Director of Special Projects - Operations
Organization Overview
Excel Academy was founded in 2003 with the mission to provide a high-quality education to students in East Boston and Chelsea Massachusetts, communities that are predominantly low-income and Latinx and historically have faced significant social and educational barriers. Our success in Massachusetts is proof that the opportunity gap can be closed. At Excel Academy Charter Schools, we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change their life trajectory.
Over the years, we have grown from one middle school to a network of four schools with 1,400 students in grades 5 to 12. In the fall of 2022 we will welcome a founding class of 5th graders to help us launch Excel Academy Rhode Island. By 2032, Excel Rhode Island will run 4 schools serving over 2,100 students from Providence, Central Falls, and North Providence.
We present our students with educational experiences that allow them to grow and discover their best selves so that when they leave our halls, they can successfully navigate all of the post-secondary options available to them. You can read more about the impact of the Excel Academy model.
At Excel Academy we learn from our students, families, and staff and make improvements. We have increasingly adapted to provide a holistic education that values our community as collaborators in the learning process, social-emotional support, equity for diverse learners, and fosters identity development. We prioritize an approach that is both rigorous and inclusive. Our team of passionate, intelligent, driven, and loving staff are at the core of the work we do.
About the Role
The Director of Special Projects - Operations oversees Excel Academy’s critical technology infrastructure and leads other strategic projects to ensure the success of the Excel Academy network and its schools. The Director will accomplish this through management of external vendors, project management of technology system upgrades and changes, and leadership on projects including operational data projects, assessment supports for schools, and other projects as needed to support the growth of the Excel network.
The Director of Special Projects - Operations is a full-time position with flexibility to work remotely 1-2 days per week. The position reports to the Managing Director Operations.
Duties & Responsibilities
Oversee Excel Academy’s technology:
Oversee all aspects of technology infrastructure, materials, and services at Excel Academy’s growing Network, including but not limited to:
- Create and maintain a MOU encoding Excel Academy Charter Schools’ relationship as an IT service provider to the school entities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; encode essential IT service policies within that MOU;
- Manage Excel’s external IT providers in their work of supporting Excel’s network infrastructure, student and classroom technology resources, and staff technology resources;
- Manage technology upgrades and changes to ensure successful implementation and reliable, quality technology in our schools;
- Budget for and oversee procurement of technology materials and services; Oversee the annual E-Rate application and other technology grant applications;
- Coordinate the annual summer staff technology turnover process (exiting staff, new staff) to ensure technology resources are prepared for all new staff prior to the start of Staff Orientation;
- Manage centralized inventory of staff laptops, Chromebooks, and other IT hardware;
- Maintain a knowledge base of Excel’s technology systems, policies, and structures; adapt these structures when needed to support changing needs of the Network and update documentation;
- Ensure school-based Operations leaders have adequate tools for managing staff and student technology at their schools.
Manage Strategic Projects as Requested
Manage Operational Projects in Data and Assessment Support:
Projects will be identified and assigned by the Managing Director of Operations, depending on the need of the Excel Network, and will likely include:
- Manage projects to support the Network Operations team during staff parental leaves expected in SY22-23;
- Support the Network Operations team with tracking Low Income qualification data provided by Massachusetts DESE and organizing targeted family outreach;
- Provide schools with MCAS assessment tools and resources (ie., create or update a shared training slide deck);
- Manage selected aspects of COVID response including tracking and reporting data, drafting communications, and support leadership with making and implementing policy decisions;
- Other projects to be determined to support the growth of the Excel Network.
Qualifications
- Experience managing projects including creating systems and engaging with stakeholders to achieve project outcomes;
- Experience working schools highly preferred;
- A commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model;
- A commitment to addressing racial and economic inequity in education;
- Experience managing projects including creating systems and engaging with stakeholders to achieve project outcomes;
- Strong attention to detail and an ability to self-organize and prioritize;
- The ability to work effectively in a team environment and the willingness and desire to support others in doing their best work;
- An openness to change, a willingness to problem-solve, and an interest in receiving feedback for continuous improvement; and
- Can speak to their personal investment and commitment to antiracist education and diversity, equity, and inclusion in our school community and beyond.
Preference will be given to applicants who also:
- Have experience in a public or charter school setting;
- Speak Spanish, Portuguese and/or Arabic;
- Can speak to the importance of rigorous classroom instruction and culture.
Excel Academy Charter Schools is committed to its work as an anti-racist organization. One critical element of that commitment is building and empowering a diverse staff that reflects the community that we serve. We strongly encourage applications from candidates whose experiences share important points of intersection with those of our students. Staff who demonstrate fluency in Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic (languages spoken widely by our diverse community of families) will receive additional compensation, as will staff who are alumni of our schools.
Excel Academy Charter Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language or prior academic achievement.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received and candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.