Director of Operations Fellow

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

The Director of Operations Fellowship is a yearlong fulltime program that prepares you to become a Director of Operations (DOO) of an Uncommon school. As DOO you colead alongside a Principal partnering to ensure your students receive an exemplary education.

The 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 Directors of Operations. These include Fellowship Deliverables and School Immersion; Evaluation and Feedback; Operations Leadership Meetings and Professional Development.

The DOO Fellowship typically lasts one year; however flexibility is key as the fellowship can range from a couple of weeks (due to a midyear transition) to more than a year (if an opening is unavailable more common in smaller regions or if the Fellow would benefit from additional time to develop). Fellows should expect to work in multiple locations and gradespans within the region. Fellow placement is based on the regions needs as well as Fellows growth areas and matching them with host DOOs to best support their development.

Fellowship Deliverables and School Immersion

Fellows are placed at an existing Uncommon school and serve as fulltime members of the schools operations team. They engage in operations work at their host school tackle Uncommonwide operations projects and conduct observations and analysis of operational systems. Fellows are responsible for completing a variety of predetermined deliverables designed to provide active learning that supports the development of their leadership. 

Evaluation and Feedback

Fellows receive coaching and feedback from their Regional Superintendent of Operations and host DOO. This support is rooted in their Individualized Development Plans which are customized around their strengths and areas of growth.

Operations Leadership Meetings

Fellows meet periodically with current DOOs other Fellows in their region and Fellows across all of Uncommon to share and problem solve around current crossorganization operational challenges and to build their network of current leaders. 

Professional Development

Starting in the summer Fellows engage in professional development focusing on Cultural Leadership Management and Operational Leadership. Each session will be led by our experienced group of Regional Superintendents of Instruction Home Office teams and a select group of external partners. Some examples of professional development sessions provided to our Fellows are Connecting with and Leading Teachers; Difficult Conversations; Managing Teams and Groups; Financial Management and School Transportation Food Services and Health & Safety.

Qualifications :

• Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and investment in our vision for being an antiracist organization;
• 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;
• Proactive strategic problemsolving skills; 
• Ability to thrive in a fastpaced environment; flexible able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed;
• High quality communications and relationshipbuilding 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 selfreflection 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;
• Schoolbased or other educational experience preferred;
• Experience managing others preferred;
• Required experience:
  • 4 or more years of work experience;
  • Project planning experience with proven ability to see large projects through to completion;
  • A Bachelors degree.

Additional Information :

Our people are what makes us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health wellness and finances of our staff and their families.  

Compensation for this position: Candidates who meet all job description requirements will likely receive an offer of $94000. The starting pay will depend on various factors including but not limited to relevant professional experience education certifications and tenure with Uncommon Schools.  To receive an offer greater than $94000 candidates will need experience beyond the job description requirements including time spent in a directly equivalent role.

Other Benefits:

• Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time and school breaks (spring winter and summer)
• Extensive bestinclass training and development  
• Choice of 3 comprehensive health insurance plans
• Pretax flexible spending and health saving accounts
• Financial planning & wellness
  • New Jersey Pension program
  • 529 college savings program
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness application assistance
  • Financial  planning tools and assistance
• Dependent Care FSA back up childcare and daycare discounts
• Paid leave of absence 
  • Fully paid parental leave
  • Fully paid medical leave
  • Additional paid Short Term and Long Term Disability insurance 
• Mental health and counseling support wellness benefits

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. 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

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Fulltime