Associate Chief of Operations, NY

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

 

We are looking for a strategic and dynamic Associate Chief of Operations to join our team.

Your Impact

The Associate Chief of Operations, NY serves as a senior operational leader for Achievement First's New York regional initiatives. In this role, you will balance two interconnected responsibilities: developing strong Regional Directors of Operations (RDOs) and ensuring schools meet operational performance outcomes, while simultaneously serving as the regional operational lead for NY — driving key regional initiatives, coordinating across Network Support and regional teams, and supporting the Executive Director in operational strategy and execution.

You will act as a key recommender, problem-solver, and change leader for the region, partnering closely with the Regional Executive Director, Regional Superintendent, Team School Operations, and Network Support to ensure operational decisions align to broader regional priorities and organizational strategy.

Reporting directly to the NYC Executive Director, you will be responsible for:

RDO Development and Management (50%)

• Coach and develop RDOs to specific competencies (personal organization, delegation, etc.) in service of operational outcomes
• Lead the full RDO development cycle, including:
• Kick-off stepback to identify outcome goals and learning/development goals
• Bimonthly 1:1 stepbacks to review progress and identify action steps
• L&D goals assessed and reprioritized as needed
• EOY review: final outcome assessment and goal-setting for the following year
• Conduct career conversations (October/November) and two rounds of skip-levels (fall and spring) to support RDO growth and identify high-potential Ops team members
• Lead talent and workforce planning for the RDO and Ops team bench, including development and recruitment needs
• Plan and execute performance management of RDOs, including weekly meetings focused on intentional skill-building, problem-solving, accountability, and observation/feedback

Regional Operations Leadership (25%)

• Manage and recommend infrastructure investments for the region
• Manage regional budget and financial stewardship
• Oversee strategy and delivery of student services across the region (transportation, nursing, food service, etc.)
• Lead region-level procurement and contracts ownership
• Develop and maintain strategy with key local entities (DOE, SUNY, etc.)

Executive Director Partnership (10%)

• Serve as a member of the regional leadership team, functioning as a thought partner and providing strategic operational support to the Regional Executive Director

Portfolio Management (5%)

• Serve as a key collaborator on all regional portfolio management workstreams, including growth, closures, and research and analysis

Crisis Support (5%)

• Lead response for any escalated crises across the region

Network Support Liaison (5%)

• Serve as the liaison between school operations and high-touch Network Support teams
• Act as single point of contact between schools and NS teams; gather feedback trends and collaborate with NS to problem-solve