Director of School Operations

Job description

The Director of School Operations leads all non-instructional systems on a shared PreK–8 campus so that School Leaders and teachers can maximize student learning and culture. In partnership with the Regional Director of School Operations, School Leaders, and regional teams, the Director designs, runs, and continuously improves campus-wide operations—including budgeting and procurement, facilities and safety, transportation and food service, attendance and enrollment, HR/compliance records, family/staff communications, athletics logistics, and the master calendar/space allocation—ensuring an equitable, safe, and efficient experience across both schools. Success is evidenced by protected instructional time and smooth daily operations, on-time/on-budget project delivery, 100% compliance on required processes and audits, campus resources allocated equitably, and progress toward attendance/enrollment targets with strong family and staff satisfaction. Responsibilities and Essential Functions: 1. Strategy, Vision, & Operating Model Set a clear operations vision and annual priorities aligned to academic and culture goals. Define and continuously refine the school’s operating model, including RACI, decision rights, service level agreements (SLAs), and escalation paths. Establish goals, KPIs, and meeting cadences to monitor success across all operations functions. Lead cross-functional prioritization with the School Leader and key stakeholders to ensure alignment and focus. Monitor execution through dashboards, meeting rhythms, and deliverable tracking to ensure strong operational health and accountability. 2. People Leadership & Team Management Hire, onboard, develop, and manage the school-based operations team. Set clear expectations, build team capacity, and hold team members accountable to high performance standards. Lead ongoing coaching and performance management through regular 1:1s, team meetings, and feedback cycles. Build a strong team culture focused on service, ownership, and continuous improvement. 3. Financial Management & Resource Allocation Lead school-based budget strategy in partnership with the School Leader, ensuring alignment to strategic priorities. Establish and enforce purchasing controls, financial procedures, and audit standards. Monitor budget vs. actuals and proactively identify forecast risks. Drive corrective actions to ensure financial health and sustainability. Ensure readiness for all finance, audit, and compliance requirements. 4. Core Operations Systems (Service Delivery) Front Office & Service Experience Define the front office “service promise,” including staffing model and coverage expectations. Monitor service quality and recurring issues, and implement improvements to ensure a high-quality experience for families, students, and staff. Partner with School Leaders to remove operational bottlenecks and protect instructional time. Transportation Oversee transportation goals and vendor performance. Design and implement arrival and dismissal systems that are safe, efficient, and student-centered. Monitor performance metrics and incident patterns, and escalate or resolve chronic issues. Food Service Oversee food service expectations, vendor performance, and compliance with all regulations. Monitor participation trends and audit readiness. Ensure systems for allergies and special diets are safe, compliant, and consistently executed. Communications & Events Set school-wide communications standards, including tone, accessibility, translation, and cadence. Define event risk thresholds and approval processes. Monitor stakeholder experience and proactively address gaps. Ensure communications align with School Leader priorities and regional initiatives. 5. Student Systems (Enrollment, Attendance, Compliance, Data) Set seat-fill strategy, enrollment timelines, and staff roles to ensure full enrollment. Own ADA and chronic absenteeism goals, including designing and implementing intervention strategies. Monitor enrollment pipeline, conversion, and attendance metrics to drive strong outcomes. Ensure compliance with withdrawal and no-show processes. Set expectations for testing, security, and state reporting. Monitor readiness checkpoints and ensure strong execution of all testing processes. Ensure strong records governance and compliance with all data requirements. Hold data and operations team members accountable for calendar adherence, accuracy, and training execution. 6. Facilities, Safety, & Asset Management Facilities Set and uphold facilities standards for cleanliness, readiness, and safety. Prioritize facilities projects, vendor partnerships, and budget allocations. Monitor inspections, facilities metrics, and trends to ensure high-quality learning environments. Partner with regional facilities teams on compliance and capital improvement work. Safety & Crisis Management Set the school’s safety vision and define incident thresholds. Maintain emergency plans, drill calendars, and staff training expectations. Lead crisis response frameworks and ensure readiness for emergencies. Monitor incident trends and after-action reviews to drive continuous improvement and prevention. Asset & Technology Management Define and manage the asset accountability model, including inventory integrity, replacement cycles, and controls. Align technology priorities with budget and school needs. Escalate systemic IT issues and ensure timely resolution. Monitor trends in loss, damage, and uptime for mission-critical equipment. 