Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing charter public schools that are closing the academic achievement gap and preparing students from historically underserved communities for success in college and beyond. Uncommon currently manages 55 schools serving more than 20,000 students in six cities:

Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, Rochester, and Troy. Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at rates far higher than their peers. We believe that every child deserves an outstanding education, and we are committed to working beyond the walls of our schools to achieve that goal through our professional development workshops, books, and district partnerships.

Uncommon’s Data & IT (D&IT) team is undergoing an exciting transformation to improve technology operations and systems! We are seeking a skilled Agile Project Manager (PM) with experience in building, motivating, and supporting Agile practices. Additional responsibilities include leading teams in planning and execution of strategic projects using Agile methodologies and supervising project management governance and compliance!

This role will act as a domain specialist for our Agile transformation.

Core Duties & Responsibilities

Project Planning and Management

Define scope and schedule while focusing on regular and timely delivery of value; organize, lead, and facilitate

Agile events; prepare and distribute partner communications; handle risks and issues; and perform delivery

Team Development

Assist in team development while holding teams accountable for their commitments, removing roadblocks to their work; using organizational resources to improve capacity for project work; mentoring and developing team members; and encouraging a sustainable pace with high-levels of quality for the team

Product Owner Support

Support the Product Owner in managing expectations for project results, leading communications

Process Management and Improvement

Define and lead a well-defined project management process and champion ongoing process improvement

Initiatives to implement standard methodologies for Agile PM.

Required Skills & Abilities

Ability to lead the expansion of agile methodology and project management principles within D&IT and

Adjacent teams and/or functions. Applies skills and agile management knowledge both internally and externally

Mentorship skills for teams to use Agile practices and principles to deliver high quality products and services

Practical knowledge of Scrum and Kanban

Team development skills to guide agile teams to a robust level

Experience facilitating and supporting all agile events: Planning, Daily Meetings, Reviews, and retrospectives

Experience reviewing story analysis to resolve conditions of satisfaction and the impact to other systems, projects, domains, and operational teams have been outlined. Has led the evolution of the User Story and other backlog items (includes but not limited to breaking down the stories, eliciting conversations, facilitating story refinement sessions)

Demonstrated ability to anticipate, mitigate, and resolve risks and varying perspectives across workgroups

Proven track record of diagnosing issues, identifying root causes, and implementing solutions effectiveness of Agile practices in D&IT and throughout the organization

Strong organizational systems for both self and others to ensure accountability for timely, high-quality

Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a diverse set of audiences

Experience balancing detailed thinking with big picture strategic decisions proven through the ability to break down sophisticated projects into key achievements and concrete action steps

Experience providing documentation/visibility into key aspects of projects (e.g. progress, achievements, etc.)

Action-orientation with excellent follow-through skills

Works well independently and in teams in a fast- paced, multifaceted environment

Comfort with collaboration, open communication and reaching across functional borders

Experience with Monday.com, Asana, and other agile project management systems

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required (Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, orequivalent subject preferred)

Scrum Master, PMI-ACP, SAFe Scrum Master, or similar certification required

Experience Requirement

3+ years of experience managing agile development efforts, including tracking and planning projects

5+ years of experience working with business partners within a cross-functional matrix environment of similar

Size and complexity

2+ years of experience with full product lifecycle with understanding of development lifecycle and various technology methodologies that support that lifecycle

Previous experience in non-profit or education preferred

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

Additional Information

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 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.