Network Director of Operations

Network Director of Operations, Brilla NY
Brilla Schools Network

Seton Education Partners seeks a mission-driven, results-oriented leader to be the Network Director of Operations (NDOO) for the Brilla Schools Network in Bronx, NY. The NDOO will coach four to five school-based Directors of Operations and help chart the course for overall operational efficiency across the network. We seek a highly motivated, entrepreneurial professional with a high level of customer service, school operations, and general management experience. The NDOO will report to the Chief Operations and Community Relations Officer and work closely with the Director of Enrollment and Network Schools supports team and all School-based Operations teams. 

About Seton Education Partners

Co-founded in 2009 by KIPP pioneer Scott W. Hamilton and Teach for America alumna Stephanie Saroki de García, Seton Education Partners is a response to the dramatic decline of urban Catholic schools which have historically been the greatest equalizing factor for economically underserved children, families and communities in America for decades. 

Specifically, Seton expands opportunities for parents in underserved communities to choose an academically excellent, character rich, and—for those who seek it—vibrantly Catholic education for their children. As a national non-profit, Seton partners with (arch)dioceses and others across the country to implement innovative and sustainable new models that bridge the best of Catholic education's rich tradition with new possibilities. Seton was born of the belief that a tremendous opportunity exists to revitalize urban Catholic schools in America and strengthen the education they provide. The challenges are significant, to be sure, but with an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, much can and should be done, not only to preserve this national treasure but also to build on its foundation for the benefit of thousands of children in America’s most underserved neighborhoods.

Seton has pioneered multiple innovative and high-impact solutions to the shuttering of Catholic schools in underserved communities. Seton is working to take these remarkable achievements to scale by managing a network of schools and programs that ensure that thousands of underserved children whose Catholic schools close—and other local children—have access to an academically excellent, character-building, and, for those who choose it, faith-nurturing education. Seton provides a national model for how other cities facing the shuttering of Catholic schools can continue to serve children and families with limited educational options. For more information on Seton Education Partners, please visit www.SetonPartners.org.

About the Brilla Schools Network

Brilla Public Charter Schools is a network of K-8th grade schools that currently serves nearly 1,600 students from Mott Haven, University Heights and other neighborhoods in the Bronx. The network plans to grow from a current four elementary and one middle school to five elementary and five middle schools educating some 4,000 students in the Bronx and Paterson, NJ. Core to our mission is that our students become young men and women of good character and spirit and be prepared for excellence in high school, college, and beyond. Brilla combines a classical approach to education -- an emphasis on virtue formation, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, and direct instruction of a content-rich curriculum that has stood the test of time -- with co-teaching practices and individualized online learning.* We approach the formation of our students holistically and also set high academic expectations. Ours is a joyful community that honors the dignity of each student, family member and staff. 

About El Camino Network

El Camino, which means “The Way” in Spanish, is an optional, privately-funded Catholic after-school faith formation program that is closely partnered with Brilla charter schools. El Camino helps children, their families and their catechists to know, love and serve Christ and His Church; develop the habits, dispositions and beliefs that are indispensable to human flourishing and happiness; and live as disciples in this world and saints in the next. El Camino honors the teaching authority of the Catholic Church. In the last 10 years, over 230 children have been baptized through our program. 

El Camino currently serves approximately 40% of Brilla’s students for 90 minutes a day, Monday through Thursday. Children receive homework help from experienced teachers, a nutritious snack, and 30 minutes each of catechism and physical fitness. Additionally, children and families have opportunities for shared and personal prayer and character formation. This video provides a snapshot of El Camino. El Camino will grow to serve children through 8th grade, growing a grade level at a time each year.

About the Job of Director of Elementary Operations

The Director of Elementary Operations will support school-based operations and drive operational excellence and innovation across all aspects of the work: safety, facilities, security, finance, compliance, and operations leadership coaching. Operations has been a hallmark of Brilla since its founding in 2013 and the individual in this position is tasked with maintaining that high level of excellence across all schools. The person in this role will manage a school based Director of Operations at each school as well as manage and deliver on short- and long- term initiatives across all of our current and future sites. Reporting to the Chief of Operations, the Director of Elementary Operations also oversees all facilities management, compliance monitoring, technology, vendor relationships and other cross-campus operational initiatives of the Brilla Schools Network. 

