Managing Director of Schools (K-8)

KIPP New Jersey • Newark, NJ

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Managing Director of K-8 Schools, KIPP Newark will be responsible for leading and managing excellent K-8 KIPP schools in Newark that are academically high-performing and culturally affirming for students, families and staff. This leader will be deeply embedded in and connected to the communities they serve. The Managing Director will be responsible for ensuring that KIPP Newark K-8 schools are delivering an excellent college-preparatory educational experience to their students, marked by high academic performance and a learning environment in which kids feel so safe, known, and loved that they run to school everyday. Additionally, the Managing Director will be responsible for executing with fidelity the strategic plan priorities related to academic, talent, and equity initiatives across the schools.

Requirements

• Experience in charter schools, preferably as a manager of school leaders(Principal) and as a school leader (Principal)
• 5+ years managing or coaching high-performing school leaders (Principals) in a results-driven environment
• 8+ years of work experience
• Bachelor’s degree

Responsibilities

• Serve as the region’s K-8 instructional leader, directly managing Heads of Schools who in turn manage our School Leaders.
• Manage up to two School Leaders directly to remain close to the work of managing schools.
• Inform the development of organization-wide academic priorities and initiatives, and execute on them with fidelity.
• Develop regional goals and academic goals with School Leaders, which will be approved by the CAO and CEO to ensure alignment with the organization-wide strategic plan and academic priorities.
• Provide management and support to the Head of Schools and individual School Leader(s), including executing professional development and making hiring and firing decisions.
• Monitor key indicators of school health and ensure the schools are providing an excellent learning experience for their kids consistent with the organization-wide strategic plan and priorities.
• Provide input to the CAO in curriculum and assessment development and ensure implementation with fidelity.
• Provide input on org-wide instructional systems (e.g. data protocols, lesson plan internalization) and implement with fidelity.
• Provide input to the Managing Director of Special Education in the development of the strategy for support of students with special needs and execute strategy with fidelity.
• Develop strong organizational culture for the entire K-8 region, creating cohesion, accountability, and purpose for the entire region, including the leadership team.
• Create alignment and collaboration between and among schools, school leaders, and other regional and school-based leadership.
• Collaborate on the development of an organization-wide student culture system and execute with fidelity across schools.
• Support the Head of Schools and School Leaders in the resolution of student and family grievances when necessary.
• Manage and lead a high performing, cohesive leadership team to ensure academic excellence in our schools and execute strategic plan programmatic priorities.
• Develop or ensure the development of emerging leaders to foster regional growth and successful succession transitions through the development of HOSs.
• In partnership with the Talent Team, recruit and develop future School Leaders and Heads of Schools.
• Provide input on organization-wide talent acquisition, leadership development and retention strategies and execute across schools with fidelity.
• Provide input on organization-wide Race, Equity, & Inclusion (REI) strategy and execute with fidelity.
• Serve as the primary point person and decision-holder for regional events like Heartbeat Day, Summer PD, One TEAM, One Sound, etc. with input from other MDs and departments.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director of High Schools on cross-regional planning and resource allocation, holding decision rights on K-12 initiatives with input from other MDs and departments.
• Provide input to the Managing Director of KIPP Forward in college matriculation & enrollment goals and strategies.
• Ensure regional constituents are kept fully informed of key developments and both national KIPP initiatives and KIPP CMO initiatives.
• Leverage opportunities to engage in national dialogue, as well as opportunities to design network process and protocol.
• In collaboration with regional operations leadership (COO, CFO, MDO, etc,) contribute to financial and operational Health.
• Provide input on various aspects of the region’s budget and own decision making on school facing budget needs (e.g. staffing) in accordance with a CMO-approved staffing plan.
• Provide input on accountability systems to ensure KIPP Newark K-8 School’s progress toward shared goals.
• Provide input on the long‐term financial plan and collaborate with the MD and the Finance and Development teams.
• Provide input on potential board members and meet with them as needed.
• Prepare board presentations on student outcomes and other key metrics and present to the local boards as needed.
• Provide input to the COO, CFO and MDO on setting growth goals and execute against those growth goals with fidelity in the area of leadership development.
• Provide input to the COO, CFO and MDO on real estate and facilities planning and acquisition.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Participation in the New Jersey Teachers Pension and Annuity Fund
• Optional participation in the KIPP NJ 403b retirement plan, including matching contributions
• A school-issued laptop
• Transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into Newark from the New York City area
• Generous Time-Off including 3.5-4 school vacation weeks (depending on the year), allocated sick and personal days, and an extended summer break
• Up to 12 weeks 100% parental leave for primary caregivers
• Employer paid life insurance
• Extensive optional ancillary benefits including short term and long term disability and accident and hospital indemnity

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager