Director of School Operations

Innovation Charter High School•New York, NY

4d•$120,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

Innovation Charter High School (“Innovation”) nurtures students to be academically successful, mature, emotionally healthy, and equipped to lead self-directed and fulfilling lives. We embrace all students and we empower them to adapt, excel, innovate and lead. By instilling our core values of collaboration, tolerance, respect, activism, safety, and innovation, students will graduate prepared for success in college and careers. Innovation Charter High School opened in 2010 to meet the needs of underserved youth in East Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx. Since its founding, Innovation students have applied what they learn in the classroom to the real world through project-based and experiential learning. These experiences are transformative and prepare them for life after graduation. Today, Innovation’s 50+ instructional and student support staff serve around 400 students. Over 30% of our students have IEPs and over 90% are economically disadvantaged. We embrace all students, address their needs, and help them to realize their potential, through creative and engaging instruction with a college and career readiness focus. Innovation takes a restorative approach to discipline and focuses on building a collaborative school culture. We have developed close ties with the East Harlem community and with our co-located neighbor schools. We were the first charter school in New York City with a Career and Technical Education program in the culinary arts and the only charter school to participate in the NYC DoE’s Software Engineering Pilot. Innovation students participate in a wide variety of sports, clubs, and extracurricular programs including performing arts, National Honors Society, and many more. Reporting to the Principal/CEO, the Director of School Operations (DSO) serves as the leader of all school operations and is responsible for the development and maintenance of structures that create the conditions for staff to support Innovation students and for Innovation students to learn and thrive. The DSO is a member of Innovation’s highly collaborative School Management Team (SMT), along with the Principal, Assistant Principal of STEM Instruction, Assistant Principal of Humanities & Intervention, and Director of College & Career Success and CTE. The DSO directly supervises six staff members working across various functions, including the Assistant Director of Human Resources and Talent, the Dean of Family and Community Engagement, the Dean of Academic Operations, the Manager of Student Recruitment and Academic Operations, the Manager of Technology and Facilities, and the Coordinator of School Operations while also collaborating closely with other SMT members, the Board of Trustees, and various external vendors and partners.

Requirements

Minimum of three years in charter school operations leadership required (five or more years preferred)
Strong track record of systems or process development and leadership of school-wide initiatives
Experience leading cross-functional teams and collaboration with other leaders is required
Experience leading or supporting school financial management is required and may include budget development and management, procurement, or management of school finance vendors, auditors, or other outsourced support
Experience with family engagement programming is required
Bachelors degree required
Authorization to work in the United States required

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting or collaborating with Boards or other governance entities is preferred
Experience leading or supporting the human resources/talent function in an education setting is preferred
Track record of leading school events, family involvement, student leadership, and community engagement preferred
Experience working in schools that support underserved communities and/or student populations in urban areas is highly preferred
Strong team management skills such as capacity to motivate and inspire teams, demonstrated ability to effectively lead through empowering others, and a balance of clear expectations, support, and accountability
Interpersonal leadership skills such as strong ability to establish relationships, communicate collaboratively, set boundaries, hold space for difficult conversations, and build investment with a variety of stakeholder groups and individuals across a school community
Strong project management skills, detail orientation, and capacity to lead work that is high-stakes, complex, and cross-functional
Understanding of talent acquisition, employee benefits/total rewards, performance management, and/or other essential aspects of human resources is highly preferred
Knowledge of financial management systems and best practices for schools is highly preferred
Knowledge of student information systems, registration/enrollment, and recruitment is preferred
Masters or other graduate degree in a relevant field highly preferred
SHRM, PMP, or other relevant certifications are a plus
Spanish language skills are highly preferred

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior leader of the Operations team including supervision of team members through effective delegation, performance management, and support/professional learning
Create and maintain efficient, effective school operations systems and processes that support clarity and cohesion across operations workstreams; Ensure appropriate resource allocation, prioritization, and project management that supports effective delivery of all operations functions
Collaborate with the Principal and other members of the SMT to communicate the school’s vision and strategy and lead the school community to results for Innovation students and families and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous reflection and improvement among staff
Maintain a consistent, visible presence throughout the school and model healthy adult-youth relationships and other behaviors that exemplify Innovation’s core values and collaborate with others on the School Management Team to ensure that arrival, lunch, dismissal, transitions, and other spaces are aligned to Innovation’s vision for school culture and serve as the adult presence in these spaces whenever necessary
Collaborate with the Principal and CEO, other school leaders, and Assistant Director of Human Resources and Talent to conduct effective workforce planning; Plan and manage the effective recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of highly qualified, mission aligned staff
Manage staff compensation setting, performance evaluation, and termination processes in a manner that aligned with best practice, compliant with relevant laws and regulations, and grounded in Innovation’s values
Collaborate with Innovation’s PEO and other vendors and consultants to maintain a “best fit” benefits plan/total rewards that is aligned to the school’s budget and staff needs
Ensure the school’s compliance with workplace and employment laws, required record-keeping, and teacher certification in collaboration with Innovation’s PEO and the Assistant Director of Human Resources and Talent
Lead Innovation’s academic operations work including management and use of student data, schoolwide assessment and grading, and programming and student records
Manage reporting to Innovation’s charter authorizer, NYSED, US DoE and other oversight entities, including data related to student discipline, students with disabilities, teacher certification, and charter renewal; Maintain an accurate reporting/compliance calendar and collaborate across teams to ensure the effective ongoing tracking of all relevant data and information
Collaborate with and support the Board to ensure effective legal and procedural requirements related to governance, such as review and approval of the annual budget, Annual Report, audited financial statement, review of executive personnel, and Form 990 as well as oversight of meeting logistics, record keeping, and compliance with the New York Open Meetings Law
Support school-wide efforts to leverage data for decision-making including collection, management, analysis, sharing, and action planning
Effectively manage the school's financial resources, in accordance with the school’s Financial Policy & Procedures Manual and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, to build long-term sustainability and to support the school's mission
Develop a sustainable annual budget that meets the school’s needs in collaboration with the Principal and CEO, Board of Trustees, and Innovation’s financial planning consultants
Supervise and support key Operations team members responsible for any aspects of financial management such as procurement and accounts payable; Work with outsourced financial planning support, the Principal, and the Board of Trustees to ensure financial stability, sound fiscal planning, effective asset management, adequate insurance and risk management, and full compliance with government and charter audit requirements
Maintain effective Front Office policies, procedures, and team management in order to effectively interface with the Innovation community
Lead Innovation’s student recruitment and enrollment efforts including effective strategy development, goal-setting, resource allocation, marketing, and supervision of key staff
Collaborate with SMT members and other staff to plan effective Parent/Teacher Conferences, engagement with the PTO, and a variety of events and opportunities for family involvement throughout the year
Support collaboration with Counseling, College & Career Readiness, and other Innovation teams involved in Innovation’s full-service community school supports focused on youth mental health, substance use, vision exams, and other community needs
Lead Innovation’s efforts to maintain a safe, welcoming space and effective purchasing and maintenance of school materials, supplies, and equipment
Ensure that the Operations team effectively interfaces with relevant vendors, consultants, co-located schools and community-based organizations, Building Council, School Safety, and other stakeholders in the JHS 99 building
Lead Innovation’s efforts to maintain effective, appropriate technology infrastructure for students, families, and staff