Main Responsibilities

Leadership

• Supervision of school-based Directors of Operation; provide coaching, professional development and assistance in cultivating leadership talent from within the Brilla Schools Network
• Support the COO in setting the long-term vision for the Operations Team to drive improved execution and accountability
• Collaborate with the COO to develop and monitor school-based budgets; 
• Report on all areas of operations to COO

Operations and Growth

• Ensure that each school is supported with high quality, cost-effective operational support in the areas of facilities, technology, data, food service, janitorial, transportation, and other non-instructional areas
• Ensure the highest standard of safety for students and staff across our network
• Oversee vendor relationships to ensure high customer service and strong deliverables for school-based staff
• Manage relationships and negotiate services and contracts as it relates to food service, transportation, facilities, etc.
• Manage relationships with IT vendors to ensure that technology infrastructure supports the operational and academic functions in the network
• Utilize data to evaluate school operational effectiveness and drive improvement
• Oversee operational school start-up plans for new schools and grades 

Enrollment and Community Relations

• Support the student enrollment team to meet annual enrollment goals
• Support schools in creating a welcoming environment that engages families and the broader community 

Compliance

• Fulfill reporting requirements from our SUNY authorizer, governments (federal, state and local), lenders, and trustees
• Ensure 100% compliance with all pertinent laws, regulations and charter agreements

Qualifications and Desired Characteristics

Candidates for the position must possess the following personal characteristics:

• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to Seton’s mission and values
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to Brilla’s mission, including its commitment to a classically inspired curriculum and character formation
• Personal responsibility with humility
• A relentless drive for excellence
• A strong belief that all children can achieve both moral and academic excellence
• An unwavering determination to be better today than you were yesterday

The ideal candidate will bring experience, skills, and beliefs in the following areas:

• Bachelor’s degree a minimum requirement
• 5+ years of school-based Ops leadership experience  
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Google Suite
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and a keen attention to detail
• Ability to organize and prioritize work
• Experience with admissions software or database ideal
• Demonstrated ability to quickly build productive and meaningful relationships with multiple stakeholders including school and network based staff, families, and community members 
• Proven ability to effectively support, collaborate, and partner with a variety of personalities and working styles and an openness and generosity of spirit in navigating differences
• Project management expertise and the ability to drive efficiency and excellence in all aspects of work alongside and/or through others
• Optimistic self-starter with the ability to prioritize competing goals, exhibit flexibility, grace and sound judgment along with productive urgency in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and creative problem-solving skills
• Flexible and willing to perform other duties as assigned

Diversity & Inclusivity

We are building an organization in which talented individuals from all walks of life and past work experiences can join our team and make significant contributions. We are particularly committed to attracting and developing individuals who share the life experiences or backgrounds of the students we will serve.

*At Brilla, education in the classical tradition is understood to require the education of the whole person - mind, body, and spirit - in the service of human flourishing. Cognitive development and character formation are interdependent: People flourish by living out the virtues. A time-proven way of learning how to live out the virtues is to learn about, contemplate, and discuss how these virtues have been expressed in literature and history and represented in time-tested works. 

Secondarily, a classical education is pedagogically consistent with modern cognitive science. Many current pedagogies are not fully consistent with what we know today about brain development. In contrast, classical pedagogy  (referred to as the Trivium) perfectly corresponds to how the brain develops. It emphasizes patterns, routines, and facts that young brains crave (Grammar stage); it leverages the brain’s orientation to asking “why” in the middle years (Logic stage); and it focuses on communication and persuasion in the high school years (Rhetoric stage).

To Apply

Initial application materials include a cover letter, contact information for three references, and a resume that includes information on your background and leadership experience.

Resumes without cover letters will not be reviewed.

Seton Education Partners provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees.

The base pay range for this position is $115,000 to $125,000 per year. Pay may vary within the stated range, depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits will be provided.