Edtech.com's Summary

Uncommon Schools is hiring a Director of Operations Fellow to prepare future Directors of Operations by engaging them in professional development, experiential learning, practical application, and reflective practice. The role involves leading school operations in partnership with the Principal to ensure students receive high-quality education by managing systems, tackling operational challenges, and supporting the academic environment.

Highlights

Lead operational systems design and management to support school faculty and student achievement.
Engage in a year-long fellowship including workshops, coaching, role plays, and acting as Director of Operations during immersion periods.
Required proficiency in Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Access.
Necessitates 4+ years of work experience, including 1+ year in operations leadership and 1+ year in coaching or managing others.
Bachelor’s degree required; school-based or educational experience preferred.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills with diverse partners including teachers, families, and vendors.
Compensation ranges from $108,000 to $114,500, with most offers starting at $108,000.
Comprehensive benefits include paid time off, health insurance, pension, paid leave options, and wellness support.
Part of the Operational Leadership department, supporting the North Star Academy Charter School brand.
Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion with a focus on reflective practice and continual professional growth.

Director of Operations Fellow Full Description

Company Description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing public charter schools dedicated to providing an exceptional K-12 education in economically disadvantaged communities. Operating in Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester, we are committed to closing the college completion gap and preparing every student for college and beyond. Our students consistently exceed national benchmarks, reflecting our dedication to their success. We invest deeply in our educators, offering weekly coaching, feedback, and professional development to ensure excellence in teaching and leadership. Join us to work hard, do good, and make a lasting difference!

Job Description

At Uncommon Schools, we know running exceptional schools takes more than great
instruction—it also takes exemplary operations! Uncommon Schools' operations leaders work
passionately to ensure that our faculty maximizes time and energy on student achievement.
They design, implement, and refine systems that anticipate the needs of the school community.
As service-oriented leaders, they tackle problems, share standard methodologies across
campuses, and respond to urgent needs. They partner to build an academic and cultural
environment that supports our ultimate goal: ensuring that every student will earn a college
degree.

The Director of Operations Fellow is a full-time position that prepares you to become a Director
of Operations (DOO) of an Uncommon school. As DOO, you will lead a school in partnership
with the Principal, working together to ensure your students receive an exemplary education.

The DOO Fellowship is based on a foundation of four core elements that are aligned to the
competencies of Uncommon leaders. Each element is designed to build Fellows’ capacity
towards becoming effective DOOs. These include Professional Development, Experiential
Learning, Practical Application and Reflective Practice.

The DOO Fellowship typically lasts one year; however, the length of time will vary based on
open positions and DOO Fellow readiness. Fellows should expect to work in multiple locations
and gradespans within the region. Fellow placement is based on the region’s needs as well as
Fellows’ growth areas and matching them with host DOOs to best support their development.

Professional Development

All Fellows will attend a series of professional development workshops throughout the
Fellowship. The subject matter of these workshops is grounded in the leadership competencies
that DOOs are evaluated and developed on.

Experiential Learning

Feedback and coaching, especially when individualized, are critical tools that will support the
Fellow’s growth as a leader. Fellows will engage in experiential learning activities, and receive
feedback targeted at their individualized areas of growth. Experiential learning activities include:
submission of weekly deliverables; on-site coaching with real-time feedback; and practice clinics
where fellows will engage in case studies, role plays, and problem solving exercises.

Practical Application

Fellows are placed at an existing Uncommon school and serve as full-time members of the
school's operations team. They engage in operations work at their host school, tackle school or
regional-based operations projects, and conduct observations and analysis of operational
systems. Fellows are responsible for completing a variety of pre-determined deliverables that
expose them to all of the key components of DOO work. Practical application includes an
Immersion in which the Fellow acts as DOO in place of their host DOO for 4-6 weeks. During
this time, their host DOO is offsite and the Fellow is acting DOO and co-leads the school
alongside the Principal.

Reflective Discourse

The Fellowship will create space at in-person sessions for reflective discourse, so that Fellows
can learn from their own experiences and those of others in the cohort. Fellows will also be
supported in developing a reflective practice, where they will codify their learning through written
reflections and create plans to make their growth and development actionable.