7. Athletics & Enrichment Programs Define clear accountability between operations and Athletics Directors (or equivalent roles). Lead budget strategy to ensure sustainability and equity of access for all students. Monitor incidents, student eligibility, compliance, and overall program health. Oversee coaching rosters, eligibility requirements, and alignment with HR processes. Ensure timely communication and coordination across stakeholders. The following are required for the role: Education & Credentials: Bachelor’s Degree Experience: 7+ years total operations experience; 2+ years leading school/site ops teams; Direct experience in K-12 or youth-serving nonprofit with facilities, compliance, or business operations ownership; Proven budget management and vendor/contracts oversight. Knowledge: Deep understanding of K-12 compliance basics: FERPA, IDEA-related operational requirements, student attendance/enrollment rules, safety/emergency procedures; Facilities, transportation, nutrition, health/clinic, and procurement workflows; Budgeting, purchasing, and audit-readiness. Technical Skills & Tools: Proficient SIS familiarity (e.g., PowerSchool/Infinite Campus), Google Workspace or Microsoft 365; Project/issue tracking (Asana, Trello, Jira) and ticketing/help desk practices; Intermediate Excel/Sheets (pivot tables, lookups), basic dashboard literacy. The following are strongly preferred for the role: Master’s (MBA, MPA/MPP, Ed Admin); Experience scaling ops across multiple campuses; RFP/contract negotiation; Fluency in a second language (e.g., Spanish); crisis management certification. Work Environment and Physical Demands The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role. All of these physical requirements should be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness of the KNOS vision, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the individual is regularly required to communicate information and ideas effectively so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations, including noisy environments such as cafeterias and playgrounds, to more moderate situations such as classrooms or large group professional settings. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as laptop computers and various digital devices, and one needs to be able to read, analyze, and interpret data (emails, memos, letters, etc.) and maintain visual attention and mental concentration for significant periods of time. Ability to meet the physical demands of classroom teaching (standing, circulating, occasional lifting/moving of classroom materials); Able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time. Ability to safely lift and move up to 50lbs independently Duties may require traveling to other school facilities using employee's personal transportation. This is a full-time, 100% on-site position; Regular work hours, Monday through Friday, will be established with your supervisor. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. Work Authorization Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. Commitments Maintain a friendly, respectful, professional and courteous attitude with all people, including all KNOS employees, Board members, community and philanthropic partners, funders, and vendors. Model superior customer service behavior by maintaining positive relationships with all KNOS stakeholders. Contribute as a positive and effective team member; work effectively with other team members to accomplish KNOS goals. Be prompt and available for flexible scheduling; be honest and fair in all professional dealings. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience, and we routinely engage in compensation analysis for all roles across the organization to ensure that we remain competitive in the market 403(b) retirement plan – KNOS matches 100% of employee contribution up to the first 5% of salary and any bonuses. Vested immediately in 403(b) KNOS employees are eligible for health and wellbeing benefits starting the first day of the month following their Date of Hire Comprehensive, customizable health coverage, including disability, life insurance, hospital indemnity, FSAs for health and dependent care, and free dental and vision for employees KNOS employees are provided ~30 paid holidays and additional paid time off Opportunities for on-going professional development Disclaimer: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This job description shall not constitute or be construed as a promise of employment or as a contract between KNOS and any of its employees. KIPP New Orleans Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer: At KIPP New Orleans Schools, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran service, genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. KNOS expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on any of the characteristics listed here. Improper interference with the ability of KNOS employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. KNOS complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the KNOS has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Contact Us: Please contact our regional Talent Team at with any questions. Together | A Future Without Limits KIPP New Orleans Schools (KNOS) is a non-profit network of 13 college/career-preparatory, public charter schools serving approximately 5,000 elementary, middle, and high school students, and over 2,000 alumni. While each of our schools is as unique as the community to which it belongs, we are united around a shared promise: To build academically excellent schools that create unlimited opportunity for all students. For 20 years, we have a proven track record of preparing students for success in college, career, and beyond. At KIPP, you have the freedom to innovate and the support to grow. You never stop learning, and you’re part of a national network that’s leading the way in getting students from underserved communities to and through college, and beyond. As the largest charter school management organization in New Orleans, we serve nearly 15% of the city’s students, so we need passionate teammates to join us to make their impact at KIPP. Where will YOU take us? Click here to learn more about teaching and working at KIPP!