Director of Academic Operations and Instructional Technology - Newark, United States - KIPP New Jersey

Description

Job Description

About KIPP New Jersey

KIPP New Jersey is part of the nationally recognized "Knowledge Is Power Program" network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and in life. In 2002, 80 fifth graders walked through the doors of our first middle school in Newark, New Jersey and KIPP New Jersey has since grown to educate 8,135 students in grades K-12 across 17 schools in Newark and Camden. More than 90% of KIPP New Jersey students currently qualify for free or reduced meals.

By 2025, KIPP New Jersey will provide a world-class education to over 10,300 students across fifteen schools in Newark and five in Camden. To learn more, visit

Here's what you need to know:

The Operations and Instructional Technology Manager serves as a key member of the Teaching & Learning TEAM at KIPP New Jersey and KIPP Miami. In the coming school year, the Teaching & Learning TEAM will have 15 academic content experts working across 3 cities, supporting a staff of 800 teachers and 100 leaders, all in service of thousands of children in Newark, Camden, and Miami. This TEAM needs support with managing the instructional technology platforms that are part of our curriculum, planning and executing large-scale events, managing the budget and purchasing process, and completing dozens of small and large projects. A design and operations-minded teammate is needed to critically analyze the work of this team and determine how to streamline systems and processes.

The work of the Operations and Instructional Technology Manager will deepen the impact of the team, enabling teammates to focus more exclusively on building teachers' and leaders' content knowledge in academics, rather than determining the details of complex operational tasks. Also critical to the growth and impact of the T&L TEAM is the need for someone to own and lead the management of Digital Learning -- supporting the implementation of existing platforms while taking a decisive leadership role on exploring new innovations for our kids while coordinating directly with the Data and Technology teams. The Operations and Instructional Technology Manager will thus perform two essential functions on the TEAM: supporting operations and supporting the implementation of instructional technologies across our schools.

This is a hybrid role with in-person responsibilities in New Jersey and as needed, but less frequently, in Miami.

Here's what you'll be doing:

Lead and Coordinate Operations for the Teaching & Learning TEAM

• Collaborate with Teaching & Learning TEAMmates to reflect on and identify strengths and challenges with our existing operational systems, e.g. planning for professional development, planning for events, etc.
  -- and design streamlined new processes that improve the quality and experience for all involved
• Manage a large and complex budget in order to maximize resources for the TEAM's work, and reporting to the Chief Academic Officer about anticipated budget needs and shortfalls; coordinate budget and purchasing processes with Data, Technology and Regional leader stakeholders
• Coordinate the work of multiple Teaching Partners and other contractors, ensuring that work is completed according to expectations and managing invoicing and payments so that Teaching Partners are compensated for their work as they deserve
• Manage vendors and vendor relationships, ranging from instructional technologies to catering companies to professional development venues, so that our organization is viewed as a trusted partner with the service providers we rely on; coordinate the purchasing process with vendors to ensure on time and accurate delivery of services
• Oversee the development and execution of critical initiatives and special projects that require detailed oversight and management and are not directly linked to a specific content area or discipline, collaborating with the elementary, middle, and high school horizontal teams (ex: independent reading libraries in classrooms, lab inventories for science instruction, memorable academic experiences coordination, etc)
• Support the implementation of small- and large-scale events, ranging from social events and Selection Days for our team internally to massive and complex events like The Heartbeat Summit

Serve as the Teaching & Learning TEAM's Resident Content Expert on Digital Learning

