Senior Director of Strategy and Growth

At Rocketship Public Schools, we believe in the infinite possibility of human potential. We believe that every student deserves the right to dream, to discover, and to develop their unique potential and it is our responsibility and our privilege to unleash the potential inside every Rocketeer we serve. Our non-profit network of public elementary charter schools propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community. We are a collective of parents, teachers, leaders, and students working together to transform the future for underserved communities across our country. At Rocketship Public Schools, we are unleashing potential.

Position Description

The Senior Director of Strategy and Growth is a national leadership role that serves to elevate organizational effectiveness by leading Rocketship’s implementation of our vision, mission and 5-year strategic plan to achieve ambitious network goals, while also building network capacity to sustain high quality execution and scaled growth. The Senior Director of Strategy and Growth ensures that we meet the cross-functional needs of our regions and that we are well positioned to address new opportunities to elevate our impact and fulfill our mission. 

Reporting to  the National Chief of Staff, the Senior Director of Strategy and Growth provides strategic and analytic support and delivers systems and services to improve network outcomes and scalability.  The position can be based in any of Rocketship's four regions nationally, with a preference for California.

This role offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced, mission-driven leader with strategic leadership skills to join a high-performing and still-growing network of public charter schools with multifaceted needs, operating in a complex educational environment in four regions across the country. 

The ideal candidate will align with Rocketship’s Vision, Mission, Values, and Core Characteristics and enjoys both strategic- and systems-thinking and diving deep into the execution of strategic and operational projects. The ideal candidate will have direct charter school experience, leadership level preferred, and will have worked directly with leadership teams to develop systems and structures for driving towards strategic goals for multi-school and/or multi-regional organizations. The Senior Director of Strategy and Growth will gain the trust of the Rocketship Public Schools Board of Directors, Regional Boards, Network Executive Team, National Leaders, and Principals and lead and instill confidence in Rocketship’s approach to growth and impact.  

The following are roles and responsibilities related to the position:

• In partnership with the National Chief of Staff, CEO, Network Executive Team, National Leaders, Principals, and Rocketship National and Regional Boards:
• Lead the execution of our 5-year strategic initiatives via monitoring of quarterly/annual goals and benchmarks, in close collaboration with the finance, program, communications, talent, and regional leadership teams. 
• Elevate and manage annual and long-term planning functions, including gathering relevant data for decision-making; convening and managing meetings with internal and external stakeholders; and preparing and facilitating effective decision-making discussions. 
• Build the capacity of regional and functional leaders to develop and execute their strategic impact plans and annual plans.
• Lead an internal consulting arm of the network, collaborating with teams across the organization to execute on strategic priorities.
• Codify and systematize critical network functions to drive efficiencies, such as core model, knowledge management, and enrollment tracking.
• Build and drive innovation and/or special projects for the network. 
• Own, elevate, and project manage Rocketship’s scaled impact strategies to fully enroll existing schools, grow new schools in our existing regions and identify new regions for potential growth.
• Contribute to the exploration of new avenues for growth focusing on how they relate to and support the overall organizational strategic plan. 
• Work with the National Chief of Staff to define and analyze the implications of 5-10 year trends on our market’s economics and Rocketship’s competitive position. 

• Work with the National Chief of Staff and CEO to: 
• Design the topic scope and sequence for regular virtual and offsite meetings based on our strategic priorities, initiatives, and deliverables.
• Develop meeting agendas, including preparation and follow-up communication.
• Liaise with the Network Executive Team to ensure timely communication, collaboration and results.
• Act as a key thought partner to the National Chief of Staff, CEO and Network Executive Team by facilitating discussions about and solutions to strategic challenges.
• Liaise with and support key regional and national Board projects.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with regionalization, proactively addressing potential challenges and devising contingency plans. 
• Collaborate with regional and national leadership to implement, evaluate, and refine regionalization strategy to enhance the overall effectiveness of the organization.

• Cultivate an outstanding team of internal consultants through effective coaching and development, designing and facilitating meaningful professional development.
• Support the National Chief of Staff coordinating multiple subteams including: Strategy and Growth; Data Systems; Analytics and Assessments; Student Information Systems,  and Technology Solutions.
• Manage third party vendors that support our existing infrastructure and systems.

• Bachelor’s Degree is required, preferably in Education, Business or a related field.
• Master’s Degree or higher is preferred, in Education, Business or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of relevant work experience including demonstrated strategic leadership in a complex organization (multi-site, multi-regional), preferably a non-profit or management consulting firm serving education agencies and charter schools.
• Minimum of five years of relevant work  experience in a charter school, preferably in a  regional or national leadership position. 
• Ability to travel to provide effective strategic guidance to network leadership and remain deeply connected to our regions, teams, and impact.
• Ability to lead and inspire change, including influencing and motivating others through relationship building.
• Ability to move comfortably between high-level strategic- and systems-thinking and intricate details. 
• Experience with analysis, data systems and/or information technology.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally climb ladders. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

Compensation:

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health and wellness benefits, 403b retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), and generous paid time off.

Rocketship Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Rocketship Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Rocketship Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Rocketship Public Schools’ employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. Click here for our Sexual Harassment Policy.  For questions, concerns, or complaints, please contact Human Resources.