Chief Operations Officer

Position: Chief Operations Officer 

Date:  2023-24 School Year

Salary: $149,940-$179,192

Location: The COO spends time at all four Impact school sites

Job Type: Full-Time 

Who You Are

You are a passionate and experienced elementary educator. You are excited to lead 

all operational functions across Impact Public Schools’ growing network of high-performing charter schools that encompasses four elementary school campuses in Renton, South Seattle, Tacoma, and Tukwila, WA. You love to set visions and develop operational strategies around student recruitment and enrollment, school operations, meals, transportation, procurement, student and staff information systems, compliance and reporting, safety, and new school openings. You are driven by a relentless belief that all students can thrive and have an unwavering commitment to closing the opportunity gap by ensuring Impact’s operations are performed with excellence, so that student learning can flourish everywhere. 

Characteristics and Qualities of an Ideal Applicant

Below are some of the skills, experiences, and dispositions that we’re looking for in an applicant. We don’t expect strong candidates to excel in every one of these.

• You thrive when leading teams to achieve ambitious goals

• You are comfortable flexing into different roles, including but not limited to: Director of School Operations coach, data analyst, school operations visionary, and beyond

• You love coaching and developing others and have innovative ideas for leveraging professional development to improve operations and leader performance

• You are unwavering in holding others to high expectations and have the coaching skills to support all teammates in achieving their goals

• You are eager to dive in to support operations across 4 schools and Home Office  

• You like to Play Big and bring a sense of optimism and joy to your teams

IPS seeks individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds to apply for this position. We believe that educator diversity is critically important and are striving to recruit a team that reflects our school communities.

Who We Are

Our model is grounded in social emotional learning, personalized instruction, project based learning, and a culture of positivity. We prepare a diverse student body to succeed in college and impact communities as the next generation of equity driven leaders. Students at Impact’s flagship school performed in the top 2% in ELA and Math, statewide, as compared to other schools serving 60% or more low income children. 

Essential Functions of Impact’s Chief Operations Officer

Operational Strategy + Leadership

• Drive excellence across all operational functions including student recruitment and enrollment, talent, school operations, meals, transportation, procurement, student and staff information systems, compliance and reporting, safety, management of real estate holdings, maintenance and development of facilities, and school openings

• Manage School-Home Office relations and operational systems so that the network is using seamless and transparent systems, protocols, calendars.

• Lead the design and implementation of systems, processes, and services that support Impact Public Schools and programs in delivering best-in-class educational outcomes

• Ensure operational strategies are translated into specific objectives and plans (with contingencies); integrate and align efforts across functions, locations; set realistic yet aggressive timeframes for achieving key objectives

• Make recommendations for organizational structure to foster a healthy, unified culture among home office staff and school sites, ensuring all team members feel valued, supported and inspired

• Incorporate a strong customer service orientation into all aspects of Home Office and school operations

Organizational Operational Oversight

• With network and campus operations teams, ensure federal school nutrition program is operating in compliance and financial sustainability

• Manage RFP, contracts, and annual performance management process for vendors, including, but not limited to food service, transportation, janitorial, security, technology

• Set vision and execution plan for organizational use, maintenance, and tracking of technology, both inside and outside of classrooms

• In conjunction with other departments, including marketing and communications, design and execute a student enrollment strategy that enables all schools to reach and maintain their enrollment budget targets

Strategic Facilities Management

• Set a clear, coherent vision for operations and facilities across the enterprise; ensure functions are executed at a consistent, high quality level across the network

• Develops and organizes ongoing, long range, and preventive maintenance plans and programs for sites, buildings and equipment, including grounds keeping, transportation, and custodial services;

• Participates, as assigned, with demographic planning.

