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 more than 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.

The Senior Director, Central Office Performance Management will lead critical strategic, operational, and cultural work across Uncommon, and particularly within our central office. You will lead strategic planning and progress monitoring for our central office teams, build culture, and develop and implement a vision for service-oriented operational excellence across our 20+ teams. Your leadership will strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of central teams’ delivery of excellent services to schools. This role will lead the Central Office Operations Team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Strategic planning: Roll out newly-designed strategic planning and progress monitoring processes for central office teams:
   • Refine the vision for planning, goal-setting, and progress monitoring 
   • Continuously improve the systems, tools necessary to sustain the vision across the central office
   • Plan and facilitate high-impact training for leaders on how to plan and progress monitor according to our shared vision
   • Monitor the progress of our new approaches and improve them as necessary

2. Operational Excellence for our central office: In close partnership with the COO, develop and implement a vision to ensure effective and consistent implementation of the Central Office Vision in service to schools:

   • Design and implement initiatives to improve the performance of our HO teams (e.g., Central Office team inspections). 
   • Plan and facilitate recurring Central Office Leadership Team and Central Office Lead meetings
   • Define and implement organizational communication and decision-making structures related to operations, including school/region/Central Office communication and connectivity.
   • Ensure alignment and integration with school and regional operations

3. Cultural Leadership and Employee Experience for our central office: In partnership with the COO, Talent Strategy and the Central Office Leadership Team, ensure a strong central office culture and an excellent central office employee experience:

   • Cultural leadership: assess central office culture (e.g., through satisfaction surveys, informal check-ins) and lead analysis and action planning to support strong and positive central office culture
   • Set expectations for central office employees (e.g., return to the office) and work with and through leaders to reinforce expectations
   • Oversee key central office communications and culture-building vehicles, including leading staff meetings
   • Overall office administration: ensure core central office resources and communication vehicles like weekly newsletters are administered effectively and kept up to date
   • Employee onboarding: support effective employee onboarding as led by the Talent Strategy team

4. Office Operations for our central office: Oversee successful execution of daily office operations for our central office (55 Broad/100 Church, 18 Wash), including all associated planning, systems, and processes:

   • Partner with Real Estate and Facilities on capital improvements, as needed.
   • Oversight of day-to-day relationship with our management company
5. Organizational Initiatives: Manage major organizational initiatives and workstreams as required, which may include leading cross-functional teams to address emerging needs; designing and implementing new processes or systems to address pain points; or leading and implementing change management.
6. People Management: Manage member(s) of the Home Office Operations Team to ensure strong performance, development and special projects support:
   • This role will directly manage 1-2 FTE (with 2 additional FTE reporting into one of the FTE)
   • This role will manage the Central Office Operations Team
7. Senior Leadership Support: Manage and/or support projects to enhance strategic and administrative support and effectiveness of the COO

• 6+ years of experience in school leadership, operations, management consulting, or related field;
• Prior experience working in schools and/or urban communities and/or interest in and alignment with Uncommon’s mission (preferred)
• Strong data analysis skills and data-driven decision-making;
• Knowledge of performance management systems and monitoring processes
• Strong and creative problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic planning skills, including the ability to disaggregate problems and structure complex issues;
• Strong operational systems and process-building skills, including ability to think and operate collaboratively and cross-functionally;
• 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

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent.  Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this role based in NYC is between $137,600 to $172,000 and generally, we expect that qualified candidates in this location will be made an offer between $137,600 and $154,800. The starting pay will depend on various factors including but not limited to relevant professional experience, education, certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools.   To receive an offer at the top of the range, candidates will need significant experience beyond the job description  requirements.  Because we value staff tenure in a role, we do not currently cap salary ranges for current staff members. 

Other Benefits:

• 19 days of paid time off in addition to three weeks of paid winter and summer org-wide holidays
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development  
• Choice of 3 comprehensive health insurance plans
• Pre-tax flexible spending and health saving accounts
• Financial planning & wellness
  • 403(b) retirement savings program + employer match
  • 529 college savings program
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness application assistance
  • Financial  planning tools and assistance
• Dependent Care FSA, back up childcare and daycare discounts, pet care insurance
• Paid leave of absence 
  • Fully paid parental leave
  • Fully paid medical leave
  • Additional paid Short Term and Long Term Disability insurance 
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

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 an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive 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, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email [email protected].