What's the RoleWe are seeking a
Founding Director of Operations to partner closely with the Head of School in bringing OLAM to life. Beginning in January 2027, you will turn our vision into the systems, relationships, and day-to-day practices needed to welcome students in the 2027-28 school year.
This is a hands-on startup leadership role. In the early years, you and the Head of School will do much of the work directly: engaging families, preparing the building, coordinating vendors, creating routines, and solving the unexpected challenges of opening a school. As OLAM grows, you will hire, coach, and lead an operations team, delegating increasing responsibility as its capacity develops.
Reporting to the Head of School, with dotted-line reporting to and support from the Network Operations team, you will be an integral member of the school's leadership team. You will pair independent ownership and sound judgment with close collaboration, creating the conditions students, families, and educators need to thrive.
What You'll DoBuild the School and Its Systems- Partner with the Head of School and Network Team to translate the school's vision into an actionable startup plan, with clear milestones, responsibilities, and timelines for opening and the early years of growth.
- Design, launch, and directly manage systems for transportation, meals, facilities, safety, student records, attendance, data reporting, and family communications.
- Think across systems: anticipate how decisions affect students, families, staff, budgets, and other priorities. Identify gaps early, propose practical solutions, and follow through without repeated direction or reminders.
- Manage complex projects with sound judgment, distinguishing what is urgent from what is important, sequencing dependencies, and communicating progress, risks, and tradeoffs proactively.
- Oversee school-level compliance and accurate records in partnership with network specialists, including health and safety requirements, charter obligations, education mandates, certification tracking, and workplace regulations.
Partner with Students, Families, and the Community- Work side by side with the Head of School to build a welcoming community and a coordinated approach to student and family engagement, from a family's first inquiry through its ongoing experience at Olam.
- Lead student recruitment and enrollment operations, including outreach, applications, the lottery, waitlists, registration, transfers, withdrawals, and onboarding. Help families navigate each step with clarity and care.
- Bring a customer service mindset to everyday interactions: listen closely, anticipate questions, respond promptly, and follow through so families feel heard, respected, and supported.
- Partner with the Head of School and school staff to strengthen attendance, identify barriers to participation, and work with families on practical solutions.
- Build relationships with community organizations and leaders, coordinate welcoming events and clear communications, and use family feedback to improve the school experience.
Lead People and Build Team Capacity- Take direct ownership of operational work during the startup phase, balancing immediate needs with building systems that will support a larger school.
- Equip school staff to use operational systems confidently, explain the purpose behind procedures, and improve systems when they are not meeting the community's needs.
- Serve as the school's liaison to network Human Resources on hiring, personnel processes, benefits, leave tracking, and local records; coordinate staff PTO and coverage needs.
Steward Resources and Create a Ready-to-Learn Environment- Partner with the Head of School and network Finance team to develop and monitor the budget, track spending, and align resources with student needs and launch milestones.
- Manage purchasing, vendors, contracts, and service providers in accordance with network policies, balancing quality, cost, and reliability.
- Coordinate facilities readiness, repairs, building appearance, technology, and asset tracking to create a safe, welcoming, functional environment.
- Collaborate with network Finance, Human Resources, Technology, and Operations colleagues, drawing on their expertise while owning school-level execution.
Who You AreEducation and Experience- Bachelor's degree preferred.
- A minimum of six years of related experience, including operational leadership in schools or youth-serving organizations.
- Strong preference for candidates with startup experience, particularly launching a school or youth-serving organization, and/or charter school operations experience.
- You believe deeply in the potential of all students and in Hebrew Public's commitment to global citizenship, academic excellence, and diverse school communities.
- You enjoy building. You move forward when systems are still taking shape and bring structure and clarity to unfamiliar challenges.
- You combine attention to detail with an understanding of the bigger picture, creating practical systems that work for the people using them.
- You take ownership, anticipate needs, and deliver on commitments. You know when to act independently, seek input, or bring a decision to the Head of School.
- You exercise sound professional judgment, balancing immediate demands with the work that will matter most over time.
- You build trusting relationships, lead people with care and accountability, and view family partnership as central to a successful school.
Leadership and SupportYou will work closely with the Head of School and collaborate with Hebrew Public's Network Operations, Finance, Human Resources, and Technology teams. As the school grows, you will have the opportunity to build and develop an operations team and contribute lessons from Olam's launch to the broader network.
Compensation and BenefitsSalary and benefits will be highly competitive and commensurate with experience.
For more information please visit our websites below. CMO Website: www.hebrewpublic.org
School Website: https://hebrewpublic.org/olamstamford/
FAQ: https://hebrewpublic.org/faq/
ApplyApply today at our
careers page and join OLAM Stamford, where you can make a lasting impact on students while growing your practice and your career.
