Vice President, School Operations

Success Academy Charter Schools; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness

403(b) match

PSLF eligibility

PTO & holidays

Parental leave

Cellphone stipend

Commuter benefits

Backup family care

Performance incentives

Job summary

Success Academy Charter Schools seeks a Vice President of School Operations to own strategy, operating model, and performance across ~60 schools and ~300 Operations staff. You will lead through ROMs, elevating the team, reducing variation, and building management systems to support growth and scholar outcomes.

Expect travel across the network and ~60% school-based time. The role blends strategy with hands-on leadership and strong financial stewardship across safety, facilities, enrollment, and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations or multi-site environments.
• 7+ years in multi-site operations, performance management, and risk.
• Experience leading organizational redesign across a large organization.
• Proven track record of building new teams or expanding functions.
• Experience using AI/technology to simplify operations and drive adoption.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a ROM team across the network.
• Design and improve the School Operations operating model and accountability systems.
• Advise executive leadership on operational implications of enterprise priorities.
• Lead change from diagnosis through implementation and measurement.
• Build cross-functional partnerships to execute initiatives at scale.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy design

Change management

Executive communication

Data analysis

People leadership

Job description

Thanks for your interest in Success Academy! Running a large, fast-growing, and high-performing network of public charter schools takes a village - families, children, teachers, staff and faculty, advocates, and supporters alike. We are growing fast in New York and expanding to Florida, and we would love to welcome you to our community! We work tirelessly every day to ensure children have access to a fun, rigorous, whole-child education regardless of zip code or economic status. When you join SA, you play a part in giving every student who walks through our doors a fair shot at reaching his or her potential.

About Success Academy

Success Academy's dual mission is to build world‑class schools that empower children to thrive in college and in life, and to advocate for policies that expand access to educational opportunity. We are growing rapidly in New York and expanding to Florida.

Role Overview

The Vice President of School Operations owns the strategy, operating model, and performance of School Operations across ~60 schools and ~300 Operations staff. Leading through a team of Regional Operations Managers (ROMs), this leader ensures every school has the talent, systems, resources, and accountability structures to deliver exceptional outcomes for scholars, families, and staff.

The role demands a rare combination of strategy and organizational design, multi‑site operational expertise, business acumen, and exceptional people leadership. The Vice President inherits significant reach and a strong foundation, with a mandate to elevate the ROM team, reduce variation across schools, and build management systems that support continued growth.

This is a school‑based role.

Approximately 60% of this leader's time is spent in schools — observing operations firsthand, coaching leaders, and diagnosing performance where the work actually happens. Candidates should expect regular travel across the network.

Leadership of Regional Operations Managers

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a high‑performing ROM team, establishing expectations, decision rights, operating rhythms, and performance measures.
• Coach leaders of leaders to diagnose performance, develop talent, and deliver sustained results across their school portfolios.
• Differentiate coaching and intervention based on leader readiness and performance risk; make rigorous talent decisions with clarity and fairness.
• Build succession plans and a strong internal pipeline for Regional Manager.
• Ensure leaders own and solve problems rather than depending on senior intervention.

Strategy, Organizational Design, and Change

• Design and continuously improve the School Operations operating model — roles, structures, decision rights, regional support, and accountability systems.
• Advise the executive leadership on the operational implications of enterprise priorities, including where School Operations can accelerate goals or create risk.
• Use root‑cause analysis to distinguish whether a performance challenge originates in strategy, systems, design, leadership capability, execution, or clarity.
• Lead change from diagnosis through implementation and measurement, anticipating resistance and unintended consequences.
• Actively seek opportunities to simplify, automate, and improve School Operations through AI and technology — reducing administrative burden on school‑based staff so their time goes to scholars and families.
• Build the capabilities required to support growth without compromising quality.

Operational Excellence and Risk

• Establish network‑wide operational standards and accountability measures across safety, compliance, facilities, enrollment, family experience, financial management, and technology.
• Serve as senior escalation point for significant operational, safety, compliance, and reputational risks.
• Use regional and school‑level insight to strengthen the broader operating model.

Cross‑Functional and Executive Leadership

• Build trusted partnerships across Schooling, Enrollment, Facilities, Technology, Finance, People, Family Engagement, and Supply Chain — influencing without relying on formal authority.
• Ensure cross‑functional initiatives reflect implementation realities in schools and can be executed at scale; clarify ownership, resources, timelines, and accountability across teams.
• Translate financial, operational, and talent information into clear recommendations, and communicate difficult tradeoffs with discretion and respect.

Talent and Financial Stewardship

• Define the leadership competencies and performance standards required across School Operations, and create pathways for high‑potential staff to advance.
• Identify systemic talent risks and partner with People leadership on workforce planning.
• Provide senior oversight of budgets, staffing models, and major investments; partner with Finance on forecasting, reporting, and resource allocation.
• Identify efficiency opportunities that don't compromise scholar experience, safety, or school quality.

Knowledge, Skills, And Experience

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, education, consulting, military, hospitality, retail, healthcare, government, or another complex multi‑site environment.
• 7+ years in multi‑site operations, performance management, continuous improvement, and operational risk — including leading senior leaders responsible for large, distributed teams.
• Direct experience leading organizational redesign — restructuring roles, reporting lines, decision rights, and management systems in a large organization, and carrying that change through adoption rather than stopping at the design.
• A track record of building new teams from the ground up — defining the function, hiring the leaders, setting standards and operating rhythms, and scaling the team to sustained performance.
• Demonstrated use of AI and technology to simplify operations — identifying manual, low‑value work and replacing it with better tools, automation, or redesigned process, and driving adoption across a distributed team.
• Expertise in lean methodologies, data‑informed decision‑making, and change management, with a record of quickly assessing ambiguous situations and identifying the highest‑leverage path forward.
• Proven ability to influence executive leadership and drive adoption through leaders in a large, distributed system.
• Exceptional people leadership: senior talent assessment, coaching, succession planning, and difficult talent decisions.
• Strong business and financial acumen, and excellent executive communication.
• Willingness and desire to spend approximately 60% of working time in schools across the network.
• Deep commitment to educational equity and Success Academy's dual mission.

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

At Success Academy, we invest boldly in our Network team with a comprehensive package designed to support your health, financial future, and overall well‑being:

• Day‑One Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, and vision coverage starting your first day (SA covers 82% of our core medical plan), plus a free One Medical membership and confidential mental health support via EAP/Talkspace.
• Financial Security: 403(b) retirement plan with a 3% employer match, up to $2,400/year in employer HSA contributions, employer‑paid life/disability insurance, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility.
• Time to Recharge: Generous paid time off, paid holidays, and paid parental leave.
• Perks & Stipends: A $50/month cellphone stipend ($600/year), pre‑tax commuter benefits, backup family care, and performance‑based earning incentives.

Exact Compensation May Vary Based On Skills And Experience.

Compensation Range

$200,000 - $225,000 USD

Success Academy Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. Success Academy offers a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We actively seek applications from people of all backgrounds to strengthen our community and the perspectives needed to flourish in a multicultural world. Success Academy offers a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth. Success Academy Charter Schools does not offer employment‑based immigration sponsorship.