• Maintain a strong knowledge base around the instructional technologies deployed in service of the academic program, and a willingness to learn whenever something new arises
• Ensure user accounts (teacher, student and staff) are functioning for key apps and tool
• Manage the configuration and license activations of key apps and tools
• Coordinate and triage support tickets related to instructional technology and digital learning, fielding support for teachers and leaders alike; work directly with Data and Tech TEAMates to manage workflows that support the tools and systems being used everyday by students and teachers.
• Maintain strong and positive relationships with digital learning vendors, in efforts to foster collaboration, program modifications, and/or innovations to support our schools' needs
• Research and analyze new possible instructional technology platforms to address logistical problems or achievement/skill gaps observed in our classrooms
• Remain at the cutting edge of instructional technologies available for implementation, researching new options and vetting them for scalability, compatibility, and supportiveness to the academic program
• Design and oversee the implementation of specific AI projects targeting both teachers and students
• Drive and oversee the implementation of tech-based homework strategy
• Recommend and design modifications to our approach given trends in instructional technology usage and support needs
• Collaborate and work directly with Teaching & Learning, Data, and Technology TEAMmates to implement and scale new or existing digital learning platforms, to further student achievement and growth across schools

Support, Design, and Engage in Professional Development

• Train and skill up staff on any and all of the above instructional technologies and digital learning platforms, to support expectations for high quality implementation. Trainings may include audiences of school-based operations teammates, regional or CMO operations teammates, T&L teammates, SLs, APs, and/or KIPP Forward teammates.
• Develop and support amazing documentation and support resources that drive adult learning while using best practices with platforms like Google Classroom, Zendesk and Google Sites
• Join or call meetings to develop content knowledge for key stakeholders on an as-needed basis
• Support the operations and set-up for professional development events in accordance with the T&L team's annual professional development strategy, including but not limited to AP Cohort Meetings, One TEAM, One Sound, Leading For Learning, Heartbeat Summit, etc. as needed. Note that, depending on the PD strategy, group sizes for professional development sessions may exceed 100 depending on the PD venue
• Engage in research and professional development opportunities within and outside of the T&L team, to continuously grow and develop our team's exposure to new technologies, spread best practices, and improve on our collective knowledge base

Serve as an Outstanding TEAMmate on the Teaching & Learning TEAM

• Participate in routine meetings with the T&L team, to solve tactical matters, engage in strategic work together, build vertical content knowledge and program, etc.
• Participate in occasional meetings with Heads of Schools, School Leaders, and APs, to solve tactical matters, engage in strategic work together, and respond to the most pressing needs our schools have

Must-Haves:

• Strong content and context knowledge with all things related to digital learning, including but not limited to Clever, i-Ready, Illuminate, Amplify mClass DIBELS, Google Classroom, PowerSchool Gradebook, Achieve 3000, Khan Academy, RAZ Kids and more -- or the ability to quickly get up to speed with any of these digital learning tools and others
• A commitment to People First leadership practices, valuing the inclusion of all teammates' voices, and a commitment to serving our schools equitably
• Kid- and teacher-focused: makes recommendations and plans based on what is best for kids and teachers; exhibits a front-line obsession.
• Teaching experience, ideally in a KIPP New Jersey and/or KIPP Miami school or another CMO organization of similar size: The ideal candidate knows the ins and outs of our systems and will be able to jump right in to the project of supporting our schools' implementation
• Strong data analysis skills: can look at a data set, diagnose challenges, and immediately recommend clear next steps for leaders and/or other stakeholders.
• Presence and gravitas: can command the attention of a room when providing recommendations, delivering feedback, explaining data, or leading professional development.
• Responsiveness, service orientation, and ability to invest and inspire others -- the T&L TEAM exists to support and serve our schools, and so a top-down mentality will not work well.
• Detail-orientation -- while keeping an eye trained on the big picture, simultaneously does not let important details slip through the cracks.
• Excellent communication skills -- can speak and write compellingly about the discipline and all the nitty gritty details stakeholders will need to know in order to achieve results.
• Proactiveness – does not wait for explicit direction but rather asks the appropriate questions and self-directs; takes on additional projects without compromising the integrity of existing ones.
• Flexibility -- sees unforeseen obstacles and challenges as an opportunity to design a better solution

Compensation & Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, KIPP NJ offers a full comprehensive benefits plan, including health care, retirement, a school laptop, and transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into New Jersey from the New York City area.