Founding Director Of Operations

THE ROLE: The Director of Operations of Taíno CoLAB Academy is the school's chief operational and administrative leader — responsible for translating the CoLAB vision into robust, equitable, and seamless operational systems that support students, teachers, families, and community partners. This is not a purely administrative desk job. The Director of Operations builds the structural backbone of a learning community. They work in close partnership with the Founding Executive Director, the Founding Director of Academics, and CoLAB Education's leadership team.

Reports to: Executive Director. SYSTEMS OWNERSHIP The Director of Operations owns the following systems — accountable for their design, implementation, and continuous improvement: 1. Financial Management and Budgeting SystemDesign and manage the school's operating budget in alignment with strategic priorities. Oversee accounts payable/receivable, payroll processing, grant management, and audit preparation. Ensure financial transparency, compliance with state and federal regulations, and fiduciary stewardship of public funds.2. Facilities, Safety, and Capital Infrastructure System Oversee the leasing, design, maintenance, and safety compliance of the school's physical plant. Create a warm, welcoming, and secure physical environment that reflects the school's identity as a community resource. Manage facilities vendors, emergency preparedness drills, security systems, and custodial operations.3. Technology, Data, and Information Systems Manage all educational and operational technology infrastructure, hardware deployment, and software licensing. Ensure secure student data privacy compliance (FERPA, state standards). Oversee the Student Information System (SIS) and provide operational data support for enrollment, attendance, and reporting.4. Compliance, Governance, and Legal Operations Manage charter accountability reporting, state and federal compliance filings, board operations support, and legal risk management. Ensure adherence to health, safety, nutritional, transportation, and special education compliance frameworks.5. People Management SystemManage onboarding, benefits administration, credentialing tracking, and HR compliance for all school staff. Support the Director of Academics and Executive Director with recruitment logistics, personnel recordkeeping, and staff culture initiatives from an operational lens.6. School Operations and Logistics Partnership Partner with the Director of Academics on daily school operations, student transportation, food service delivery, student registration, and family communications. Ensure operational priorities actively serve instructional goals — never the reverse. EXPECTED APPROACHES Lead as a Learner The Director of Operations is a chief learner in operational excellence — not an immovable expert. They model curiosity about how systems run, ask operational and front-line staff questions before imposing solutions, and credit the team's ideas. They are the first to test a new process, workflow, or software protocol and the first to reflect on what isn't working smoothly for teachers, students, or families. Facilitate, Don't Dictate The Director of Operations leads through service and collaboration. They listen to the needs of educators and families, using feedback loops to continuously refine operational processes and remove barriers. Center Community Voice Structurally Operations must reflect the community's values. The Director of Operations ensures that families experience welcoming, accessible, and culturally responsive administrative interactions from registration to daily engagement. Hold Equity as the Core Standard The Director of Operations understands that operational equity means resource allocation and service delivery prioritize the students and communities most often underserved by traditional institutions. Think in 4D The framework applies to operations, too. Every operational workflow is evaluated through the lens of Inquiry, Design, Creativity, and Service to ensure the school's infrastructure mirrors its innovative pedagogical model. Model Adaptive Confidence Leading a founding school requires comfort in ambiguity and rapid iteration. The Director of Operations makes sound decisions with incomplete information, communicates transparently about operational hurdles, and embraces mistakes as data points for system improvement. SAMPLE OUTCOMES (YEARS 1–3) Instruction (with Director of Academics): 80%+ of classrooms show 4D instructional practices by Year 2; all teachers receive coaching feedback weekly Financial Health: Clean annual financial audits with zero compliance findings; budget adherence within 1% variance through Year 3Facilities & Safety: 100% compliance on safety and environmental audits; 90%+ staff and family satisfaction with campus environment Technology & Infrastructure: 1:1 student device deployment completed by opening day;