To apply for this role, go to On-Ramps website: https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/2078. Any applications through this page will be directed to apply to On-Ramps.

About KIPP North Carolina

In 2020, KIPP Eastern North Carolina (KIPP ENC) and KIPP Charlotte took the first steps to begin to merge and form KIPP North Carolina Public Schools (KIPP NC). Starting in July of 2021, KIPP NC will be a network of eight high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools providing an academically rigorous and joyous school experience to more than 3,500 students in grades K-12 in Charlotte, Durham, Gaston, and Halifax. Additionally, KIPP NC will support several thousand alumni on their journey to and through high school, college, and career.   

Our History

KIPP NC will build on a rich tradition of academic excellence and relentless fight for social justice present from the founding of both KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte. KIPP ENC is the second oldest KIPP region in the nation. In its 20 years of operation, KIPP ENC has been a cornerstone for students and families in rural Gaston and Halifax, operating two primary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. Over the past five years, it grew to serve even more students by opening up a middle school in Durham, an urban center in the center part of the state. KIPP Charlotte, which grew out of the strong traditions and academics of KIPP ENC, has supported students and families for the past 13 years, operating one primary school and one middle school in the largest city in North Carolina.

Our Commitment to Anti-Racist and Inclusive Schools

KIPP North Carolina will build upon the successes and experiences of KIPP ENC and KIPP Charlotte to provide inclusive school environments and an educational program that will enable our students to lead full lives and equip graduates to be future leaders and agents of change in North Carolina and beyond. KIPP NC also will continue to engage in direct, anti-racist work, and it will contribute meaningfully to the dismantling of structures of inequality within our organization, schools, and classrooms. KIPP NC will be committed to expanding our efforts to embed anti-racism in all of our activities and engagements within our classrooms and schools, across our organization, and throughout the State of North Carolina. All of this will be in a tireless effort to create classrooms that are homeplaces for our students, places where they feel safe, loved, validated, seen, and heard, places where all their beautiful identities will be affirmed and celebrated, and places where they will learn the academic knowledge and skills needed for college, career, and beyond.

KIPP North Carolina seeks a dynamic and strategic leader to serve as its founding Chief Talent Officer (CTO). Reporting to the Executive Director, the Chief Talent Officer will set the vision and direction for attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining KIPP North Carolina's 450+ person team. The CTO will manage a two-person Director team (Director of Talent and Director of HR), who in turn oversees a 2-person team each. This critical role and their teammates will partner and collaborate closely with school leaders across the organization to build exceptional people management practices and ensure a strong, inclusive, and talent-focused culture.

This is an ideal opportunity for a dynamic and visionary organizational leader to play a critical role in building and shaping a premier K-12 charter management organization committed to supporting all our students to graduate college and succeed in school and life.

Specific responsibilities include:

Leadership, Culture, & Engagement

• In collaboration with school leaders and Central Office colleagues, builds and implements the vision for the Talent function at KIPP NC
• Serves as true culture builder and carrier; helps KIPP NC define and realize its optimal culture tied to its commitment to excellence, diversity, inclusivity, and anti-racism
• Recruits, manages, and develops a diverse and exceptional team of professionals; diligently seeks opportunities for professional development, acting as a coach and thought partner, and serving as an organizational role model
• Leads the team to ensure a culture of high expectations and continual improvement and feedback; establishes clear expectations and promotes exemplary team member support
• Drives processes for gathering employee feedback and addressing employee concerns
• Holds the leadership team accountable for high rates of employee satisfaction and retention as a leading indicator for establishing KIPP NC as an 'employer of choice'

Recruitment & Retention

• Partners with the Director of Staff Recruitment and Director of Human Resources to establish an overarching vision for talent acquisition and a best-in-class recruitment and retention strategies
• Partners with the Chief of External Affairs to ensure compelling outreach efforts to diverse pools of candidates that position KIPP NC as an 'employer of choice' for strong, diverse, mission-aligned candidates
• Builds and systematizes recruitment and selection processes and tools to support effective and equitable hiring across the organization; runs those processes year-round to ensure schools and the organization are filled with top talent
• Partners with the Director of Staff Recruitment and Director of Human Resources to build the organization's onboarding program to ensure new hires have a smooth and productive initial experience
• Leverages technology to maximize the efficiency of the recruitment needs of the organization, including part of the organization's HR information system.
• Analyzes retention data and utilizes insights to drive retention of high-performing team members through rewards, recognition, and other data-informed incentives

Professional Development & Performance Management

• Establishes a cohesive vision for career pathing, succession, and workforce planning at KIPP NC
• Designs KIPP NC's professional development, promotion, and retention philosophy, factoring in key elements such as rewards, recognition, engagement and satisfaction
• Develops a robust performance management strategy tied to quantitative and qualitative organizational goals, building upon the organization's current annual review process
• In partnership with the Talent Team and school leaders, ensures KIPP NC delivers best-in-class professional development with a particular focus on developing exceptional people management skills across KIPP NC's team

HR Operations

• Works closely with the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer to ensure KIPP NC's compliance with federal, state, and local laws
• Stays abreast of HR law/policy trends that could impact KIPP NC's ability to execute on its mission
• Ensures KIPP NC's compensation and position architecture remains aligned and competitive with the broader market; partners with the Executive Director and the Chief Equity Officer to ensure that salary scales are equitable
• Develops differentiated licensure support in partnership with school leaders, external agencies, teachers, and school-based Directors of Operations to comply with state laws and strengthen teacher retention
• Serves as a senior resource for high-stakes conflict resolution and HR mediation matters.
• Partners with the team to continually optimize HR systems (e.g., HRIS, leave management, learning management, credential tracking) to deliver exceptional results and meet the needs of a new organization

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

The successful candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:

• A deep commitment to the mission of KIPP NC and an unwavering belief in the potential of all our students
• An unwavering commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, with an ability to serve as an exemplar for the organization's values and foster an inclusive and respectful workplace
• A strong desire to collaborate with school leaders and Central Office teammates in service to a new KIPP region growing out of two exceptionally strong ones
• 10+ years of professional experience, including 5+ years in a senior talent leadership role, preferably in a growing and dynamic multi-site organization with at least 500+ employees
  • Track record of success in implementing high-quality talent practices at a high-performing organization
  • Broad knowledge of the Talent function, ideally including deep expertise in recruitment, learning & development, and/or HR operations
• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills; ability to set vision and direction across large, complex sets of work
• Exceptional people management skills; holds high standards while coaching and developing others; empowers team members to proactively and creatively solve problems
• Track record of coaching and developing management skills in others
• Nuanced relationship building skills; possesses a high level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness and the ability to relate/influence across a diverse range of stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to lead HR system implementations strongly preferred
• Proven project management skills as it relates to the creation of different systems and structures
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across teams across the organization
• Demonstrates integrity, both in words and actions, and encourages ethical behavior and decision making
• Possess a deep commitment to both racial equity and improving the lives of kids from low-income communities; experience working within predominantly Black, Brown, and/or low-income communities
• Understanding and willingness to work in both rural and urban communities, including exhibiting resourcefulness and willingness to travel up to five hours within North Carolina multiple days per week based on need
• Collaborative approach to executive leadership, and the ability to work effectively with cross functional teams to meet goals and improve organizational performance

LOCATION: Must live in North Carolina; Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, ideal, given the area's equal distance from our schools in Charlotte, Gaston, and Halifax

Compensation

Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.

KIPP North Carolina does not and shall not discriminate on the race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, source of income, or status as a veteran in any of its activities or operations.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.