Managing Director, Core Operations

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York — seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned Managing Director, Core Operations to lead the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) Operations Team.

The Managing Director will bring a passion for the mission of HCZ: break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with comprehensive, on-the-ground programming that builds opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life. 

HCZ seeks a proven leader to serve as Managing Director, Core Operations to lead the organization's Facilities, Food Services, Safety and Information Technology teams (Core Operations), which support HCZ’s departments, programs, and schools spanning 20+ physical locations across Central Harlem. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Managing Director of Operations will directly manage the four Core Operations department Directors and work closely with senior leaders across the organization to ensure that Core Operations are run efficiently and effectively for HCZ’s scholars, families, and staff. 

 Core Operations Teams: 

• Facilities: Ensures HCZ’s 20+ physical locations remain compliant, structurally sound, clean, and welcoming; fosters effective partnerships with external building entities and their teams.
• Food Services: Operates three full-service kitchens in HCZ’s K-12 HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools, preparing 1M meals a year. 
• Safety: Ensures HCZ’s 20+ physical locations remain safe spaces to work and learn, supports safety initiatives, and fosters ongoing partnerships with local NYPD precincts. 
• Information Technology: Manages a complex technology environment, supporting both enterprise and school-based applications across Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android platforms. With a focus on innovation and customer service, the department delivers secure and reliable solutions that empower staff to effectively serve the children and families in our community. 

Serving as a key member of HCZ's Senior Leadership Team, the ideal candidate will have significant experience managing multi-site operations within a complex organization, be a strong coach, manager, and people leader, and possess technical expertise in project and risk management.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in facilities management, engineering, business administration, or related discipline; Master's degree preferred 

• 3 or more years of experience in a senior-level operations role within a complex, multi-site organization

Who you are

• Familiarity with building infrastructure systems and local, state, and federal (e.g., NYC Department of Buildings, NYC Department of Health, Occupational Safety and Health Administration) compliance and regulatory standards and Building Management Systems 

• Excellent project management skills with an aptitude for proactively identifying risk 

• Demonstrated financial acumen and strong budget management skills 

• Strong people leadership skills and the ability to collaborate with various stakeholders 

• Excellent communication and organization skills and effective prioritization and time management skills 

What you'll do

Overall Leadership 

• Serve as a leader and thought partner to the COO and organization 

• In partnership with the COO, lead, design and implement short- and long-term operations goals influenced and aligned to the organization's mission/vision  

• Architect and orchestrate strategy and execution plans for diverse portfolios with multi-site operations  

• Ensure efficient oversight and leadership across portfolios and areas of responsibility 

• Ensure operational excellence leading to growth, scalability, innovation, and sustainability 

Core Operations 

• Oversee Core Operations departmental budgets totaling $9M annually and develop a 3-5-year capital expenditure plan in partnership with Finance 

• Maintain working knowledge of building infrastructure systems (e.g., mechanical, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, security, communication), best practice policies, procedures, and operations 

• Manage professional services contracts and oversee the scheduling and execution of all periodic facility inspections, including, but not limited to,