Director of School Operations in Residence

The ideal Director of School Operations-in-Residence candidate is a leader seeking a future Director of School Operations (DSO) position as either a founder of new schools or successor at existing schools. You have a strong track record of successful outcomes achieved through your strategic and inspiring leadership of others.

Residents are enrolled in our rigorous Residency accelerator program to develop specific DSO-ready skills and competencies. The Residency structure includes: 

• Placement at host schools to both shadow a current DSO and to take on specific leadership responsibilities at the host campus, with accountability to the results of the school(s)/teams you support

• Significant formal learning and leadership coaching provided by multiple leaders throughout the organization, including Managing Director of School Operations/Managing Director of Operations, Director of Leadership Development, Host Leaders, additional mentors, etc.

• Mid-year application for available DSO roles for the forthcoming school year

Critical Competencies and Skills

Embody a growth mindset

• Accept and effectively incorporate constructive feedback with urgency

• Operate with a high level of flexibility and ownership, taking on various leadership responsibilities to support host school(s), the region, and your unique leadership growth areas

Communicate effectively and inspirationally

• Articulate and consistently communicate a clear, compelling vision for your leadership brand and future 

• Inspire others to commit to, and fulfill, outstanding outcomes

• Consistently prepare and execute highly effective meetings, professional development sessions, and presentations

• Build trusting relationships with all stakeholders across the organization

• Embody a customer service orientation to proactively communicate and solve problems with building staff and families/community members

Design, maintain, and improve systems

• Maintain excellent personal organizational systems to monitor multiple operational systems simultaneously

• Design new systems or improve existing systems to ensure all domains of the school are efficient and contributing to school goals/priorities, including systems for:• Daily operations of facilities including arrival, dismissal, lunch, transitions, transportation, and front office operations

• Academic operations: technology, schedules, testing,

• Financial operations: purchasing

• Compliance: student and staff compliance within organizational, city and state regulations

Drive outstanding outcomes through leading others

• Create and execute data-driven strategic plans to meet goals

• Effectively manage teammates, ensuring that high performers continue thriving and struggling teammates receiv]e clear feedback, coaching, and accountability

• Effectively manage external partners (e.g. food service, facility contractors, external vendors) to ensure that all externally-provided systems run smoothly

Uphold a Culture of Excellence for staff, students, and community

• Demonstrate personal excellence at all times (consistently professional, productive, prepared, and positive)

• Embody and model our organization values: Kid Focus, Radical Love, Excellence, TEAM, Fun

• Consistently reinforces high expectations for all students and all teammates all the time, using motivation, clarity, and accountability appropriately and effectively

• Engage families and community stakeholders proactively and productively as partners in school goals

• Contribute positively and productively on all teams (Resident cohort, host school teams, regional teams, etc.)