Managing Director of Project Acceleration and Innovation

Description

Job Description

POSITION: Managing Director of Project Acceleration and Innovation

The applications will close on Friday, June 5, 2026. We will move quickly through the hiring process for this role and have tentative finalist interview dates set for Friday, June 12 (morning) and Monday, June 15 (afternoon).

REPORTS TO: Chief of Staff

POSITION TYPE: 12-month


START DATE: Immediately


COMPENSATION: $119,363 - $179,045, Home Office Compensation Grade 12 (3-year grant funded role; through June 2029) - offers commensurate with experience.

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture.


Some quick stats about us:

• 21,000+ Students
• 2,400 Team Members
• 16 Secondary Campuses
• 11 Elementary Campuses
• 92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 90% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 88% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options within Houston's city limits serving our increasing population.


THE OPPORTUNITY

YES Prep needs a dynamic Managing Director of Project Acceleration and Innovation with a robust set of experiences and a strong track record of systems design, innovation, and execution to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, and build transformative relationships.

To put it simply, you will define and operationalize innovation across the organization,


accelerate strategic initiatives, and build the infrastructure needed to rapidly pilot, evaluate, and scale high-impact practices. In this role, you will achieve breakthrough results, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and help YES Prep deliver transformative outcomes for students.
THE "RECEIPTS" (i.e. THE MEASURABLE GOALS)

At YES Prep, we believe that "if there aren't receipts, it didn't happen." In other words, we hold ourselves accountable to measurable results. The following are a high-level summary of the annual goals associated with this role. These goals will be finalized during the 90-day onboarding plan and reviewed annually for adoption.

• Year 1:

• Establish and lead YES Prep's inaugural AI Design Team-a cross-functional team of teachers, campus-based staff, and Home Office staff charged with building YES Prep's AI philosophy, guiding principles, and pilot explorations.
• Create YES Prep's Power of YES strategic goal related to "Edge" through collaboration with the executive team and the Board of Directors.

Note: This was originally going to be defined as participation in the TEA Strategic Compensation Cohort, but we recently withdrew from that project. Because of this, we now need to redefine "Edge" for the duration of the Power of YES strategic plan.

• Year 2:

• Design an AI scope and sequence for YES Prep's Secondary students (grades 6 through 12) with input from the AI Design Team and the Schools Team.
• Build the plan and tools for tracking "Long Term Outcomes" for YES Prep graduates in collaboration with the Analytics Team and with input from the College Initiatives Team, and external partners (e.g. MIT Blueprint Labs).

• Year 3:

• Finalize the next strategic plan for YES Prep including vision, major goals and respective targets, and initial launch documentation in collaboration with the executive team and the Board of Directors.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the work and responsibilities will include:

Innovation and Organizational Acceleration

• Defining and operationalizing a clear innovation framework across YES Prep Public Schools;
• Incorporating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to accelerate project management and organizational effectiveness;

• Designing tools, systems, and processes that improve cross-functional execution and performance;
• Building infrastructure that enables rapid implementation of strategic priorities;
• Leading and supporting the progression of cross-functional projects.

Pilot Design, Evaluation, and Scaling

• Building and managing systems for piloting, evaluating, and scaling new initiatives that are assigned to or adopted by the district;
• Establishing clear evaluation criteria to determine pilot success and expansion;
• Scaling high-impact innovations across the organization to improve outcomes and efficiency;
• Researching best practices across sectors and translating them into actionable systems within YES Prep.

Systems Design and Organizational Effectiveness

• Accelerating standardization of systems where consistency improves cross-functional collaboration and performance;
• Identifying areas where autonomy drives excellence and enabling flexibility accordingly;
• Strengthening infrastructure to support sustainable growth and operational excellence in cross-functional work;
• Designing scalable systems aligned with YES Prep's strategic priorities.

Executive and Board Collaboration

• Serving as a strategic partner to the Chief of Staff and executive leadership;
• Preparing analyses, recommendations, and updates to support executive decision-making and strategic planning;
• Engaging with the YES Prep Board of Directors at strategic intervals to provide updates and gather input;
• Collaborating across Home Office teams and campuses to ensure alignment and effective execution.

Additional duties as assigned in relation to organizational priorities.
THE PERSON

We seek staff with passion for the mission, drive for results, and a commitment to continuous improvement. The ideal candidate demonstrates strategic thinking, ownership, and the ability to translate vision into results.

THE MUST HAVES

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university

• Significant experience in strategy, operations, project management, or organizational leadership
• Experience incorporating AI or advanced technology into organizational systems
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement systems that improve organizational effectiveness
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and execution skills
• Ability to collaborate, influence, and drive results across teams
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth

THE NICE TO HAVES

• Experience in K-12 education or mission-driven organizations
• 10+ years of professional experience
• Bilingual (Spanish)

THE PERKS

• Compensation - This position is an exempt, salaried position; offers commensurate with experience.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance - A $0 monthly medical option or a $24 monthly option that includes $50 YES Prep Paid Health Savings Account contribution, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

• Retirement Plans - Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and an optional 457b Retirement Plan.

• Paid Time Off - Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 15 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar.
• Paid Leave Programming - In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid out at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

• Award Winning Culture - The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston's Best Place To Work in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2025. We won the 2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education and were a 2016 finalist as well.

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.