Chief Operating Officer

Location: KIPP Nashville School Support Team

Salary: Salary range is from $140-$160k and commensurate with experience

About KIPP Nashville

KIPP Nashville Public Schools is a network of high-performing, free, open enrollment K-12 schools that has been committed to positively affecting student outcomes in Nashville since 2005. KIPP Nashville is part of the acclaimed KIPP Network, which educates 100,000+ students nationwide and supports students from Pre-Kindergarten through college, career and beyond. Through the KIPP Forward program, our team helps students identify their career of highest aspiration and develop the skills and confidence to chase their dreams. KIPP Nashville currently operates 3 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 2 high schools and we are excited to open our doors to more schools in 2025 and 2026 in response to strong community demand.

The mission of KIPP Nashville is together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence they need to pursue the paths they choose - college, career and beyond - so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. Our core values are GROWTH, TEAM, and SHINE. If you share in this belief and values, if you have a proven willingness to do what it takes for students to be their best, if you thrive in an environment that is both collaborative and entrepreneurial, then you are already a KIPPster.

Mission

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight to ensure that KIPP Nashville’s schools and support functions operate effectively and efficiently. The COO drives operational excellence, financial sustainability, and organizational growth while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence for our students and families.

Key Accountabilities

Smooth School Operations

• Ensures every KIPP Nashville school is clean, warm and welcoming

• Develops and executes a long-term operational strategy aligned with KIPP Nashville’s mission and growth plans.

• Leads cross-functional collaboration to ensure operational goals support academic and enrollment objectives.

• Builds and sustains strong relationships with school leaders, community partners, and external stakeholders.

• Ensures every school has better than 95% daily attendance and lower than 10% chronic absenteeism.

Safe & Healthy Schools

• Develop and implement crisis plans to ensure students remain safe through a variety of possible emergency scenarios.

• Manage school safety team to ensure mission-aligned security for students for all school events.

• Leads the school nursing team to ensure compliance and excellent customer service.

• Ensure schools are prepared to operate in a variety of emergency situations, including extreme weather, power outages, and phone/technology disruptions.

• Ensures all students receive nutritious, high-quality meals that support their well-being and learning.

• Oversees food service operations to ensure efficiency, compliance, and high standards of service.

• Improves meal and snack programs to meet student needs, support athletics, and promote healthy habits.

Reliable, Safe & Secure Technology

• Ensures KIPP Nashville students and staff have the technology they need to effectively plan and deliver in their roles.

• Manages our technology vendors to ensure strong customer service for our employees.

• Ensures all KIPP Nashville technology and data is secured and that we have strong crisis plans in place.

Safe and Timely Transportation

• Ensures safe, on-time, and reliable transportation services for students.

• Monitors transportation efficiency and resolves issues proactively.

• Partners with vendors and staff to maintain compliance with all transportation regulations.

Sparkling Buildings, Grounds & Maintenance

• Oversees facility maintenance to ensure a safe, clean, and supportive learning environment.

• Develops and executes long-term plans for capital improvements and preventative maintenance.

• Ensures compliance with safety and regulatory standards for all buildings.

• Maintains high cleanliness standards across all school facilities.

• Ensures custodial teams have the resources and training needed to uphold excellence.

• Monitors cleanliness metrics and responds swiftly to improvement needs.

Partnership with Authorizers

• Maintain partnerships with all authorizers and ensure all schools and region remain in good standing 

• Manage and drive all charter applications, renewals, and reports due to authorizers on their unique calendars 

Great Customer Service

• Establishes a culture of exceptional service for students, families, and staff.

• Implements systems to quickly and effectively resolve concerns and feedback.

• Ensures all interactions with operations teams reflect professionalism and responsiveness.

Competencies

• Strategic Thinking: Sets vision, anticipates challenges, and develops long-term solutions.

• Operational Expertise: Demonstrates deep knowledge of school operations, finance, compliance, and facilities management.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses metrics and analytics to guide operational improvements.

• People Leadership: Develops and motivates a team to achieve high performance.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Builds strong relationships with internal and external partners.

• Problem-Solving: Identifies and resolves complex challenges with innovative solutions.

• Growth Mindset: Seeks and incorporates feedback continuously.

Performance Metrics

• Operational Efficiency: Measured by key performance indicators such as transportation reliability, facility uptime, and budget adherence.

• Financial Stewardship: Effective cost management and optimization of operational expenses.

• Team Development: Employee retention, leadership pipeline development, and professional growth opportunities.

• Regulatory Compliance: Successful audits and adherence to all legal requirements.

Desired Experience

• 2+ years of experience in senior regional operations leadership in a similarly sized charter school network required

• 3+ years of experience in school or similar operations leadership required

• Full-time in-person role in Davidson County (Nashville area)

Our comprehensive compensation package includes life insurance and long-term disability coverage provided by KIPP Nashville, voluntary medical and dental plans, in addition to retirement benefits and an annual salary increase. To establish consistent salary practices, the compensation package is derived from the regional KIPP Nashville Public Schools pay scale. This position is exempt and will follow a 12-month schedule.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

KIPP Nashville is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual preference, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or veteran status.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.