Special Projects Manager

Company Description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond. 

Rochester Prep currently consists of six schools serving students in grades K through 12. We believe in strong authentic relationships between teachers and students, supported by effective school systems and an engaging instructional model that enables students to flourish academically and personally. Rochester Prep schools are consistently some of the city's top-performing, and our students have an impressive 85% college acceptance rate.

Operations team members at Uncommon work relentlessly to ensure that faculty maximizes time and energy on student achievement.  They design, implement, and refine systems that anticipate the needs of the school community.  As a service-oriented team they solve problems, share best practices across campuses, and respond to urgent needs.  They partner to create an academic and cultural environment which supports our ultimate goal: ensuring that every Uncommon student will earn a college degree.

Job Description

At Uncommon Schools, the Special Projects Manager (SPM) owns the execution and management of key projects and systems that enable students and teachers alike to flourish. The SPM executes all responsibilities of an SPC and is responsible for directly managing one member of the Operations Team. The Special Projects Manager will report directly to the school’s Director of Operations (DOO).

Responsibilities of the Special Projects Manager include, but are not limited to, the management and execution of:  

• Managing one operations staff member, either the Operations Assistant or Office Manager, and overseeing the successful implementation of their projects and workstreams
• Internal quarterly assessments and state assessments, ensuring that all state testing compliance and state-specific regulations are followed 
• Student food systems, coordinating the dispersal of all meals and partnership with food vendors 
• Student and staff technology 
• Facilities ownership: classroom visual décor and aesthetics, partnership on facilities maintenance with stakeholders, and large facilities projects
• Extra-curricular activities, enrichment programs, and field trips 
• Other projects and new initiatives to support operations and student achievement at the school

Qualifications

• Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and investment in our vision for being an anti-racist organization.
• Large project oversight from planning to execution, with direct accountability for results from multiple stakeholders (teachers, building partners, operations associates, etc.)
• Can influence and drive change across multiple stakeholders by managing relationships and holding others accountable. The SPM must be able to set clear expectations for projects and name gaps or lapses in performance, with the ability to problem-solve and identify how stakeholders can improve. 
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing while demonstrating strong interpersonal skills with teammates, teachers, students, parents, and additional stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain a calm, professional demeanor in the face of competing demands and external pressures.
• Strong digital literacy skills, including database management and Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel.
• Strong time management skills; ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience managing others preferred
• 1 to 3 years of teaching or school administrative office experience
• Bachelor’s degree is required.

Additional Information

Our people are what makes us Uncommon.  We believe our compensation philosophy and benefits should reflect our values—equity, transparency, and clarity—to enhance our ability to attract and retain talent and reward their expertise.  Our staff receive best-in-class training, coaching, and support to develop and operate mission-driven schools that provide a high-quality education to our students and families.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this r