Director of Strategy

Company Description

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 59 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Together with families and communities, our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose —college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more fair world.

Founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, we are looking to hire a diverse team of dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. KIPP Texas is a team and family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in belongingness, academic success and joy.

KIPP Texas is part of the national KIPP network of 255 college-preparatory public charter schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, KIPP students complete four-year college at a rate of 36 percent, comparable to the national average for all students.

Job Description

ROLE OVERVIEW:

Team Purpose: The Strategy Team, a sub-team under the broader Chief of Staff Team, exists to collaborate cross-functionally with stakeholders, clarify ambiguity in internal and external opportunities, and create solutions to support the current and future state of the organization. The Team is directly responsible for the planning, execution, and progress monitoring of the KIPP Texas multiyear plan. 

The Director of Strategy will directly report to the Senior Director of Strategy. The Director will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the design and scoping, planning, execution, and progress monitoring of cross-functional strategic projects identified as priorities for KIPP Texas. While strong project management skills are a necessity in this role, the successful candidate will also be a proven problem solver who can leverage impact and influence to find clarity in complex and gray situations. 

Projects belonging to this project portfolio include, but are not limited to: assessing strategic initiatives and interventions based on organizational health and competitive landscape, collaborating with cross-functional partners to enhance and support planning and execution, codifying cross-functional playbooks and policies, and shepherding the KIPP Texas multiyear plan creation, execution, and progress monitoring. 

This position may be based out of the Austin, Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio offices. Some travel may be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Complex Problem Solving: Balance a data-driven, analytical, and rational problem solving skill set with the understanding that people and relationships matter (leading with both head and heart). Utilize both qualitative and quantitative data synthesis to formulate recommended solutions on the right path forward. Engage in innovative thought to solve complex problems the organization faces. Demonstrate an adaptive mindset with an ability to concurrently see the big picture while focusing on the details (can see the forest for the trees).

• Project Design and Planning: Collaborate with project sponsors to identify the objectives, scope, budget, and timeline for the project. Facilitate robust discussion around what is possible given the existing constraints and set clear goals and project limits. Create and manage robust project plans as needed to ensure project success. Create and implement a cycle of focused, productive meetings to drive the project from kick-off to completion.

• Risk Mitigation: Identify, analyze, and respond to risk factors throughout the life of the strategic project and in the best interests of its objectives. Elevate concerns, challenges, and roadblocks appropriately, and utilize impact and influence with stakeholders and leaders in recommending and implementing action plans to ensure effective and timely mitigation of issues.

• Progress Monitoring: Create, revise, and maintain the systems to monitor progress throughout the life of the strategic project, including cross-functional processes as necessary. Ensure that all assigned projects are completed on time, within scope and budget, and that project goals are achieved.

• Stakeholder Management: Identify all key stakeholders of the strategic project and create an engagement and/or change management plan that engages stakeholders at the right level and right time, including: developing agendas and facilitating cross-functional work group/project team meetings, engaging senior leaders across the netwo