Crossroads Charter Schools is looking for highly effective, highly qualified and highly motivated individuals to join our organization. Ideal candidates will have experience in urban education and be committed to our four core values: High Expectations, Real World Learning, Creative Culture, and Equity.
Crossroads Charter Schools organization is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factor prohibited by law.
Job Description: Chief Operating Officer
Direct Supervisor: Superintendent or designee
School Summary:
At Crossroads Charter Schools, we…
- Understand the significant difference between equity and equality. Every student deserves to receive what he/she needs to succeed (equity), not that every student receives the same amount of resources, instruction, attention, etc. (equality).
- Develop school environments where all students are actively and meaningfully engaged in rigorous instruction and authentic learning tasks.
- Interrupt the “school to prison pipeline” – policies and practices that are directly and indirectly pushing the most at-risk students out of school and on a pathway to the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
- Engage families as partners in meaningful ways.
- Build the capacity of diverse teams that are more reflective of our students.
- Nurture an open, collaborative, and trusting environment because the work is enormous, deeply personal, emotional and often difficult.
- Engage in on-going job-embedded professional development through co-teaching and co-planning.
Position Summary:
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) has strong leadership skills and oversight for various departments and is responsible for the effective and compliant management of the school’s human resources, employee benefits, transportation, food services, IT management, property management, data management, website management, safety & security, etc. The COO is responsible for managing those vendors who are contracted by the school to provide these aforementioned services and others and/or to directly ensure that these critical operational functions are completed to a high degree of quality. The COO is additionally responsible for coordinating, monitoring, and prioritizing the department staff and workflow requirements for the efficient daily operations, activities, and services managed and provided by the LEA. The COO assists in day to day operation of activities and services managed by the LEA and in ensuring the efficient, prompt interaction with the Board of Education, Office of the Superintendent, and direct reports. The Chief Operating Officer reports directly to the Superintendent. The Chief Operating Officer is responsible for managing the entire operations team.
Position Responsibilities:
Supervision, Systems, and Compliance
- Directly supervise and develop Campus Safety and Facilities Manager, Athletics and Operations Manager, Human Resources Director, Communications and Marketing Manager, and Development Manager.
- Manage Point of Sale System and communication around account balances.
- Create framework and accountability for departments under your supervision.
- Assist in the preparation of long-range facility, security, and operational planning.
- Manage all construction projects.
- Keep abreast of and interpret laws, regulations, statutes, rules, and policies affecting Crossroads operations.
- Oversee the budget for individual departments in the division as well as capital project budgets.
- Attend and make presentations at Board of Education meetings and other regular and special meetings as required.
- Ensure that systems sufficiently support the goals of the District as defined by the Superintendent and the Board of Education.
- Contribute to the successful attainment of all goals and objectives as outlined by our sponsor and the Department of Elementary and Secondary education.
- Manage Board minutes, agendas, documents, and communications.
- Perform other incidental tasks consistent with the goals and objectives of this position. Contribute to various collaborative meetings with the other department/division leadership in support of the school’s mission.
Customer Relations and Vendor Management
- Establish and maintain positive customer relationships with staff, parents, board, vendors, and community members.
- Lead contract negotiations regarding all managed vendor contracts.
- Negotiate/re-negotiate contracts with and manage performance of outsourced vendors related to the division.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with the school lunch vendor.
- Coordinate and provide input regarding school food services, schedules, and execution.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with multiple Before and After Care providers who partner with Crossroads.
Transportation
- Manage student transportation to ensure efficient operations and provide safe and quality services for our families.
- Coordinate and provide input regarding student transportation services, routing, and scheduling for school activities.
- Manage student transportation data within our student information system.
Technology
- Directly manage Crossroads’ IT management vendor to ensure that students and staff have safe and reliable access to Crossroads’ network, devices and other resources identified as part of Crossroads’ Technology plan.
- Manage technology purchasing, device inventory, and ensuring data is up to date within our inventory system, including student and staff devices as well as classroom technology.
- Coordinate and provide input regarding student devices with each school.
General
- Ability to work as an effective team member and to foster relationships with donors, staff members, parents, and community members. Ability to work with diverse groups of people.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines.
- Meticulous attention to detail and passion for well-run processes.
- Desire to continue professional development.
- Excellent work ethic, positive attitude, flexibility and willingness to perform tasks assigned.
- Demonstrate ethical behavior and confidentiality of information regarding donor records.
- Must pass extensive background check.
- Participate in meetings, training, and professional development.
- Meet professional obligations through efficient work habits such as meeting deadlines, honoring schedules, coordinating, etc.
- Act in a professional and ethical manner at all times and comply with school policies, procedures, and expectations.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by their supervisor.
COMMUNICATION: Maintains communication with district staff to enhance cooperative action which will meet the district’s needs to support the educational needs of students.
Completes accident/incident reports as required. Compiles data for the district’s statistical purposes. Maintains confidentiality regarding staff and educational records.
ORGANIZATION: Utilizes existing technology effectively in the performance of duties. Performs other related work as required.
REASONING ABILITY: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and analyze and interpret general professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, correspondence, and protocols. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from individuals or groups of administrators and staff. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions and parents/students/general public as appropriate.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk, stand and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. The employee must occasionally push items of 50 pounds such as pushing on a bike or wheelchair, or moving/rearranging furniture. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud and is a standard acceptable level for this environment.
OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, peers, parents and community as appropriate; ability to speak clear and concisely in written or oral communication.
Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s in Business Management, Public Administration, Non-profit Management, or a related field.
- Minimum 5 years professional work experience and demonstrated success in business or nonprofit management, with relevant experience in the public education sector strongly preferred.
- Proficient in computer technology and managing technology vendors.
- Ability to work as an effective team member and to foster relationships with board members, donors, staff members, parents, and community members. Ability to work with diverse groups of people.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines.
- Meticulous attention to detail and passion for well-run processes.
- Desire to continue professional development.
- Excellent work ethic, positive attitude, flexibility and willingness to perform tasks assigned.
- Demonstrate ethical behavior and confidentiality of information regarding donor records.
- Excellent teamwork skills and an ability to collaborate closely with colleagues and partners to identify challenges and to design and implement solutions.
- Must pass an extensive background check.
All applicants must apply on Crossroads' website: http://www.crossroadsschoolskc.org/careers
Key Working Relationships in addition to Supervisor:
Teachers, Students, Parents, Volunteers, Office Staff, Support Staff, Building Administrators, and the Central Office team.
Expected Salary - One of your application questions will ask you to indicate your expected salary. To respond to the question, please review the 2024-25 12-Month Compensation Philosophy to indicate your expected salary.
Both federal and state law requires all public school personnel to submit to and pass a criminal background check prior to employment by the school. Crossroads Charter Schools is required by law to exclude from employment any person who has pleaded to or been found guilty of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude under the laws of the State of Missouri, any other State of the United States or any other country, whether or not a sentence is or was imposed.
Please be advised that Crossroads Charter Schools does not seek information related to the conviction of crimes unrelated to those described in this question. Your conviction of a crime not otherwise listed above is not an automatic disqualification from employment consideration. The school will consider the nature of the offense and the relationship between the offense and the position for which you are applying.
