Founding Director of Operations

Hebrew Public•Stamford, CT

20h

About The Position

Hebrew Public is seeking a Founding Director of Operations to partner closely with the Head of School to launch OLAM Stamford, a tuition-free public charter school serving preK through grade 8. Beginning in January 2027, the director will turn the school’s vision into the systems, relationships, and daily practices needed to welcome students in the 2027–28 school year. The role reports to the Head of School, with dotted-line reporting to and support from the Network Operations team, and is part of the school’s leadership team. This is a hands-on startup leadership role. Initially, the director and Head of School will directly handle work such as family engagement, building preparation, vendor coordination, and establishing school routines. As the school grows, the director will hire, coach, and lead an operations team. The director will oversee school-level operational systems and compliance; lead recruitment, enrollment, and family engagement operations; support attendance and staff processes; and steward the budget, vendors, facilities, technology, and assets in collaboration with Hebrew Public network teams. OLAM’s mission centers on rigorous academics, daily Modern Hebrew instruction, global citizenship, and relationships across racial, cultural, and economic differences. Hebrew Public welcomes candidates of all backgrounds, and Hebrew language ability is not required.

Requirements

At least six years of related experience, including operational leadership in schools or youth-serving organizations.
Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Commitment to the potential of all students and to Hebrew Public’s focus on global citizenship, academic excellence, and diverse school communities.
Ability to build structure and clarity while systems are taking shape and to address unfamiliar challenges.
Ability to create practical, detail-oriented systems while keeping the broader picture in view.
Ability to take ownership, anticipate needs, and deliver on commitments.
Sound professional judgment, including knowing when to act independently, seek input, or bring decisions to the Head of School.
Ability to prioritize immediate demands alongside longer-term work.
Ability to build trusting relationships, lead with care and accountability, and treat family partnership as central to school success.

Nice To Haves

Experience launching a school or youth-serving organization.
Charter school operations experience.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Head of School and Network Team to turn the school’s vision into a startup plan with milestones, responsibilities, and timelines.
Design, launch, and directly manage systems for transportation, meals, facilities, safety, student records, attendance, data reporting, and family communications.
Anticipate operational gaps and cross-system impacts; propose practical solutions and follow through.
Manage complex projects, prioritize and sequence work, and proactively communicate progress, risks, and tradeoffs.
Oversee school-level compliance and accurate records with network specialists, including health and safety requirements, charter obligations, education mandates, certification tracking, and workplace regulations.
Partner with the Head of School to build a welcoming community and coordinate student and family engagement from initial inquiry through ongoing participation.
Lead student recruitment and enrollment operations, including outreach, applications, the lottery, waitlists, registration, transfers, withdrawals, and onboarding.
Provide clear, responsive, and caring support to families, and follow through on their questions and needs.
Work with school staff and families to strengthen attendance and address barriers to participation.
Build relationships with community organizations and leaders; coordinate welcoming events and communications; and use family feedback to improve the school experience.
Take direct ownership of operational work during startup while developing systems that can support a larger school.
Equip staff to use operational systems, explain procedures, and improve systems when they do not meet community needs.
Serve as the school liaison to network Human Resources on hiring, personnel processes, benefits, leave tracking, and local records; coordinate staff PTO and coverage.
Partner with the Head of School and network Finance team to develop and monitor the budget, track spending, and align resources with student needs and launch milestones.
Manage purchasing, vendors, contracts, and service providers according to network policies, balancing quality, cost, and reliability.
Coordinate facilities readiness, repairs, building appearance, technology, and asset tracking.
Collaborate with network Finance, Human Resources, Technology, and Operations colleagues while owning school-level execution.
As the school grows, hire, coach, and lead an operations team, delegating responsibility as its capacity develops.