About KIPP Texas Public Schools 

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 Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 280 schools, nearly 15,000 educators, and 175,000 students and alumni.

KIPP Texas is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) committed to educational equity and passionate about creating joyful, academically excellent schools through operational excellence and fiscal sustainability. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and serving as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the COO will play a pivotal role in leading the organization towards the 2025 plan. Working closely with senior executives and department heads, the COO will contribute to shaping the vision for organizational growth, operational excellence, and fiscal sustainability through driving strategic implementation to achieve KIPP Texas’ 2025 goals. 

The COO will lead all departments within the operations portfolio including, School Operations, Operations Services, Marketing, Communications, Enrollment, and Special Projects to provide KIPP TX students support services. They will support and manage the leaders of each department, providing guidance, leadership, and coaching. Additionally, the COO is responsible for ensuring topline organizational revenue through its oversight of average daily attendance (ADA) and enrollment. Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders and vendors, the COO will clarify and enact KIPP Texas’ operations model, including oversight of average daily attendance (ADA), student enrollment, and school operations compliance. The COO will champion KIPP Texas’ culture and foster high performance and continuous improvement, rooted in a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Lead as a member of the KIPP Texas Executive Leadership Team

• Shape the strategic direction of the organization and evolve the strategic plan towards ensuring KIPP Texas’ growth, operational excellence, and fiscal sustainability 2025 goals are achieved.
• Collaborate with the KIPP Texas Executive Leadership Team to enact initiatives, strategies, and programs to realize the organization’s 2025 plan.
• Foster KIPP Texas Team and Family through championing KIPP Texas’ organizational culture and modeling our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Manage change across the organization and invest internal and external key stakeholders in strategic evolutions, always ensuring that little KIPPsters and academic excellence are at the center of decision making.
• Serve as the Operations and Student Support expert for KIPP Texas, raising the standard for operational excellence and fiscal sustainability for the industry.
• Together with the Executive Leadership Team lead operational management of the organization.
• Provide relevant and timely communication to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team.

Manage KIPP Texas’ Operations Portfolio 

• Define the KIPP Texas vision for operational excellence, acknowledging and addressing systemic issues, such as racism, power dynamics, and privilege.
• Evolve the operations strategy to align with KIPP Texas’ 2025 plan, including growth, operational excellence and fiscal sustainability.
• Lead a high performing team of department heads responsible for School Operations, Operations Services, Marketing and Communications, Student Enrollment, and Special Projects with 600+ FTEs and external vendors.
• Drive results across the operations portfolio, including progress tracking, monitoring, and reporting, holding team and self accountable to short and long term outcomes and ensuring that operations enables instructional excellence at all levels.
• Responsible for managing a $40 million budget.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, belongingness, and innovation across the operations portfolio.

Manage Team to Deliver an Excellent Service Delivery Model to Schools Across KIPP Texas

• Collaborate across departments to clarify KIPP Texas’ model for school operations.
• Position all KIPP Texas regions: Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, to achieve excellent operations results for every student and alumni.
• Drives enrollment/ADA systems and structures which is the primary revenue source for KIPP Texas.
• Oversee the organizational process to align on the most critical outcomes and measures of success for students, alumni, and schools to ensure we are achieving our mission by operating high-quality schools.
• Guide and train operations staff to deliver the model with integrity.
• Build collaborative relationships between the central office, campuses, and schools, ensuring consistent implementation of KIPP Texas' beliefs, values, and operating norms.
• Develop systems, policies, and procedures that drive continuous improvement, customer loyalty, and efficient support for campuses and schools.
• Oversee compliance, ensuring that KIPP Texas schools meet local, state, and federal regulations related to Food and Nutrition services, Transportation, Average Daily Attendance (ADA), Student Enrollment, etc.
• Partner with external vendors to provide operational services (transportation, child nutrition, safety, PEIMS, compliance, facilities) in support of joyful, academically excellent schools.

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred.
• 12+ years of experience working in education, non-profit or in operations.
• 10+ years of people management experience, including 5 years of systems-level or executive leadership experience.
• Demonstrated record of delivering operational excellence for a large organization operating across multiple regions.
• Experience managing organizational growth while maintaining a strong focus on excellence and team culture.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging data to drive strategic planning and execution.
• Budget management experience overseeing and managing a complex budget to achieve short and long-term success.
• Compelling oral and written communication  to a wide variety of internal and external audiences. 
• Unwavering belief that we can all learn.
• Commitment to education equity and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Spanish speaking, a plus.

What We Bring to the Table

• Competitive vacation and flexible paid time off (PTO) policies.
• Paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with varying coverage for employees and their families, inclusive of virtual physician visits. High deductible health plan with HSA also offered.
• Employee assistance programs. 
• Participates in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
• 457 Roth retirement plan option with KIPP matching contribution up to $1,200 a year.  403b plans also supported.
• KIPP also offers the following employee-paid benefits: legal plans, LifeLock identity protection, life insurance and disability insurance.
• Flexible spending account or high-yield HSA 

Physical Requirements

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.
• Considerable time spent at a desk using a computer/laptop.
• Attending conferences or training sessions. 

Work Environment

• Hybrid work - in office/at schools a minimum of 3 days a week.
• Typical office environment with frequent interruptions.

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel to various locations, travel time approximately 40-50%.

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