Qualifications

Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools;
Passionate commitment to improve the minds, characters, and lives of students both in and out of school;
Ability to strategically manage and prioritize time and tasks effectively to fully meet the needs of their school, with a lens towards systems thinking;
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed;
Comfort with managing ambiguous situations and moving to clarity/solution;
Ability to learn something new and/or “do what it takes” to ensure the school receives high-quality operations despite obstacles;
Proactive, strategic problem-solver who is able to work successfully in a fast-paced environment, often while balancing competing priorities;
High-quality communication and relationship-building skills with multiple partners including teachers, students, families, vendors, and colleagues;
Ability to have difficult conversations in a respectful manner;
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Access;
Dedication to self-reflection and continual professional growth; approaches every experience as a chance to learn and grow and understands that introspection and the outward expression of that learning is essential to leadership;
School-based or other educational experience preferred;
Experience managing others preferred;
Required experience:
- 4 or more years of work experience;
- At least 1 year of experience in operations leadership (experience in K-12 school operations is preferred)
- At least 1 year of experience coaching, leading, and/or managing others (e.g., Special Projects Manager, Associate Director of Operations, Instructional Leader, or other equivalent experience);
- Project planning experience, with proven ability to see large projects through to completion;
- A Bachelor’s degree.

Additional Information

Our people are what make us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families. Our compensation philosophy values equity & fairness and attracting & retaining top talent.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $108,000 to $114,500. Most candidates who meet job description requirements will receive an offer of $108,000.

Starting pay is determined using various factors including but not limited to relevant professional development, education certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools.

Benefits

Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time, paid holidays, and 10 weeks of paid breaks (Spring, Winter, and Summer).
Extensive, best-in-class training and development
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
Financial Planning
- New Jersey Pension program
Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

*A detailed list of all benefits is located HERE.

At Uncommon, we believe that a supportive and welcoming environment helps our students, staff, and community thrive. We are dedicated to building a team that brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences, reflective of the communities we serve---with over 70% of our staff identifying as people of color. Our organization values respect and open dialogue on important topics that shape our school culture.

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 recruitment@uncommonschools.org.

Original Job Description

Company Description

Job Description

Professional Development

Experiential Learning

Practical Application

Reflective Discourse

Qualifications

Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools;
Passionate commitment to improve the minds, characters, and lives of students both in and out of school;
Ability to strategically manage and prioritize time and tasks effectively to fully meet the needs of their school, with a lens towards systems thinking;
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment; flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed;
Comfort with managing ambiguous situations and moving to clarity/solution;
Ability to learn something new and/or “do what it takes” to ensure the school receives high-quality operations despite obstacles;
Proactive, strategic problem-solver who is able to work successfully in a fast-paced environment, often while balancing competing priorities;
High-quality communication and relationship-building skills with multiple partners including teachers, students, families, vendors, and colleagues;
Ability to have difficult conversations in a respectful manner;
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Access;
Dedication to self-reflection and continual professional growth; approaches every experience as a chance to learn and grow and understands that introspection and the outward expression of that learning is essential to leadership;
School-based or other educational experience preferred;
Experience managing others preferred;
Required experience:
- 4 or more years of work experience;
- At least 1 year of experience in operations leadership (experience in K-12 school operations is preferred)
- At least 1 year of experience coaching, leading, and/or managing others (e.g., Special Projects Manager, Associate Director of Operations, Instructional Leader, or other equivalent experience);
- Project planning experience, with proven ability to see large projects through to completion;
- A Bachelor’s degree.

Additional Information

Compensation

Compensation for this role is between $108,000 to $114,500. Most candidates who meet job description requirements will receive an offer of $108,000.

Starting pay is determined using various factors including but not limited to relevant professional development, education certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools.

Benefits

Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time, paid holidays, and 10 weeks of paid breaks (Spring, Winter, and Summer).
Extensive, best-in-class training and development
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
Financial Planning
- New Jersey Pension program
Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

*A detailed list of all benefits is located HERE.

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Director of Operations Fellow

Edtech.com's Summary

Director of Operations Fellow Full Description

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