Operations / Administration Chief Operating Officer
Job Description
Chief Operating Officer
What is KIPP?
KIPP, Knowledge is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States. There are 200 KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia educating nearly 80,000 students on their path to and through college, careers, and life.
We believe that great teachers and school leaders, a supportive learning environment, and an emphasis on both academics and character are the foundation for student success, and we strive to provide these for every child. Nationally, 94 percent of KIPP middle school students have graduated high school, and 81 percent of KIPP alumni have gone on to college.
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools Overview
KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools is a network of free, open enrollment, college preparatory public charter schools. Our schools provide a safe, structured, and nurturing environment with minimal distractions and more time for both academics and extracurricular activities, so our students love school and maximize their learning. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student’s needs, skills, and interests.
OPPORTUNITY
While KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools has had fourteen years of remarkable success, the work is not complete. Both the board and dedicated staff have a strong commitment to creating more quality educational options for traditionally underserved communities in Memphis. As a result, KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools is seeking a visionary Chief Operating Officer who can build on the strong foundation of the organization and lead the organization’s efforts to build a multi-year vision and plan for financial sustainability and success.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Chief Operating Officer serves as the operational and financial leader of KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools helping to ensure that all KIPP Memphis schools meet performance outcomes for the communities they serve.
The specific responsibilities of the Chief Operating Officer include:
- Finance & Accounting
- Ensure KIPP Memphis achieves annual and multi-year financial sustainability goals and budget results.
- Oversee Finance staff to manage financial operations of KIPP Memphis schools and the regional office in the areas of accounting, reporting, banking, budgeting, procurement, compliance, and financial planning.
- Ensure staff and the board has accurate, timely financial information to make resource decisions in the best interest of KIPP Memphis and its students and families.
- School Operations Staff Management
- Hire, manage, train, and develop regional operations staff to deliver excellent operations management services and supports to the Director of School Operations.
- Manage overall quality of operations performance and customer service, analyzing service performance and customer satisfaction data to set and achieve continuous improvement goals.
- Strategic Financial Planning
- Develop and manage KIPP Memphis’ multi-year, detailed financial model including position-specific annual staffing plans, detailed analysis of each revenue source and critical expense driver, “pro forma” income statements with line item budgets for each school and overall pro forma financials for aggregate charter and for KIPP Memphis regionally.
- Develop a plan for ensuring all schools are financially sustainable on public revenue alone by FY 19
- Accountability, Compliance & Grants
- Oversee staff managing KIPP Memphis’ federal and state grants to ensure grants are secured, allocated, budgeted, tracked, and in compliance. Identify new government grant opportunities.
- Ensure compliance systems, staffing, and tools in place for annual and charter cycles such that KIPP Memphis fully complies with federal, state, and local legal and regulatory requirements, with no misses that damage student and staff welfare, financials, ability to operate and grow, or reputation.
- Facilities & Real Estate
- Oversee staff providing facilities and maintenance management to ensure school buildings are clean, well-maintained, safe, secure, and meeting educational needs.
- Manage KIPP Memphis’ real estate portfolio, ensuring facility solutions and plans are in place to achieve growth while integrating mission, finance, development, and facility perspectives.
- Technology
- Oversee staff and strategies for planning, implementation, and support of all technology required for KIPP Memphis to achieve its educational and business goals.
- Functions include: Integration and maintenance of technology architecture and systems administration including network, servers, workstations, connectivity, backup, software, hardware, and information security. Efficient, proactive, and responsive user support and customer service for staff and students. Contribute with instructional leaders to educational technology and data management strategies.
- Purchasing
- Oversee staff and systems for purchasing, procurement, and inventory management, including vendor management and securing administrative supplies, instructional materials, furniture, and equipment.
- Transportation & Food Services
- Ensure school-based staffing, systems, and vendors are in place for transportation and food programs with timely, reliable, safe, on-budget, and fully compliant delivery of services.
- Board Management
- Support board committees including Finance Committee, Development Committee and others as needed. Support general board administration and compliance.
- Other
- Lead region-wide management of legal affairs, insurance, and other risk management strategies.
- Provide operational support for academic administration and data management functions at regional and school levels.
- Participate in and contribute to KIPP national network and local charter network of operations and leadership staff, accessing and sharing learning and support with peers in other organizations.
- Other duties or projects as assigned by the Executive Director.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
Skills & Experience
- Education Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required; MBA or Master’s Degree in related highly field preferred.
- More than five years of progressively increasing operational management experience and strategic planning for a growing, multi-site organization.
- Experience leading, planning and managing in an entrepreneurial, client-oriented setting.
- Excellent management, communication, public relations, customer service, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to develop, implement and manage business systems and processes to support a growing multi-million dollar organization across the majority of operations functions required for the position.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and execute a strategic growth plan for either a non-profit or for-profit organization, including development of regional management structure.
- Ability to negotiate and execute contracts, and manage the quality of service providers and vendors.
- Ability to exercise excellent judgment in decision-making.
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
Traits & Qualities:
- Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP Memphis’ mission and community, and commitment to the belief that outstanding School Leaders, staff, and teachers can achieve excellent outcomes with all students.
- Must have demonstrate a push for equity and inclusion for teammates and stakeholders
- Relentless determination to do whatever it takes to help our students succeed.
- Orientation to make decisions in the best interests of students and the sustainability of KIPP Memphis to fulfill its mission.
- Deep customer service ethic.
- Promote extremely high expectations for staff and students in an enabling and supportive manner.
- Demonstrate trustworthiness in dealing in confidential matters.
- Ability to multi-task and thrive managing concurrent projects under tight deadlines.
- Team-player capable of working both collaboratively and independently.
- Highly organized, resourceful, and accountable, with strong attention to follow through and detail.
- Proactive and creative problem-solver; ability to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions.
- Enthusiasm and sense of humor.
The Chief Operating Officer of KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools must demonstrate the following beliefs and have the following qualities:
Proves the Possible
- Possesses an unshakable, deeply held personal belief that children growing up in low-income communities can achieve at high levels and can demonstrate exceptional personal character;
- Makes decisions and enables other to make decisions based on what is best for students.
Drives Results
- Drives relentlessly to achieve exceptional outcomes on behalf of kids, and does so by demonstrating clear intellect, setting and achieving goals, and managing with grit and humility;
- Constantly focuses on identifying opportunities to learn and grow, and proactively seeks to supplement strong instincts with new ideas and best practices.
Builds Relationships
- Operates with an exceptional level of self-awareness, humility and integrity in all interactions;
- Builds relationships marked by trust, integrity and respect, and does so with a variety of stakeholders including teachers, leaders, students, parents, community members, Board members, donors and fellow KIPP Chief Operating Officers.
Manages People
- Inspires and effectively manages staff to achieve extraordinary results, and offers a clear vision and direction for regional staff members;
- Establishes a culture of transparency, communication, accountability and excellence throughout the organization.
Manages Operations
- Increases the efficiency and effectiveness of regional operations in order to drive even stronger results in school performance;
- Creates operational systems, human capital systems and instructional programs that are scalable and sustainable.
Primary Contact:
Rhonda Nelson at rnelson@kippmemphis.org
