Special Assistant to the Chief Schools Officer

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.

Job Description

The Special Assistant directly supports the Chief Schools Officer (CSO), K-8 and their team. They manage key projects, programs and systems aligned to K-8 CSO core work and initiatives, while also providing key administrative support to ensure the Office of the CSO operates and communicates as efficiently as possible. The Special Assistant reports directly to the CSO's Chief of Staff and works regularly with the Chief Schools Officers’ teams, School Leaders, Cross-Regional Operations and Uncommon Schools’ Home Office Staff.

Location is flexible between Newark and NYC; travel between regions or to retreat locations may be required about 1-2 times monthly.

Duties & Responsibilities

Project and Program Management

• Project manage and operationalize select CSO organization-wide initiatives per year; including building and managing the project plan, owning implementation, monitoring budget and execution
  • Projects/programs include: Lead from Within, Mid-year evaluation processes, Instructional Leader Information Nights, cross-team Culture Initiatives
• Drive, execute and support  key components of initiatives led by partnering or regional teams 
  • Includes owning Leader Awards Ceremony at the Leadership Development Retreat and supporting regional events (i.e. Regional Ubuntu ceremonies)
• Additional special projects as assigned

Systems and People Management  

• Develop and manage key processes to support school management and the CSO Office:
  • Support a team (Regional Schools Coordinators) to continuously build and maintain systems to support their Regional Superintendents of Instruction through monthly meetings
  • Manage stakeholders on projects laterally and above,  including partnering across multiple leaders, teams, and regions for execution
• Manage to K-8 CSO and Regional Superintendent budgets including attending quarterly budget meetings, drafting annual budget and setting internal team guidelines to ensure spending aligns to budget

Communications and Content Creation

• Lead communications with key partners and leaders by writing and editing email correspondence and other written materials on behalf of the CSO.
• Prepare agendas, materials and logistics, and own note taking for CSO-led meetings
• Create content for owned projects, programs and meetings

Administrative Support

• Ensure the CSO’s time is maximized and aligned with the organization’s priorities by expertly managing the CSO’s calendar through prioritization of appointments, efficient booking of travel, and arranging in-person and virtual meetings.
• Track and deliver daily CSO briefs and weekly calendar to support the CSO’s schedule, action items, and meeting preparation
• Perform general administrative duties, including preparing and handling expense reimbursements
• Improve current operations and processes within the CSO office to efficiently allocate resources and time 
• Support in shaping a joyful staff culture within the CSO's team and/or school and Home Office leaders

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3-5 years professional experience, preferably in K-12 Education or an executive level support role
• Dedication to Uncommon’s Mission
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly a skillset in inspirational communications preferred 
• Exceptional organizational skills that reflect an ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly and fastidiously all the way to completion 
• Finds joy in figuring out how the pieces of the puzzle come together in complex situations
• Strong growth mindset with ability to self-reflect and take initiative towards growth
• High level of flexibility with the ability to reprioritize and pivot quickly with a can-do attitude
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and remain detail oriented to advance work
• Strong interpersonal ski