• Negotiates contracts as appropriate; reviews billings and contract terms with contractors, vendors, etc.; confers with District legal counsel

Federal + Local Compliance

• Ensure state + district compliance via fire safety code, health code, food service, safety drills and other structural systems

• Maintain authorizer relationships and manage communication, reporting, and audit habits accordingly

• Set cadence for all necessary data reporting and train and manage staff on systems accordingly

• When needed, interface with legal teams to advise school leaders or other network staff

Organizational Leadership

• Attend weekly leadership team meeting and collaborate on organizational decisions

• Engage with and attend board meetings and board committee meetings.

• In partnership with Impact’s leadership team, engage with the growth strategy to continue to refine and build a sustainable, scalable, cost-efficient operational infrastructure.

• Support high priority tours and visits as needed

• Support fundraising as assigned

Skills and Characteristics:

• Strong belief in the IPS mission and educational model, including experience implementing – or a passionate desire to learn how to integrate elements of project based learning – personalization and social emotional learning into instruction

• Self-aware: Aware of own strengths and weaknesses, work relentlessly to improve upon weaknesses, are open to feedback, willing to take personal responsibility, show balance in confidence vs. humility, and behave professionally. 

• Adaptable: Manage uncertainty; demonstrate resilience, resolve, and flexibility in face of change. 

• Critical thinker and decision-maker: Analyze information and organize thinking to solve problems 

• High moral character

• Ability to connect with and motivate a diverse community

• Values the importance of working in a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment

• Exhibits a growth mindset as an educator and lifelong learner

• Positive and effective collaborator

• Communication: Speak and write effectively. Inspire through communication.

• Personal organization: Prioritize and multi-task effectively. Punctual, prepared, detail oriented. 

Compensation and Benefits

Impact’s competitive benefits make us stand out as an employer. Home office employees:

• Receive a generous PTO package, including major holidays, the week between Christmas and New Years, the week of July 4th, 18 flexible PTO days

• Have a comprehensive benefits package, which includes medical, dental, vision, and long term disability insurance

• Are part of the state’s retirement system, with generous employer contributions

• Can access Impact’s Employee Assistance Program, which offers a suite of services including free counseling sessions

• Can participate in various professional development opportunities with Impact’s partner organizations

Educational Background/Work Experience and Eligibility:

• Prior experience working in operations (school operations, school enrollment, systems development,) in the education/education management sector preferred; experience serving traditionally underserved scholars and communities strongly preferred;

• 7+ years of professional experience, and ideally with success overseeing many of the following functional areas: student recruitment and enrollment, school operations, meals, transportation, procurement, student information systems, compliance and reporting, real estate and facilities, safety, and school openings

• A track record of leading teams in diverse functional areas while serving as a member of a leadership team

• Experience scaling operations in a high growth, multi-site environment

• Exceptional systems and process orientation, with experience designing complex and scalable systems/processes from scratch and improving upon existing ones

• Ability to define strategic issues clearly despite ambiguity, provide sound recommendations, and take all critical information into account when making timely, tough decisions

• Record of achieving ambitious results, ability to establish meaningful metrics to support data driven decisions

• Passionate about continuous improvement

• Must pass background check

Additional Requirements

• Prior to the start date of employment all employees need to obtain clearance on a criminal justice fingerprint and background check. 

• Prior to being made an offer, the hiring manager will ask candidates to complete a character and fitness form from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

• An offer is contingent upon verification that the person is authorized to work in the United States for any employer

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal employment opportunity and respect in the workplace are fundamental principles at Impact Public Schools (IPS). IPS prohibits and does not tolerate harassment, intimidation, bullying, discriminatory, or retaliatory behavior. All aspects of your employment are based upon your personal capabilities and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion/creed, sex/gender (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, disability, age, military status, marital status, partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or any other protected class as established by federal, state, or local law.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Impact Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and concerns of alleged discrimination:

Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator: Angela Sheffey-Bogan, Chief Partnership Officer [3900 S Holly Park Drive, Seattle WA 98118, 206-712-7640, abogan@impactps.org]

Section 504 Coordinator: Emma Bean, Interim Chief Academic Officer [3900 S Holly Park Drive, Seattle WA 98118, 206-712-7640, ebean@impactps.org]