Founding Director Of Operations

Taíno CoLAB Academy; New Haven (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Taíno CoLAB Academy, a public charter high school opening in New Haven, CT, seeks a Founding Director of Operations to translate the Community School 2.0 vision into robust, equitable operational systems that support students, families, and community partners.

The role leads Financial, Facilities, Technology, Compliance, and People Operations, partnering with the Executive Director and Founding Directors to ensure operations power instructional goals and align with the school's identity and 4D

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required (Master's preferred)
• 5+ years of senior operational or administrative leadership experience
• Expertise in school budgeting, financial management, grant tracking, and regulatory compliance
• Experience managing physical facilities, vendor contracts, safety protocols, and IT infrastructure
• Deep commitment to equity, operational justice, and culturally responsive leadership
• Experience working with communities of color in urban contexts
• Spanish fluency (preferred) or demonstrated commitment to bilingual family engagement

Responsibilities

• Translate the CoLAB vision into robust operational systems
• Lead financial management, budgeting, payroll, grants, and audits
• Oversee facilities, safety, and capital infrastructure
• Manage technology, data, SIS, and FERPA compliance
• Oversee HR, onboarding, benefits, and staffing logistics
• Coordinate school operations with academics and families
• Ensure equity and community voice are embedded in operations
• Partner with leadership on daily operations and family communications

Skills

Senior operational leadership

Budgeting & financial management

Facilities management

Vendor contracts

Equity & culturally responsive

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Public Administration / Operations Management / Education (Master's preferred)

Job description

Founding Director of Operations — Job Description

Taíno CoLAB Academy is a public charter high school opening in New Haven, CT in September 2027. Rooted in the Taíno community's history and New Haven's vibrant Latino heritage, Taíno CoLAB is designed as a Community School 2.0 — genuinely embedded in, accountable to, and in reciprocal relationship with its community.

Academically, Taíno CoLAB operates through the 4D Quantum Learning Matrix — CoLAB Education's signature framework for future-ready, student-centered learning across four interconnected dimensions: Inquiry, Design, Creativity, and Service. Students don't just learn about the world — they investigate it, design within it, create across it, and serve through it.

We are not a traditional school with innovative add-ons. We are a fundamentally different kind of school. We are looking for a Director of Operations who is energized by that distinction.

THE ROLE

The Director of Operations of Taíno CoLAB Academy is the school's chief operational and administrative leader — responsible for translating the CoLAB vision into robust, equitable, and seamless operational systems that support students, teachers, families, and community partners.

The Director of Operations builds the structural backbone of a learning community. They work in close partnership with the Founding Executive Director, the Founding Director of Academics, and CoLAB Education's leadership team. Reports to: Executive Director.

SYSTEMS OWNERSHIP

1. Financial Management and Budgeting System

Design and manage the school's operating budget in alignment with strategic priorities. Oversee accounts payable/receivable, payroll processing, grant management, and audit preparation. Ensure financial transparency, compliance with state and federal regulations, and fiduciary stewardship of public funds.

2. Facilities, Safety, and Capital Infrastructure System

Oversee the leasing, design, maintenance, and safety compliance of the school's physical plant. Create a warm, welcoming, and secure physical environment that reflects the school's identity as a community resource. Manage facilities vendors, emergency preparedness drills, security systems, and custodial operations.

3. Technology, Data, and Information Systems

Manage all educational and operational technology infrastructure, hardware deployment, and software licensing. Ensure secure student data privacy compliance (FERPA, state standards). Oversee the Student Information System (SIS) and provide operational data support for enrollment, attendance, and reporting.

4. Compliance, Governance, and Legal Operations

Manage charter accountability reporting, state and federal compliance filings, board operations support, and legal risk management. Ensure adherence to health, safety, nutritional, transportation, and special education compliance frameworks.

5. People Management System

Manage onboarding, benefits administration, credentialing tracking, and HR compliance for all school staff. Support the Director of Academics and Executive Director with recruitment logistics, personnel recordkeeping, and staff culture initiatives from an operational lens.

6. School Operations and Logistics Partnership

Partner with the Director of Academics on daily school operations, student transportation, food service delivery, student registration, and family communications. Ensure operational priorities actively serve instructional goals — never the reverse.

EXPECTED APPROACHES

Lead as a Learner

The Director of Operations is a chief learner in operational excellence — not an immovable expert. They model curiosity about how systems run, ask operational and front-line staff questions before imposing solutions, and credit the team's ideas. They are the first to test a new process, workflow, or software protocol and the first to reflect on what isn't working smoothly for teachers, students, or families.

The Director of Operations leads through service and collaboration. They listen to the needs of educators and families, using feedback loops to continuously refine operational processes and remove barriers.

Center Community Voice Structurally

Operations must reflect the community's values. The Director of Operations ensures that families experience welcoming, accessible, and culturally responsive administrative interactions from registration to daily engagement.

Hold Equity as the Core Standard

The Director of Operations understands that operational equity means resource allocation and service delivery prioritize the students and communities most often underserved by traditional institutions.

Think in 4D

The framework applies to operations, too. Every operational workflow is evaluated through the lens of Inquiry, Design, Creativity, and Service to ensure the school's infrastructure mirrors its innovative pedagogical model.

Leading a founding school requires comfort in ambiguity and rapid iteration. The Director of Operations makes sound decisions with incomplete information, communicates transparently about operational hurdles, and embraces mistakes as data points for system improvement.

SAMPLE OUTCOMES (YEARS 1–3)

Instruction (with Director of Academics): 80%+ of classrooms show 4D instructional practices by Year 2; all teachers receive coaching feedback weekly

Financial Health: Clean annual financial audits with zero compliance findings; budget adherence within 1% variance through Year 3

Facilities & Safety: 100% compliance on safety and environmental audits; 90%+ staff and family satisfaction with campus environment

Technology & Infrastructure: 1:1 student device deployment completed by opening day; <24-hour resolution rate for IT support tickets

Compliance & Reporting: 100% on-time submission of all state charter, federal grant, and accountability reports

Operations Efficiency: Streamlined daily attendance, meal service, and transportation workflows with zero major logistical bottlenecks by end of Year 1

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Operations Management, Education, or a related field (Master's preferred)
• 5+ years of senior operational or administrative leadership experience, ideally within a charter management organization, urban school district, or mission-driven nonprofit
• Demonstrated expertise in school budgeting, financial management, grant tracking, and regulatory compliance
• Experience managing physical facilities, vendor contracts, safety protocols, and IT infrastructure
• Deep commitment to equity, operational justice, and culturally responsive leadership
• Experience working in or with communities of color in urban contexts
• Spanish fluency (preferred) or demonstrated commitment to bilingual family engagement

Preferred

• Experience in a founding or resetting a school environment
• Familiarity with Connecticut school finance, charter laws, and state reporting systems
• Experience managing human resources functions and talent operations
• Knowledge of the New Haven community and local vendor networks

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $120,000 – $150,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Taíno CoLAB Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status in our hiring practices or any other terms and conditions of employment.