies for planning, implementation, and support of information technology and data systems. Build and maintain data infrastructure to support the region's instructional goals and growth.
• Ensure a secure device network and system and manage the integration and maintenance of technology architecture and systems administration, which includes network, servers, workstations, connectivity, security, software, and hardware.
• Ensure efficient, proactive, and responsive user support and customer service for staff and students by collaborating with instructional leaders on educational technology and data management strategies.

Who You'll Work With

You will report to the Executive Director.

You will oversee a team of 20 leaders and supervise the following direct reports:

• Director of Transportation
• Director of Technology
• Director of School Nutrition
• Director of Student Enrollment Strategy
• Director of Data Analytics
• Two Regional Director of Operations

The COO also oversees some contractors and external vendors.

You will frequently collaborate with the Regional Leadership Team:

• Executive Director
• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Academic Officer
• Chief Talent Officer
• Chief External Affairs Officer

Required Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of progressively increasing operational management experience in the context of a growing organization or business, including line management in at least one of the functional domains of the COO role (operations, compliance, transportation, technology, data analytics, school nutrition, student enrollment, or facilities)
• Previous experience in K-12 schools/education required; must bring robust knowledge of K-12 public education, education reform initiatives, and the charter school movement
• Bachelor's degree required, Master's degree in a related field preferred
• Significant team management experience (5-10 years), including experience supporting and coaching top performers and developing other managers
• Maintains an unrelenting commitment to continuous improvement, results-orientation, and unwavering determination to ensure students and teachers succeed always makes decisions in the best interest of students, striking the right balance with external constraints
• Possesses a constant focus on excellence and inspires and leads teams to reach aggressive goals
• Collaborates with a wide range of constituents and to build partnerships around common interests and goals. Builds the strongest relationships with all stakeholders and influences others to achieve outcomes that best support students
• Knows what's important and what to prioritize at all times; maintains flexibility and an ability to maneuver effectively in the face of uncertainty and transition; continuously adapts priorities while maintaining focus on goals
• Demonstrates ability to develop, implement, and manage business systems and processes to support a growing region
• Brings exceptional verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills that contribute to a collegial working environment
• Possesses strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with a demonstrated ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, lead projects, meet multiple concurrent deadlines and organize time and priorities

Attributes

• Possess a deep commitment to both racial equity and improving the lives of kids from low-income communities; experience working within predominantly Black and Brown and low-income communities
• A deep commitment to the mission of KIPP NC and an unwavering belief in the potential of all our students
• An unwavering commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, with an ability to serve as an exemplar for the organization's values and foster an inclusive and respectful workplace and liberatory culture
• Understanding and willingness to work in both rural and urban communities, including exhibiting resourcefulness and willingness to travel up to five hours within North Carolina multiple times a week based on need

Salary

This role offers an annual salary range between $145,000 and $160,000.

Benefits

• Healthcare (medical, vision, and dental) at no cost to individual employees and deep discounts for dependents
• Health Reimbursement Account for additional medical and health and wellness expenses up to $1,200-$1,700
• Paid time off for all major national holidays (including Fall Break, Winter Break, Spring Break)
• 4-8 weeks of Paid Parental Leave for childbirth, adoption and foster care
• Enrollment in a retirement program with employer match up to 6% of annual wages
• 23-30 days of additional Personal Time Off and Sick Leave annually depending upon tenure
• All FTEs provided $25,000 in Basic Life & AD&D Insurance Additional Voluntary Life & AD&D coverage available
• Short and Long Term Disability, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity coverages available

Application Instructions

Qualified individuals please apply: https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/3299

On-Ramps is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. We’re partnering with the team at KIPP North Carolina to build a diverse team. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

On-Ramps is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals in the hiring process, including but not limited to those with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the application or interview process, please contact info@on-ramps.com.