KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Founded in Houston in 1994, and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in our classrooms, in our offices, and in the communities we serve is unwavering. We are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join our Team and Family and champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and help us rise together.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students and approximately three times higher than the average of students from low-income communities.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual to join our team to immediately have an impact on our productivity, streamlining strategic initiatives, focusing on school health initiatives and measures, overseeing program management, and communicating objectives between departments. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in an academic strategy management role, with a special focus on executive-level advising, interdepartmental collaboration, and developing partnerships. 

Position Overview

The Manager of Academic Strategy & Projects will lead the execution of our long term academic strategy with academic leaders across all four regions within KIPP Texas Public Schools. They will support the creation and implementation of a culturally responsive academic approach, created by student achievement and culture data. This person will maintain clear, predictable and reliable communication, and facilitate side-by-side decision making with executive leadership teams.

In addition to developing and progress monitoring a long term academic strategy, the Manager of Academic Strategy & Projects will facilitate regular and ongoing collaboration between the Academics and School Management teams. As a leader, they will ensure that the department goals are aligned to the organization mission, vision and values while pursuing excellence for each functional team. 

They will consistently demonstrate their experience in the design, integration, and implementation of a large complex system to improve student results, as well as making conscious connections with inner functional teams and external departments and organizations. 

General Role Description

• School Improvement Plans | Oversees the development and implementation of targeted improvement plans, and facilitates the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to make conclusions and take timely action toward meeting annual goals 
• Policies and Procedures | Provides leadership in the development, writing, and implementation of policies and procedures for the school system
• Academic Operations | Ensures that the academic operations are in compliance with federal, state and local requirements and reflect the best thinking and practices of educators and professionals in their respective fields.
• Academics & School Management Collaboration| Lead the collaboration between the Deputy Chiefs of the functional teams of Academics and School Management and support with their functional workstreams (project management, department liaison, hiring support and management, cross-team collaboration, and more)
• Academic Budget Management | Support the management of the academics budget, including facilitating the collaboration of budget guidance for schools as it relates to the full academic program
• Academic Strategy |Support  the creation, feedback and implementation of the five-year academic strategy
• Enabling Systems |Monitor and improve the systems and structures that drive instructional excellence such as academic progress meetings, content team meetings, internalization structures, etc
• Communication and Materials Storage | Create and maintain systems that allow for clear, predictable, and transparent communication across multiple functional teams and departments within the organization
• Partnerships | Build and maintain strong relationships with executives and senior leadership teammates 

Duties and Responsibility

The Manager of Academic Strategy & Projects’ responsibilities will include, but not be limited to the following:

• Oversee strategic academic initiatives from development through successful implementation and execution under the guidance of senior leadership and functional leads
• Assist and communicate with executives in decision-making, program management, and initiative implementation
• Supports the Deputy Chiefs on the Academics and School Management teams to ensure work-streams and annual plans are aligned, relevant and impactful
• Builds the academic strategy scope and sequence alongside each functional team to ensure strong alignment with the org-wide initiatives and regional priorities
• Build a “one mission” culture for schools through regular meetings and communication
• Identify leader support needs and work with senior leadership team to develop and implement solutions
• Lead and support special projects, as assigned

Skills and Competencies 

Instructional Knowledge and Expertise

• Experience coordinating cross department initiatives and workflows
• Ability to effectively communicate to multiple shareholders via verbal and written communication
• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong relationships that lead to strong collaboration and execution of tasks
• Deep understanding of budget management across multiple departments
• Thorough knowledge of effective instruction and knowledge of current theories of curriculum instruction and assessment
• Experience and ability to utilize analytic systems and data analysis to make instructional decisions and set instructional priorities

Empathy, Commitment to Cause, and DEI

• Deep understanding of the urban school system environment and commitment to improving student achievement
• Passionately believes that all students can achieve at high levels
• Demonstrates cultural competence and a deep understanding of and empathy for issues facing urban families
• Develops and nurtures a team that values and recognizes diversity, equity and inclusion

Communication, Interpersonal and Team Skills

• Builds and maintains strong relationships
• Works successfully alone or on a team
• Effectively leads a team that has student level impact
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; tailors message for the audience, context, and mode of communication
• Actively listens to others and is able to effectively interpret others’ motivations and perceptions.
• Builds consensus and resolves conflicts; exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations
• Skillfully navigates existing political structures/systems

Problem Solving and Systems Thinking

• Understands how various systems / departments interact to achieve the long term goal
• Makes decisions using data and technology
• Takes initiative to solve problems and create stakeholder buy-in
• Supports individuals to successfully adopt change in order to drive organizational success and improve student outcomes.
• Identifies and prioritizes mission critical issues with alignment of people, time and resources.
• Offer innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.
• Exhibits strong focus on goals and results. Sets clear metrics for success.
• Removes barriers or obstacles that make it difficult for school leaders to achieve their goals and ensures that school leaders have the resources they need to succeed.
• Demonstrates excellent execution and project management skills, including attention to detail, organizational skills, ability to balance the big picture with detailed steps to reach the end goal, and ability to balance multiple projects under tight deadlines.

Leadership skills

• Motivates, inspires, and moves other adults to action to achieve ambitious goals.
• Skilled at re-envisioning, building, and managing a team, especially in a time of growth and change; excellent at identifying talent and taking advantage of each person’s skills and contribution to team effort.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships with individuals and groups.
• Moves groups to consensus and resolves conflicts. Exhibits willingness to have difficult conversations.
• Builds coalitions and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels, including but not limited to region personnel, students, families, communities, and/or advocacy groups.
• Establishes clear expectations, deliverables and deadlines.
• Sets clear agendas and facilitates effective meetings.
• Ability to train, supervise, and evaluate staff from different cultural backgrounds and skill sets.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is based on years of experience, degree of education, and level of expertise.

As a full time KIPP Texas employee you are eligible to participate in all KIPP Texas’ benefit plans. KIPP Texas offers a robust variety of benefits choices with competitive rates, including medical, dental, and vision options, as well as life insurance and disability plans.

KIPP provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.