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 identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 55 schools serving more than 21,000 students in six cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, Rochester, and Troy. 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.

The Chief of Staff to the President is a crucial member of the Uncommon Schools’ Leadership team and works cross-functionally to translate and manage the President’s priorities to the organization. The primary goal of the role is to function as an extension of the President ensuring strategic vision and operational initiatives are planned and executed with high fidelity organization-wide. This role will have a wide lens to gather input, plan, and engage partners to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage sophisticated projects across schools and Home Office needs. The President’s team scope encompasses: all K-12 schools both in instruction and school operations; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the organization; and cross-functional strategic and critical initiatives and projects across the whole organization.

Core Duties & Responsibilities

Org-Wide Leadership

• Act as a strategic advisor and confidante for the President
• Set and steward the strategic direction for schools and the organization
• Organize and align strategic priorities with members of the senior leadership team ensuring the right people are passionate about the right things at the right time
• Design, document, and implement processes that improve communication, decision-making, and execution organization-wide
• Support to build strong organizational cultures where teams are cohesive and motivated to achieve shared goals
• Advance the mission through connections within the broader racial justice and education

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a proxy for the President to facilitate meetings and ensure clarity and organizational alignment
• Identify operational roadblocks and bring together critical people and processes to address them
• Build positive relationships with team members across the organization to influence outcomes and maintain project momentum.
• Improve collaboration across internal and external stakeholders by driving communication, information sharing, and alignment

Strategic Planning and Initiatives

• Build and lead the strategic planning process
• Drive strategic initiatives or cross-group projects contributing to the overall organizational strategy as needed to meet the changing environment and ensure the organization is achieving its commitments (e.g. organization-wide focus on Socio-Emotional Learning, DEI Strategic Plan, COVID Taskforce)
• Lead all aspects of large, cross-functional, organization-wide projects and initiatives; bring together important stakeholders, project-manage, determine success metrics, and help drive decisions
• Build and drive innovation or special projects for schools (e.g. Managing centralized School music programs)

School and Program Management

• Build out and manage functions and systems to oversee and continuously improve our schools and our imbedded DEI strategy
• Support the President in working and communicating effectively with all internal and external stakeholders, including staff, community leaders, partners, and board members.
• Shape internal leadership communications so that our staff are informed and inspired
• Manage Office of the President including budget, hiring, logistics, etc.
• Lead the President’s Team

• Outstanding and creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills
• Facility to move comfortably between high-level strategic thinking and intricate details
• Ability to translate and structure complicated information for effective decision making and progress towards goals
• Strong project management as well as time and task leadership skills, enabling multiple and large-scale projects to be completed on time
• Strong collaboration skills, demonstrating an ability to gather inputs, develop recommendations, and generate consensus with partners across teams
• Ability to learn quickly, to pivot when needed, and to be effective in a fast-paced, multifaceted, entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to work autonomously and thoroughly with independent self-reflection, as well as take direction as needed
• Ability to navigate organizational relationships and dynamics in pursuit of cross-functional solutions
• Ability to manage multiple cross-functional projects at once
• Outstanding ability to lead and inspire change, including influencing and motivating others through relationship building
• Alignment to and urgency around Uncommon’s mission

Educational background:

• A Bachelor’s Degree required and Advanced Degree preferred (MPA, MBA, or other relevant degrees)

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years of working experience managing complex and/or cross-functional projects and teams
• Experience in worked in high operating organization with the ability to pivot and meet current events
• Experience in leading teams and projects
• Experience in project management and/or management consulting or other relevant fields
• Education and non-profit background preferred but not required
• This role may require occasional travel to all Uncommon regions

Uncommon Schools offer salaries commensurate with experience and generous benefits and vacation package. All staff members receive extensive professional development, 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 hardworking team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community by 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.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.