(Senior) Director of Special Projects -- Internal Applicants Only

  • Full-time
  • Hiring Start Time: Immediate Start (Home Office)
  • HO Team: Special Projects

Company Description

Uncommon Schools is a non-profit network of 53 outstanding public charter schools in grades K-12 across New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Our mission is to start and manage outstanding urban public charter schools that close the achievement gap and prepare students from low-income backgrounds for success in college and beyond. We are accomplishing that mission every day, with a college graduation rate that is well above the national average and thousands of stories of our students and alumni achieving their dreams.

Job Description

Internal Applicants Only

Position Overview

As (Senior) Director of Special Projects, you will drive and support projects and workstreams related to the portfolio of the Chief of Staff: senior leadership, organizational strategy and planning, organizational communications, and business-area leadership. Your leadership will strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of organization-wide processes and systems. This role will provide invaluable exposure to the breadth and depth of work and challenges faced by Uncommon’s senior leaders. The (Senior) Director of Special Projects will report to and work closely with Uncommon’s Chief of Staff.

Core responsibilities include leadership and support within the following areas:

  • Senior Leadership Support: Manage and/or support projects to enhance strategic and administrative support and effectiveness of the CEO and senior leadership (e.g., Uncommon Board meetings and operations, Executive Team meetings and operations)
  • Organizational Strategy and Planning: Oversee, manage, and/or support workstreams related to strategy development and annual planning processes (e.g., five-year plan project, annual planning, school greenlighting process)  
  • Organizational Communications: Contribute to strategy and implementation of organizational communications, including drafting/supporting written communications and presentations for internal and external audiences such as emails or PowerPoint presentations on behalf of the CEO
  • Business Area Leadership: Oversee, manage and/or support business responsibilities that report to the Chief of Staff (e.g., intellectual property, legal services, risk management)
  • People Management: Manage member(s) of the Special Projects Team to ensure strong special projects support

The ideal candidate is able to leverage strategic thinking and implementation skills, enjoys working in a fast-paced and changing environment, is eager to utilize their skills to develop solutions to complex issues, is a quick learner, and is comfortable working independently and driving towards long-term outcomes.

Qualifications

 

  • 6+ years of experience in management consulting or related field;
  • Strong and creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills, including the ability to disaggregate problems and structure complex issues;
  • Excellent people and project management skills, including detail and action-orientation with excellent follow-through skills;
  • Ability to take initiative, manage competing priorities, and work independently;
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and demonstrates strong interpersonal skills with varied constituencies;
  • Change management skills, and ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority to make change
  • Strong presentation design and slide development skills;
  • Strong data analysis skills and data-driven decision-making;
  • Displays maturity, flexibility, comfort with ambiguity and a sense of optimism/can-do attitude;
  • Ability to maintain a calm, professional demeanor in the face of competing demands and external pressures;
  • Knowledge of performance management systems and monitoring processes
  • Prior experience working in schools and/or urban communities and/or interest in and alignment with Uncommon’s mission; and
  • Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferable.
  • Internal Applicants Only

 

Additional Information

Uncommon Schools offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package.  Aside from extensive professional development, all our staff members are equipped with a laptop computer, email, and all necessary supplies.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for important dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students.  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.