Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Team Overview

The Data & IT Team is a true partner with Uncommon’s schools and other Home Office teams to achieve Uncommon's mission and provide value through technology solutions and services. We strive to use clear communication, thorough planning, and consistent execution to build trust at every level (Managing Directors to school staff) to accomplish crucial technology work! We handle PowerSchool, Illuminate, and downstream applications, and own Uncommon-wide processes for Report Cards, Data Audits, End-of-Year PowerSchool Rollover, and all day-to-day PowerSchool work (attendance, grades, etc).

Position Overview

As a member of Uncommon’s Product Management Team, the Product Manager will own two workstreams that will help ensure the Team achieves its goals and objectives:

Oversee IT Managed-Services: Works independently towards achieving outcomes (not tasks) under minimal guidance. Accountable for performance management, support management, work and obligations tracking, customer satisfaction surveys, vendor metrics, reporting, contract inquiries, budget and invoice management, and issue management.

Own Laptop 1+1 Program: Coordinate with Managed Service Provider and Uncommon Operations teams to handle a fleet of 25,000+ Chromebooks. Own Asset Management System, Break-Fix Vendor, and Process Update and EOL processes, and In-School management.

Beyond technical knowledge, the applicant must have a strong organizational change, planning, and interpersonal skills to lead technology and processes at Uncommon’s scale and high standard. Star team members are focused, fast, and hold themselves and their work to a high standard!

Core Duties and Responsibilities

Deftly oversee Uncommon’s IT Managed Service Provider and Administration of Laptop 1 to 1

• Lead Use Cases: understand partners’ goals and use cases for IT (i.e. day-to-day and outage support, hardware maintenance, software licensing, etc.)

• Lead Summer Infrastructure Upgrades: Oversee Provider in all school-based hardware and infrastructure projects and upgrades (i.e. new building tech outfitting, EOL and upgrades such as Servers, WAPs, WiFi, etc)

• Own Processes: Develop implementation of all processes for day-to-day (relationship management, performance management, issue management, vendor support management, work and obligation tracking, executive and operational vendor reporting, and other governance activities)

• Support Policy: Work with Governance team to build, and automate policy, including security, data governance, roles & permissioning

• Lead Service Improvement and Innovation Plans: Oversight of vendor service reviews as necessary

• Contract, Payment & ERate: Contract management and financial management, as well as all E-Rate processes

• Maintain Relationship: Build excellent relationships with vendors, act as liaison between vendor and Uncommon on any projects, and own school-level issues & difficult conversations.

Training and documentation

• Knowledge Base: Own creation and management of all internal and school-facing Knowledge Base articles on support, troubleshooting, and standards for the platform

• Training: Develop and Facilitate Training for school leaders, which they will turnkey to their staff

• Data & IT: Help define and coordinate vendor-offered training sessions at the right level for those handling the Service Desk and Relationship Managers.

• Process Documentation: Work with School Leaders to document existing processes related to supported applications (e.g. documentation of practices for in-school tech management)

Organizational Relationships

Work closely with regionally-based Associate Chief Operating Officers, school-based Directors of Operations, and members of the Data and IT Team.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Solid experience with vendor service level and support agreements

• Strong customer service skills and ability to prioritize and communicate effectively with non-technical users

• Demonstrated ability to diagnose issues, identify root causes, and implement effective solutions

• Experience working on help desk ticketing software (e.g. Zendesk, SNOW).

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and experience developing communication plans

• Demonstrated ability to create and execute complex, detailed project plans affecting more than fifty partners

• Interest in giving and receiving feedback with the goal of constantly improving

• Demonstrated excellent personal effectiveness strategies (organization, time management, and follow-up skills)

• Results-oriented and committed to operational excellence

• Self-sufficient with the ability to ask questions and request help when needed

• Demonstrated ability and experience working with SQL database management

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required

Experience Requirements

• 3+ years in K-12 environment

• 1+ year using a student information system or assessment platform

• 1+ year handling Ticketing System

• 2+ years handling or supporting student facing technology (preferred)

• Familiarity with Agile principles of product management (preferred)

Physical Requirements Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer involving video and audio.

Travel Requirements: Local or ability to travel to NYC once per month for a week at a time

Uncommon Schools offers salaries commensurate with experience and a very generous benefits and vacation package. All staff members receive extensive professional development, and are equipped with a laptop computer 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 meaningful 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.