MESA Charter High School, Managing Director of Operations

ORGANIZATION

Math, Engineering, and Science Academy (MESA) Charter High School is a community high school in Bushwick, Brooklyn. We opened our doors in August 2013 and we now have 498 students in grades 9-12. We graduated our first class of seniors in June 2017 and our cumulative graduation rate is 94%. Our students come from more than forty different middle schools, including traditional public, parochial, and public charter schools. Some are advanced students coming from magnet schools; others are beginning English Language Learners. What they all have in common is a desire to succeed; MESA students come to school every day, ready to work. 

As an organization, MESA is entering a new phase. Based on its success it has been authorized to open a second school, which will first open its doors to students in the Fall of 2025. As part of this expansion MESA is also in the process of opening its network office. 

What makes us different is our staff. This year, 42% of staff will be in at least their fifth year at MESA! MESA teachers believe… 

• that the greatest contribution we can make to social justice is to give a young person control of their destiny; 
• committed people, when given autonomy, will find innovative and creative ways to make change;
• that being a great educator takes intellectual preparation and a strong sense of personal accountability to produce high quality work.

What makes us different is our model: 

• Intentional Grading—MESA uses a standards-based grading system, which makes data understandable and accessible. This enables teachers to create targeted, focused instruction, and helps students understand and track their own progress. MESA teachers love data or at the very least, aren’t afraid of it!
• Intentional Support—MESA teachers have a minimum of rote administrative duties in order to better focus on planning and instruction. Teachers receive ongoing coaching while dedicated time for co-teaching, department and grade team planning are built into the school schedule.
• Intentional Professional Development—MESA has a comprehensive professional development calendar that includes sessions on instructional practices, school culture as well as diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• Intentional School Culture—MESA’s advisory model connects small groups of entering freshmen with a teacher-advisor for all 4 years of high school. Advisors provide guidance on academic progress and are mentors, facilitators and positive influencers. Students are recognized by their teachers regularly for academic achievement and effort and are incentivized to meet school expectations around attendance, punctuality and preparedness. 
• Intentional Relationships—MESA knows that all caregivers want their children to succeed. MESA enlists families as partners in their child’s education through regular communication, workshops, and access to student attendance information and grades. More than 85% of MESA caregivers attend the initial parent-teacher conference of the school year.
• Intentional Scheduling—MESA’s school day starts and ends later than most DOE schools, as research indicates that a late start helps high-school students succeed. The calendar and earlier start allows for “Intersession,” during Spring Break where students receive enrichment, skill remediation, or Regents preparation.

To learn more about MESA, please visit www.mesacharter.org. 

OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a rockstar operations leader. The inaugural MESA Managing Director of Operations (MDO) will report directly to MESA’s Executive Director and will be the most senior level Operations person in the organization, and a core member of MESA’s senior leadership team. Our MDO is somebody who will step in and step up quickly. A true owner of operations oversight across the network, and driver of operational excellence through the support, development, and leadership of each school’s Director of Operations (DOO). 

The MDO will start before MESA’s second school opens in order to learn the MESA culture and our leadership style. Simultaneously, the MDO will have responsibility for several major tasks related to launching MESA 2, including working closely with the Executive Director on finalizing our facility, hiring a Director of Operations for MESA 2, and getting our central office set up.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Responsibilities of the Managing Director of Operations include:

Leadership and Strategic Operations

• Work closely with school-based DOOs to ensure that each campus’s operational systems are running effectively, identifying opportunities for efficiencies.
• Develop and implement network-wide policies and procedures that support the organization’s goals and compliance requirements.
• Serve as the key escalation point for complex operational and organizational challenges, working with school-based teams and external vendors to effectively resolve issues.
• Ensure consistent communication and alignment between the central office and individual school campuses, facilitating collaboration across departments and ensuring that school-level operations are supported.

Human Resources and Staff Support

• Provide oversight and guidance on HR-related matters, including onboarding, offboarding, staff benefits, and policies (e.g. Staff Handbook) at the school and network levels.
• Collaborate with the Director of Operations at each campus to support difficult conversations and manage performance-related challenges.

Finance and Procurement

• Lead and oversee the budgeting process across the organization.
• Oversee and manage all major vendor relationships, including contract negotiations, quality assurance, and challenge escalation.
• Own and manage the relationship with MESA’s back-office payroll and accounting service provider, CSBM. 
• Ensure effective levels of communication and support between the network, school campuses, and external vendors.

Facilities and Technology

• Help set up the network office infrastructure and oversee maintenance of the office once established. 
• Work closely with school DOOs to ensure that facilities and technology systems support the learning environment, addressing operational challenges as needed.
• Own and manage the relationship with MESA’s tech services provider, Charter Technology Solutions (CTS).

Governance and Compliance

• Ensure the network adheres to all local, state, and federal compliance requirements, overseeing the submission of required reports and maintenance of accurate records across the schools and office.
• Own Board administration, managing logistics, minutes, trustee paperwork, and overall compliance.
• Set and oversee organizational policies (e.g. Student/ Family Handbooks, Enrollment) and where required, lead the charter revision process with SUNY.

Student Enrollment, Academic Operations, and School Systems

• Provide strategic oversight and guidance on the student enrollment life cycle at both schools.
• Work closely with campus DOOs and school leadership to support the development and execution of student recruitment strategies, ensuring alignment with enrollment targets and budgets.
• Provide leadership and guidance, and collaborate with school leaders to ensure that academic operations (e.g. testing, scheduling, report cards), daily school systems (e.g. attendance, arrival, lunch, recess, dismissal), and safety (e.g. emergency procedures, drills) are responsive to each school’s needs and aligned with network goals, while maintaining day-to-day accountability at the campus level.

Requirements

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, the ideal Managing Director of Operations candidate will be:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree, Master’s Degree or other advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in operations leadership roles (i.e. school level Director of Operations or above), with direct experience in NYC school operations.
• Self-starter with unparalleled sense of initiative. You welcome the opportunity to solve thorny problems that have bedeviled others.
• Deep sense of personal accountability and willingness to foster accountability in others. Eagerness to “own” all of MESA’s operations across all domains.
• Strong ability to communicate and develop relationships.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multiple campuses and teams.
• Proven track-record of leading and developing employees and teams.
• Proven track-record of high achievement across operational functions (e.g. HR, finance, compliance) and commitment to accountability.
• Belief in and alignment with MESA’s core beliefs and educational philosophy.
• Spanish and/ or Chinese-speakers are a strong plus.

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range of $150,000 - $170,000 based on experience. More details can be provided upon request.

TO APPLY

For additional questions about this position or to speak with someone about your interest, please contact Zach Harr at [email protected] or at 510.495.0040.

MESA is committed to attracting, hiring and retaining a diverse and inclusive staff. It is MESA’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status, uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.