KIPP NC is a network of eight high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools providing an academically rigorous and joyous school experience to more than 3,500 students in grades K-12 in Charlotte, Durham, Gaston, and Halifax. KIPP NC supports several thousand alumni on their journey to and through high school, college, and career.

KIPP NC is building on a rich tradition of academic excellence and relentless fight for social justice present from the founding of both KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte. KIPP ENC is the second oldest KIPP region in the nation. In its 20 years of operation, KIPP ENC has been a cornerstone for students and families in rural Gaston and Halifax, operating two primary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Over the past five years, it grew to serve even more students by opening up a middle school in Durham, an urban center in the center part of the state. KIPP Charlotte, which grew out of the strong traditions and academics of KIPP ENC, has supported students and families for the past 13 years, operating one primary school and one middle school in the largest city in North Carolina.

KIPP North Carolina is building upon the successes and experiences of KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte to provide inclusive school environments and an educational program that will enable our students to lead full lives and equip graduates to be future leaders and agents of change in North Carolina and beyond. KIPP NC is engaging in direct, anti-racist work, and contributes meaningfully to the dismantling of structures of inequality within our organization, schools, and classrooms. We’re committed to expanding our efforts to embed anti-racism in all of our activities and engagements within our classrooms and schools, across our organization, and throughout the State of North Carolina. All of this will be in a tireless effort to create classrooms that are homeplaces for our students, places where they feel safe, loved, validated, seen, and heard, places where all their beautiful identities will be affirmed and celebrated, and places where they will learn the academic knowledge and skills needed for college, career, and beyond.

The Opportunity

The Regional Directors of School Operations for KIPP NC will be responsible for the overall quality of school operations. They will maintain a laser focus on continually increasing the time students spend learning by ensuring DSOs lead outstanding school operations to create clean, safe, and welcoming schools with consistent, inclusive, and effective schoolwide systems. They pursue this work through excellent management and development of school DSOs and collaboration with other academic, operations, talent, technology, and finance leaders.

As an integral member of the Regional Support Team, the Regional Directors of School Operations are responsible for building a school operations collaborative; creating professional development scope and sequence plans and leading professional development sessions; developing and implementing scalable processes and systems; providing regional operational resources and expertise; and directly managing school-based Directors of School Operations. The Regional Directors of School Operations will report to the Managing Director of Academic Operations on the Teaching and Learning Team.

Key Responsibilities

Team Development

• Builds a strong, cohesive school-based Directors of School Operations culture that reflects the core values of KIPP NC
• Serves as a thought leader on cross-team projects and supports KIPP NC’s innovation efforts

• Conducts all performance management for DSO direct reports

Leadership for School-Based Operations Leaders

• Drives the vision and direction for school operations and holds DSOs accountable to achieving that vision
• Builds relationships, leads by example, and directly manages Directors of School Operations to accomplish operational excellence and leadership
• Holds DSOs accountable to performance metrics (e.g., Operations Dashboard, Walk-Thrus, Mid-Year Evaluations), and supports them in improving performance and meeting goals
• Facilitates weekly O3s with each DSO, which include time for relationship building, gathering feedback, assessing individual needs, thought-partnering/problem-solving, and providing feedback
• Plans and facilitates monthly professional development sessions for all KIPP NC DSOs
• Establishes themselves as a lifeline for school-based Directors of School Operations to help solve challenges, be a thought partner, and help with other operational needs; is available for onsite support for emergency situations, including stepping in when a DSO is out
• Coaches DSOs to grow as leaders in their building by developing skills such as vision-setting, giving direct feedback, holding others accountable, driving results, and building relationships
• Spends one day per week on each DSO’s campus to provide on the job feedback, management, and support

• Provides DSOs with ongoing communication regarding upcoming tasks, projects, and deadlines

• Oversees and manages KIPP NC’s student recruitment efforts and enrollment, ensuring that the organization has a strong enrollment profile across all our geographies; works with Directors of School Operations and other recruitment professionals across and outside the organization to ensure steady, maximum enrollment across all campuses
• Partners with regional operations leaders to create, train, and implement standard, consistent, and scalable processes, protocols, and systems aimed at improving school operations and solving common challenges across schools
• Works to centralize best practices via handbooks, toolkits, and playbooks; leads training and implementation for school-based colleagues
• Fosters collaborative work with school-based Directors of School Operations to nurture a culture of process standardization and structure so that school leaders can focus on student achievement
• Collaborates with RST operations and finance teams to ensure that DSOs are supported in the areas of Nutrition, Transportation, Finance, People Operations, and Technology
• Demonstrates financial responsibility by helping to manage school-based budgets and participating in the analysis of monthly financial statements
• Collaborates with regional team members to support and implement the KIPP NC Strategic Plan
• Builds relationships with internal and external stakeholders that positively impact school operations
• Leads communication with internal and external stakeholders to efficiently inform members of any emergent or planned protocols involving school operations; serves as the school-based Directors of School Operations liaison to other operational teams regarding important topics like space planning, feedback, and input
• Works relentlessly to integrate teams and continuously seeks operational innovation
• Works seamlessly with Heads of Schools to support Principal/DSO partnerships
• Supports hiring, on-boarding, management, and evaluation of all operations staff, including DSOs and school-based operations teams
• Oversees student attendance systems, protocols, and data
• Manages Facilities Maintenance Managers to ensure that all facilities needs are addressed in a timely manner and that all schools are clean, safe, and welcoming; collaborates with the Chief Operating Officer on appropriate deferred maintenance projects and other larger-budget-related projects
• Manages School Health Teams and Nurses to ensure students are receiving proper care
• Participates and supports school special projects by participating in planning meetings on request or as needed; plans and hosts school-based Directors of School Operations staff development and planning
• Serve as an outstanding role model as a leader and manager, investing deeply in supporting and developing team members and growing their capacity to learn, contribute and engage in the work of the team and organization

KIPP North Carolina Leadership

• Participates in KIPP NC Teaching and Learning Team and the larger Regional Support Team
• Works with KIPP NC Teaching and Learning Team to develop a vision and comprehensive long-term plan for the design of integrated, scaffolded K-12 schools

Qualifications

KIPP NC’s Regional Director of School Operations candidates will have the following:

• A deep commitment to the mission of KIPP NC and an unwavering belief in the potential of all our students
• An unwavering commitment to liberation, anti-racism, equity, and inclusion
• A strong desire to collaborate with school leaders and Regional Support Team colleagues in service to a new KIPP region growing out of two exceptionally strong ones
• 5+ years of progressively responsible work experience, preferably in a business, nonprofit, or school operations environment; school-based experience in an operational leadership position preferred;
• 3+ years in a leadership role with supervisory experience preferred
• Proven experience building operational efficiency while proactively finding solutions
• Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high-quality work in a dynamic environment
• Outstanding leadership and management skills, particularly as it relates to building teams, working through others, leveraging impact and influence strategies, promoting collaboration, managing conflict, goal setting, and holding people accountable
• An entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrated success in building a program, department, or organization
• Ability to interact with a broad range of stakeholders with different interests and needs
• A deep commitment to both racial equity and improving the lives of kids from low-income communities; experience working within predominantly Black, Brown, and/or low-income communities
• 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 days per week based on need
• Must live in North Carolina; Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, ideal, given the area’s equal distance from our schools in Charlotte, Gaston, and Halifax

Compensation and Benefits
Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise. A competitive benefits package is offered.

Non-Discrimination Statement and Policy
KIPP North Carolina does not and shall not discriminate on the race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, source of income, or status as a veteran in any of its activities or operations.