Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Pendergast Elementary School District•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) serves as the district’s senior executive responsible for leading a high-performing operations enterprise that supports teaching, learning, and long-term organizational sustainability. Working collaboratively with the Superintendent and executive leadership, the COO ensures operational systems are reliable, responsive, compliant, and aligned to the district’s strategic priorities and core values. The COO leads a comprehensive and complex portfolio encompassing nearly half of the district’s workforce, balancing day-to-day operational excellence with continuous improvement and long-term transformation. In close partnership with the Chief Learning & Innovation Officer (CLIO) and other executive leaders, the COO evaluates and refines operational structures and service delivery models to reduce friction for schools, improve responsiveness, and scale select operational strengths into revenue-generating enterprises that diversify and strengthen the district’s financial future. We expect the COO to lead with technical excellence and authentic optimism—building trust, inspiring followership, and fostering a culture where people are motivated by shared purpose rather than positional authority. Through relationship-centered leadership and a continuous improvement mindset, the COO develops strong operational teams, partners effectively with schools, and ensures systems evolve to meet changing instructional and organizational needs while maintaining full compliance with federal, state, and local requirements. Ensures world-class operational systems are reliable, responsive services—and scalable enterprises that enable learning and long-term sustainability.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, operations management, engineering, education leadership, or a related field.
Progressive senior-level leadership experience overseeing complex operational systems within a large, multi-site organization.
Demonstrated expertise in operations management, including system design, service delivery models, process improvement, and organizational integration.
Experience leading and developing high-performing leadership teams, including setting clear expectations, building trust, and fostering shared accountability.
Strong collaborative leadership skills, with a demonstrated ability to partner effectively with executive leaders, school leaders, and cross-functional teams.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence rather than authority, modeling professionalism, humility, and relationship-centered leadership.
Experience applying continuous improvement methodologies to analyze systems, solve problems, and scale effective practices.
Knowledge of regulatory, compliance, and risk management requirements relevant to operational systems in a public or highly regulated environment.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to clearly convey operational priorities, performance, and risk to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated commitment to ethical leadership, transparency, and public accountability.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in public administration, business administration, operations management, educational leadership, or a related field.
Senior operations leadership experience in a K–12 public school district or public-sector organization, with familiarity navigating governance, compliance, and community accountability.
Experience overseeing multiple operational functions such as facilities, transportation, nutrition services, technology, safety, or capital projects.
Experience partnering closely with instructional leaders, demonstrating an understanding of how operational systems support teaching and learning.
Experience scaling operational systems or services, including enterprise or revenue-generating initiatives aligned to mission and public values.
Demonstrated success breaking down silos and integrating work across departments to improve service delivery and organizational coherence.
Experience working directly with a variety of stakeholders, including presenting operational data, performance metrics, and risk assessments.
Background in change management or large-scale organizational transformation.
Experience building and sustaining entrepreneurial enterprises and/or social enterprises.
Arizona Superintendent or Administrative Certification, or demonstrated eligibility.
Such alternatives to the above required & preferred qualifications as the Superintendent/Designee may find appropriate and acceptable

Responsibilities

Evaluate, design, integrate, and continuously improve districtwide operational systems to ensure reliable, responsive, and high-quality service delivery.
Lead operations as a cohesive enterprise rather than a collection of departments, aligning structures, roles, and workflows to district priorities.
Translate strategic goals into operational service models that are scalable, efficient, and student-centered.
Partner with school leaders to understand operational needs, remove barriers, and improve the day-to-day experience for students, staff, and community stakeholders.
Establish clear service expectations and feedback loops to ensure operations remain responsive to real-time needs.
Balance standardization with flexibility, ensuring consistent systems while honoring diverse school contexts.
Lead through trust, clarity, and shared purpose—modeling relationship-centered leadership rather than command-and-control practices.
Build, develop, and retain high-performing operational leadership teams through coaching, recognition, and shared accountability.
Foster a culture of service in which operational excellence is understood as a critical contributor to student success.
Apply continuous improvement methodologies to analyze systems, identify root causes, pilot improvements, and refine service delivery.
Use data, feedback, and cross-functional collaboration to inform operational decision-making and prioritize improvement efforts.
Ensure innovations are practical, sustainable, and scalable across the district.
Identify and evaluate opportunities to scale high-performing operational functions into revenue-generating enterprises aligned to district values and strategic priorities.
Partner with the CFO and executive leadership to ensure enterprise initiatives are financially sound, well-governed, and mission-aligned.
Balance innovation with stewardship, ensuring enterprise efforts strengthen—not distract from—core district operations.
Work in close partnership with the CLIO, CTO, CFO, and CCIO to align operations with instructional priorities, talent strategies, financial stewardship, and community engagement.
Remove silos by coordinating timelines, processes, and communication across departments.
Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Superintendent and executive team.
Ensure all operational systems comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and standards.
Establish risk management practices and internal controls that protect the district while minimizing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Communicate operational performance, risks, and improvement strategies clearly to the Superintendent and Governing Board.
Adhere to District policies, procedures, and processes.
Serve as a member of the District Leadership Team and Superintendent’s Cabinet, contributing to enterprise-wide leadership and decision-making.
Provide principled, respectful counsel and candid feedback at all levels of the organization, including upward; ensuring alignment with district values, brand integrity, and public transparency
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Superintendent or designee.