Director of School Operations (26-27)

kippnorcal; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Transportation benefits

Job summary

KIPP Public Schools Northern California is seeking a Director of School Operations to lead strategic operations, drive efficiencies, and partner with instructional leaders to maximize learning time, both in person and virtually. This full-time role reports to the School Leader and supports the regional Operations team.

The DSO will hire and develop the operations staff, manage the budget, oversee facilities and safety, coordinate enrollment and attendance, and ensure compliant, scalable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in policy, business, or related field with 3+ years of work experience.
• 2+ years in project/program management, operations, HR or accounting with stakeholder engagement.
• 1+ year of direct people management and team development experience.
• 1+ year in K-12 education or youth development preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead school operations team and model operational leadership.
• Manage day-to-day school operations including policies, systems and procedures.
• Oversee budgeting, procurement, and contracting with regional teams.
• Support student recruitment, enrollment and attendance and family engagement.
• Collaborate with School Leader to ensure safe, joyful, efficient learning environments.

Skills

Project management

Operations management

People management

K-12 education knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Spanish or Vietnamese

Microsoft Suite / Google Suite

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Policy or Business

3+ years work experience or 5+ years’ work experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Zoom

Job description

DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL OPERATIONS

Position Summary

In the Director of School Operations (DSO), KIPP is seeking an experienced people and project manager to lead strategic operational priorities, manage day-to-day school operations, drive efficiencies and systematization, and partner with our instructional leaders to ensure procedures at our school maximize time students spend learning - both in-person and virtually.

The Director of School Operations is instrumental in building and sustaining a thriving school that lasts. At KIPP Public Schools Northern California, DSOs are the strategic business and operational directors of our schools, whose job is to drive exemplary operational results as a key member of the school’s leadership team. KIPP’s DSOs are passionate about working with kids, parents and staff, know the importance of an excellent education and believe all students deserve the opportunity to attend an excellent school.

The DSO role reports to the School Leader and is coached and supported by the Operations team at the Regional Support Office (RSO), which supports all KIPP schools in the region.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• Deep integrity and commitment to KIPP Public Schools Northern California’s mission and values required
• 2+ years of experience in project or program management, operations, human resources or accounting - with clear experience driving stakeholder engagement - required
• 1+ year of direct people management and team development experience required
• 1+ year of experience in K-12 education or youth development preferred

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Policy, Business, or related field and 3+ years of work experience or 5+ years’ work experience required

Knowledge/skills required:

• Highly self-aware and reflective, with a commitment to feedback and growth
• Ability to self-direct, prioritize and multi-task among competing goals
• Demonstrated experience working and solving problems in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others, build relationships across teams, and influence even in the absence of formal authority
• Success leading change initiatives in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in Spanish or Vietnamese required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite or Google Suite required
• Ability to learn and utilize technology necessary to operate in a virtual office environment (i.e. Zoom, Go to Meeting)

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Model school operations leadership and supervise and support school operations team

• Support the School Leader’s vision and take an active role in mobilizing school staff to achieve the collective goals of the school.
• Define a clear, compelling vision of school operations excellence that supports the overall vision of the school
• Hire, develop, coach and retain exceptional school operations team members and model strong staff culture for others
• Lead planning and goal setting for the school operations team; design thoughtful, engaging, and actionable professional development opportunities for operations team members; build direct reports’ knowledge of key content areas; and hold team accountable for implementation of new practices
• Model operational leadership in the school by building relationships, training staff and cultivating a mindset where operations is viewed as an integral part of a successful school that lasts
• As a key member of the school’s leadership team, provide input on the strategic direction, ensure operational needs are represented in schoolwide planning and partner with the school leader to build a safe, joyful, efficient learning environment

Lead student recruitment, enrollment and attendance processes and improvement

• Partner with School Leader and regional Finance and Operations teams to thoughtfully vet and approve targets that facilitate full enrollment and maximize public funding
• Manage student recruitment and enrollment process from start to finish, including marketing, canvassing, and community engagement; collecting applications and interest forms; ensuring ongoing communication with accepted and waitlisted families; managing the waitlist strategically; and developing and implementing summer retention activities to ensure all enrolled students attend on the first day of school.
• Support school operations team members in scheduling, organizing and hosting on-campus and off-campus school events, including community events, orientation sessions and other engagement opportunities for new families
• In partnership with Regional Operations, drive student attendance goals and reduce truancy and chronic absenteeism by ensuring staff and families follow attendance procedures, managing attendance accounting and reporting, and supporting the school’s process for addressing truancy and ensuring every student is in school to learn and grow

Manage and oversee day-to-day school operations

• Design, manage and optimize school-wide policies, systems, and procedures
• Lead school operations team in successfully managing the school’s main office, answering questions from parents, students, and visitors and implementing and managing communication systems (e.g. newsletters, mailings, flyers)
• Lead implementation of regional policies and procedures related to operations, safety and risk management, technology, and data management
• Partner with regional Human Resources team to ensure compliant human resource practices, including implementation of regional staff handbook policies, timecard management, leaves, workers compensation claim reporting, uniform complaints, Title IX and other required systems that support the wellbeing of school staff
• Oversee all aspects of school facilities maintenance and janitorial; nutrition services and food service operations; and inventory and procurement of supplies and materials - including partnering with Regional Operations, HR and Accounting to ensure school operates a fully compliant contracting and purchasing program.
• Support School Leader in writing and disseminating all strategic communication to school staff members (including weekly newsletters, debriefs, and internal instant messaging tools)
• Adhere to KIPP’s health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, CDE, and public health agencies’ recommendations
• Complete other duties as assigned by the School Leader or Regional Operations

Manage X million dollar school operating budget

• Partner with School Leader to define budgetary priorities each school year
• Partner with Accounting team to ensure school ops staff manage cash receipts, make deposits and oversee schoolwide purchasing in alignment with budgetary priorities
• Create systems for holding other staff, such as grade level and department leads and club and class advisors, accountable for budget management
• Partner with regional Finance team to forecast year over year spending needs and corresponding schoolwide revenue and expense targets

Physical, Mental and Environmental Demands

Physical:

Ability to navigate office and school campuses, and hold meetings in different spaces. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment 1-20 lbs.

Mental:

Stress of deadlines and normal work standards, ability to analyze problems and generate alternatives, work with interruptions, concentrate for long periods of time, read, calculate, perform routine math problems, memorize and recall objects and people.

Environmental:

Office environment subject to constant interruptions and distractions. KIPP adheres to health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, CDE, and public health agencies’ recommendations.

Classification

Full-time, exempt position

About KIPP Public Schools Northern California

We are a thriving nonprofit network of free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose-college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Our student community consists of over 7,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Jose, Redwood City, and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 23% are multilingual learners, and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.

Compensation

KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and transportation benefits.

We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position listed below, and placement is based on previous experience and interview performance:

• Step 1: $105,000
• Step 2: $108,675
• Step 3: $112,479
• Step 4: $116,415 (maximum entry point for new hires)