Regional Operations Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 17 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 10,000 students and supporting 8,300 alumni to and through college and beyond. Our award winning schools are part of the national KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) network, dedicated to meeting the needs of all learners and providing the social, emotional and academic support for success in high school, college, and life.

Mission

Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and create a more just world.

What We Do

At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it's not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.

The Opportunity

The Regional Operations Manager plays a critical role in advancing operational excellence across KIPP SoCal Public Schools by leading the development, standardization, and implementation of policies and procedures in key functional areas such as emergency preparedness, student safety, and procurement. This role ensures compliance with organizational and legal standards while providing high-level support to school operations teams. By engaging stakeholders across the organization and centralizing operations work where possible, the Regional Operations Manager is a key driver in the execution of KIPP SoCal's operations vision to create safe, efficient, and equitable learning environments for all students.

Emergency Preparedness and Response, Student Safety, and Procurement (55%)

• Lead the on-going development and improvement of standardized emergency procedures and resources to ensure the day-to-day safety of all students, team-members and visitors.
• Coordinate and facilitate annual Incident Command System training, lockdown training, the Great Shake drill, and beginning-of-year emergency preparedness training across all schools and regional teams.
• Respond to and support school/regional teams in real-time as emergencies arise on school campuses. 
• Provide oversight and accountability to ensure compliance with all local, district, state and federal laws and regulations governing emergency preparedness, student safety, and procurement; oversight includes (but is not limited to):
  • Monthly emergency preparedness drills
  • Comprehensive School Safety Plans
  • Emergency Action Plans
  • Business Continuity Plan
  • Emergency supplies 
• Oversee key operational vendor relationships (e.g., furniture, office supplies, uniforms, curriculum) and develop effective quality control processes to ensure vendors are providing quality and continued service to all schools.
• Oversee and streamline procurement processes and billing processes (including annual region-wide curriculum ordering and classroom furniture ordering) and assist school teams with purchasing as needed
• Create and manage users on all procurement systems (Amazon Business, Staples, ParentSquare, EZ Cater, InstaCart, etc.) and provide support to school teams with troubleshooting and navigating procurement softwares/systems.
• Act as the liaison between school teams and the regional Finance Team to proactively and reactively address questions and challenges as they arise.
• Act as the liaison with the Expanded Learning Team to ensure all aspects of emergency preparedness, student safety, and procurement are implemented during after- school/intersession program.
• Identify, codify and share best practices in school operations, including documenting standard operating procedures for schools.

Project Management, Knowledge Management & Reporting (35%)

• Oversee the project management of school moves (new facilities, additional classrooms, etc.)
• Support schools that are moving to a co-located campus with the annual process of applying for Prop39, including signature collection and data input/validation/reporting.
• Design and facilitate training sessions for Assistant School Leaders of Operations, Expanded Learning Managers, and other school-based team members.
• Maintain KIPP SoCal’s operations website to facilitate access to resources and best practice sharing for school-based operations teams.
• Manage/support with maintaining the weekly operations bulletin, KIPP SoCal operations’ team google drive, operations website, and other forms of resources/communication
• Perform monthly data updates on regional compliance dashboards to support progress monitoring across the region
• Manage/support with managing the logistics of events for the regional operations team, including but not limited to professional development for operations teams, annual operations retreat, offsite meetings, and region-wide staff appreciation activities 
• Provide on-the-ground operations support for schools as needed, including but not limited to:
  • School-site support of emergency preparedness
  • Arrival and dismissal support
  • Front office administration
• Support special projects and other tasks as instructed by the Associate Director of Regional Operations

Transportation, Visitors/Volunteers, Field Trips/Events (10%)

• Manage the policies, procedures, and resources across the operational areas of transportation, visitors/volunteers, and field trips/events
• Oversee and manage key vendor relationships (e.g., student transportation providers, bus companies, host sites for field trips, etc.)
• Manage the regional planning and provide oversight of annual KIPP Experience field trips 
• Support school teams with transportation related needs, including sourcing/booking transportation for students

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or comparable required
• 4+ years of work experience in a fast-paced, high-capacity work environment (preferably within a school setting) with a strong background in project management or charter operations role
• Experience developing, implementing, and overseeing policies and procedures for multiple sites 
• Demonstrated ability in leading projects in collaboration with a cross-functional team, including coordinating work and driving change at all levels of the organization
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities
• Effective teamwork orientation with the ability to communicate and build relationships with multiple constituencies, including KIPP SoCal  team members at all levels of the organization and third party vendors 
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills; Systems thinker with an aptitude for proactively building systems 
• Comfort with ambiguity and working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Motivated and self-directed; demonstrated initiative, leadership, and tenacity
• Intermediate experience using Google Workspace, including Google Sheets, Slides, and Drive 
• A demonstrated passion for improving K-12 public education
• Possesses a deep commitment to both racial and educational equity; supports the building of an organization that reflects the community KIPP serves; holds self and others on team accountable for centering equity
• Willingness to travel between school sites across Southern California (current footprint: greater Los Angeles County and San Diego)
• Ability to quickly respond and provide remote support in emergency situations at school campuses (sometimes before/after regular school day hours)
• Preferred: Experience with Amazon Business or similar procurement platforms
• Preferred: Experience with field trip or student transportation logistics

Physical Requirements

The usual and customary methods of performing the job’s functions require the following physical demands:

• Must be able to travel to regional office and school sites (Los Angeles + San Diego) - valid driver’s license and dependable transportation needed

Working with Us Means the Following Perks

• KIPP SoCal Public Schools offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The salary range for this position is $76,472 to $110,885. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint of $93,678.50 depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
• 100% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer, dependents added at 50% of cost
• KIPP SoCal life insurance401(k) plan with up to 6% match by KIPP SoCalVoluntary Benefits (Supplemental Life, Accident, Short Term Disability, etc.)
• Generous time off program includes 22 holidays, sick leave and vacationOther great benefits (Flexible spending account, EAP etc.)

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation/gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

KIPP SoCal strives to ensure that our careers website is accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please contact us. You can find our contact information on our website, Information will be sent to a talent acquisition representative who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the hiring process.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.