KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and life. There are 255 KIPP schools across the nation and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating at 3x the national average for low-income students.

Founded in 2008 with 50 students in 5th grade, KIPP Columbus currently serves nearly 2,000 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth.  The mission of KIPP Columbus is to create a system of schools where students develop the intellectual, academic, and social skills needed to understand and take action on issues they encounter in everyday life. 

KIPP Columbus continues to rank as one of the top five schools for academic growth of any school in the state of Ohio, and is a top performing urban school in the state for academic growth. In our second class of graduating high school seniors in the spring of 2021, 100% of students were accepted to college with over $20 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities awarded.

In addition to academic excellence, KIPP Columbus also partners with more than 100 community organizations to provide extracurricular activities, programming, health and wellness services, meals, and more to KIPP students, families, and the broader community. KIPP is also a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, offering more than 10 varsity sports. 

The KIPP Columbus learning campus will continue to advance student learning, expand partnerships, enable superior programming, and serve as a teaching and leadership lab for schools nationwide, reimagining education through a deeper lens of antiracism, excellence, and joy.  

Interested in learning more about our school?  Please check out our website: https://www.kippcolumbus.org/

The Opportunity 

At KIPP Columbus, it is critically important that we provide an excellent and equitable education to all students.  

This is an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneurial individual to enhance and develop operational tools, systems, and processes to help a thriving, successful organization reach its next level of growth.  The Director of School Operations will lead implementation and maintenance of clear operational systems while building a data-driven, service-oriented culture and guiding the planning and reporting systems for operations and project management. The Director of School Operations will directly work with our Operations Associates at the school-level, and will report to the Vice President of Operations.  As KIPP Columbus expands in the coming years, the responsibilities of this position will likewise expand, as will the team he/she develops and manages.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Collaborate with the Vice President of Operations to establish and accomplish organizational goals, objectives, and strategic plans
• Design and implement internal operational systems capable of supporting a growing network of schools and facilitate ongoing assessment and evaluation of the organization’s growth initiatives with respect to: School Operation, Compliance and Reporting, Risk Management, Legal, and Technology Innovation and Support
• Lead the KIPP Columbus operations team, be responsible for regional day-to-day operational initiatives, and serve as a thought leader and subject matter expert on centralized regional and school operations
• Develop and maintain strong collaborative relationships with Operations and IT leaders in other KIPP regions, sharing best practices, serving as thought partner, and exploring opportunities to leverage relative strengths
• Drive efforts to achieve greater operations efficiency (such as outsourced solutions) while maintaining the primary accountability to internal stakeholders to provide a high level of responsive customer service that enables them to keep their focus on serving the scholars who need us the most
• Responsible for setting and achieving customer-driven goals, identifying and implementing best practices, effective and efficient problem solving, and reporting status to stakeholders
• Together with regional leadership team, develop strategic vision for a growing operations team that supports long-term growth
• Drive operational support to Operations Associates through training, project management, workflow and development, and evaluation of team metrics
• Collaborate with School Operations teams to assess challenges and identify high-leverage improvements and develop solutions around KIPP’s school-level operations, including transportation and food services plans
• Facilitate monthly meetings to ensure the sharing of best practices for school operations across the campus 
• Facilitate weekly one-on-one meetings with Operations Associates to discuss operations and compliance-related updates, training opportunities and deliverables
• Manage all facilities, food service, transportation, and technology procurement processes for the campus that adhere to state and federal procurement policies
• Oversee program budgets for child nutrition, facilities and transportation
• Ensure KIPP Columbus schools adhere to all regional compliance with all student/charter reporting requirements
• Ensure compliance with all KIPP Columbus policies and procedures and federal/state school regulations, including operations training for new hires.  Update and communicate processes and procedures to all stakeholders
• Collaborate with KIPP Columbus Finance team to ensure accurate reporting on program grants
• Secure contracts and manage relationships with consultants and outsourced vendors
• Other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Operations

The following is required of all Director of Operations candidates:

• At least 5 years of work experience in business and/or operations, including a minimum of 2 years of senior management experience in a high-growth, entrepreneurial charter school environment or a similar organization 
• Demonstrated passion for and commitment to the support of high-performing schools strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success leading financial oversight and budgetary tracking to support strategic growth
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple high-profile and complex projects simultaneously and a strong ability to multitask, prioritize effectively, and manage time well to accomplish goals and drive change
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or other advanced certification strongly preferred
• A demonstrable commitment to pursuing equity
• A strong track record of experience and results as a trusted member of an organization’s senior leadership team
• Excellent communication and influencing skills to interact effectively with all levels of the organization and the school network
• Exceptional strategic, analytical, and critical thinking skills
• Belief that outstanding school leaders, staff, and teachers can achieve excellent outcomes for all students
• Ability to persevere with a sense of optimism, strong problem solving skills, and desire to learn and grow in a collaborative professional learning community
• Willingness, and commitment, to go above and beyond to prove the possible with students.
• Ability to multi-task and work within an ambiguous, fast-moving, start-up environment, while driving toward clarity and solutions
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Extreme flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high levels of responsibility and multiple priorities
• Model the values of KIPP Columbus (Imagine, Navigate, Seek, Persevere, Integrity, Responsibility, and Empathy)

Compensation and Benefits

KIPP Columbus offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefit plan including medical and dental insurance, as well as group term life insurance, retirement plan and paid time off.  

Statement of Non-Disclosure

KIPP Columbus is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying to the school for consideration of any position (admission, employment, etc.). KIPP Columbus does not discriminate on the basis of disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes set forth in Section 4112.02 of the Ohio Revised Code.