Director of Operations, School-based

At KIPP Chicago, we are guided by a simple, yet powerful mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. Our campuses are located in the Austin, Englewood, North Lawndale, and West Humboldt Park neighborhoods. KIPP Chicago also advises over 2000 KIPP alumni currently in high school or college through our KIPP Forward program.   For more data and information about our successes and vision for the future, visit www.kippchicago.org

About KIPP Public Schools 

KIPP Chicago partners with the KIPP Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports schools across the country. KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are currently a network of 278 schools, nearly 15,000 educators, and 175,000 students and alumni. When you work at KIPP, you’re part of a national network that partners with families and communities to create nurturing, rigorous, and joyful schools in pursuit of a more just world.

Position Overview

The Director of Operations (DOO) plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth, efficient, and mission-aligned functioning of our schools. The DOO’s primary responsibility is to successfully execute on our two top priorities: enrollment and attendance. They are charged with designing, implementing, and maintaining strong operational systems that free the principal and teachers to focus on high-quality instruction and student learning, while fostering a supportive and well-organized school environment.

The ideal DOO is someone who values structure, embraces innovation, and seeks continuous improvement, consistently looking for ways to enhance effectiveness, streamline processes, and manage resources wisely. This individual will report directly to the Principal and collaborate closely with school leadership, teachers, and the KIPP Chicago School Support Team to ensure seamless day-to-day operations. Regular and dependable on-site attendance is essential to fulfilling the responsibilities of this role. The Director of Operations reports to the Principal and works in collaboration with the regional Operations Team leaders.

Duties and Responsibilities

The responsibilities for the DOO include, but are not limited to:

• Student Enrollment: Leads the school’s annual effort to enroll new students – including strategic planning, canvassing (nights and weekends), waitlist management, and registrations – and re-registers current students each spring/summer. 

• Attendance: Leads the school’s effort to reach 96% average daily attendance for the year, which includes creating a plan for daily attendance calls and data entry with the OMs; analyzing data; and implementing incentives for students, families, and staff members for hitting daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals.

• Leadership: Is a critical member of the school leadership team, along with the principal and assistant principals, helping the school achieve ambitious academic outcomes. Manages and leads a team to successfully execute on KIPP Chicago’s top priorities. 

• Finance & Purchasing: Assists principal and KIPP Chicago’s regional operations team in overseeing school finances: creating the discretionary budget, managing purchasing, monitoring spending, and ensuring adherence to the school’s fiscal procedures.

• Facilities: Keeps the school’s physical plant –both inside and out – in good repair and supervises engineers and custodians.

• Compliance: Ensures compliance with health and safety laws, teacher licensure and fingerprinting, city and state education mandates, and all federal and state workplace regulations.

• Technology: Oversees purchasing and maintenance of student and teacher computing devices and other hardware & software.

• Student Information and Reporting: Manages the student information system, generates progress reports & report cards, and coordinates with the KIPP Chicago School Support Team on data analysis and reporting.

• Logistics: Plans and coordinates logistics for parent meetings, special events, and field lessons.

• Human Resources: Coordinates with the KIPP Chicago School Support Team to ensure that school-based employees receive timely and accurate payroll and benefits.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree (highly preferred)

• 4 years of work experience (required)

• 2 years of management experience in a school or fast-paced entrepreneurial environment (required)

• Strong project management skills

• Ability to juggle multiple priorities, and to prioritize tasks appropriately

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills

• Evidence of personal initiative and follow-through

• Meticulous attention to detail

• Ability to work under pressure to hit deadlines

• High level of comfort with financial oversight and budgetary tracking

• Strong technology skills: proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) & Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and able to quickly learn how to use new programs/systems 

• Frequently standing or walking, using stairs to move throughout school building; ability to lift   / carry up to 20 lbs when necessary to support school procurement. 

• Demonstrated passion for and commitment to the KIPP mission

• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed 

• A cleared CPS Background check before start of employment and within employment term (required)

Compensation & Benefits 

KIPP Chicago Schools offers a competitive compensation and benefits package:

• Competitive executive salary, commensurate with experience and aligned to regional salary bands 

• Competitive rates for medical insurance and short-term disability insurance. Dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance are offered at no cost.

• Competitive retirement savings benefits: Chicago Teachers Pension Fund eligibility for IL licensed educators or 403B match

• Robust development and professional collaboration within national KIPP Foundation CSO cohort 

• For more detail about our Salaries and Benefits at KIPP Chicago, visit our website: https://kippchicago.org/join-our-team/

Statement of Non-Discrimination

KIPP Chicago is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment. KIPP Chicago does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic background.