Director of Operations

Boston, MA, United States

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving 19,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Job Description At Uncommon Schools, we know running exceptional schools takes more than great instruction—it also takes exemplary operations! Uncommon Schools' Directors of Operations work passionately to ensure that our faculty maximizes time and energy on student achievement. We design, implement, and refine systems that anticipate the needs of our school community. As service-oriented leaders, we solve problems, share best practices across campuses, and respond to urgent needs. We partner to create an academic and cultural environment which supports our ultimate goal: ensuring that every student will earn a college degree.

As Director of Operations (DOO), you will co-lead a school alongside the Principal, partnering to ensure your students receive an exemplary education. You will be managed by a Regional Superintendent of Operations and will lead a team of operations staff (including but not limited to an Office Manager, Special Projects Coordinator, Nurse, and Custodian). At Uncommon, our DOOs are deeply committed to leading their schools in operations leadership, school culture, and family and community engagement:

Operations Leadership

Leads all aspects of school operations, including facilities, food and transportation services, school schedules, rosters, student information database, visitors, payroll, and benefits;

Manages operations staff and ensures the smooth operation of the main office;

Ensures school-wide compliance with health and safety laws, charter contracts, state education mandates, teacher certification, and federal and state workplace regulations;

Leads student recruitment efforts to ensure fiscal solvency of the school;

Collaborates with the Home Office's Information Technology Team to ensure a fully functioning technology infrastructure;

Creates and oversees the school’s budget, finances, and relationships with outside vendors;

Ability to use data to drive improvements in systems and operations.

School Culture

Builds a joyful and rigorous school culture;

Partners with the Principal to foster consistency in academic and behavioral expectations;

Ensures that traditions and rituals that support the college mission are built and maintained, grade by grade, year to year.

Family & Community Engagement

Communicates regularly with families about their children's performance, school policies, trips, and events;

Builds and fosters relationships with community leaders and organizations, including maintaining a robust database of community organizations.

Qualifications Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and investment in our vision for being an anti-racist organization;

Passionate commitment to improve the minds, characters, and lives of students both in and out of school;

Ability to strategically manage and prioritize time and tasks effectively to fully meet the needs of their school, with a strong lens towards systems thinking;

Proactive, strategic problem-solver who is able to work successfully in a fast-paced environment, often while balancing competing priorities;

Ability to rally stakeholders, communicate clearly and credibly, and lead change effectively;

Strong relationship- and team-building skills, including the ability to build and foster effective and trusting relationships with students, families, peers and staff;

Dedication to self-reflection and continual professional growth; approaches every experience as a chance to learn and grow and understands that introspection and the outward expression of that learning is essential to leadership;

Ability to demonstrate emotional resilience, including flexibility and endurance in the face of challenge or difficulty;

School-based or other educational experience preferred;

Required experience: 4 or more years of work experience;

People management experience, with proven ability to develop and support team members;

Project planning experience, with proven ability to see large projects through to completion;

A Bachelor’s degree.

Additional Information Our people are what makes us Uncommon. We believe our compensation philosophy and benefits should reflect our values—equity, transparency, and clarity—to enhance our ability to attract and retain talent and reward their expertise. Our staff receive best-in-class training, coaching, and support to develop and operate mission-driven schools that provide a high-quality education to our students and families.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this role based in Boston is $112,000. We expect that most candidates will start at this salary, but starting pay will depend on various factors that may include but are not limited to professional experience, education, training, certifications, tenure with Uncommon Schools, and work location. Because we value staff tenure in each role, we do not currently cap salary ranges. Please note:ranges may differ for staff who work from a location other than Boston.

Benefits: We offer comprehensive, flexible, and competitive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email [email protected].

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