Want to know if this job is worth applying to?
Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Onsite
What does it take to make 41 schools work exceptionally well, every day, while rebuilding the systems that support them? Achievement First is seeking a Chief Operating Officer who can bring simplicity to complexity, set a high bar for operational execution, and lead the work of building a stronger, more integrated network. This is an opportunity for an executive who finds purpose in demanding, consequential work and knows how to turn operational challenges into lasting institutional strength.
Founded in 1999, Achievement First Public Charter Schools is a nonprofit network of 41 public charter schools serving approximately 15,000 students across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college and career, deepen their knowledge of self and community, and lead lives of purpose. In partnership with families and communities, we work to disrupt the legacy of inequity in education and believe deeply in the unlimited potential of every student.
Achievement First is renewing academic excellence through a redesign of its K–12 instructional program. At the same time, the environment for public education is changing: families have evolving expectations and more options, and schools must deliver compelling experiences while managing cost, regulation, facilities, and technology. Internally, the network's growth outpaced the development of some central systems and shared operating practices, leaving uneven processes and insufficiently codified standards. AF has recently moved to a more decentralized model in which Regional Executive Directors lead regional academics and operations, and the COO sets networkwide standards and drives consistent performance through strong functional leadership and regional partnership.
The COO reports to the Chief Executive Officer and serves on the Executive Leadership Team. The role owns a portfolio spanning facilities and real estate, school operations support, student enrollment, operational risk, and Information, Technology, and Data, with an approximately $45 million budget, 4 direct reports and 42 positions. Regional executives retain direct authority over regional operations teams, so the COO leads through shared standards, clear performance expectations, and defined executive and regional decision channels. The next COO will inherit real strengths to build upon, alongside work that needs to be simplified, codified, and redesigned. This leader will set the operating vision, make disciplined choices about internal capability and external partnerships, and will turn fragmented practices into reliable, repeatable systems without losing momentum in schools.
The opportunity is demanding and consequential: enables the daily experience of students and educators while building the operational bedrock for durable performance and future scale. Achievement First needs a leader energized by creating a clear path where there is ambiguity, capable of making hard tradeoffs, and skilled at bringing people on the change journey. Success will depend on the ability to own results, lead specialized experts and vendors, challenge colleagues, and create coherence across a complex organization.
Set and implement the vision and standards for school environments across the network. Own performance expectations for facilities and essential services, and establish the reviews, escalation mechanisms, and actions that keep schools safe, welcoming, and ready, creating an environment that facilitates learning.
Lead the design and implementation of common operational standards, processes, and accountability mechanisms. Set clear network expectations with Regional Executive Directors, define practical decision and escalation paths, and drive adoption of repeatable processes. Ensure operational changes enable the redesigned K–12 instructional program and maintain service continuity during implementation.
Own performance across a portfolio of 29 school facilities and two offices, including maintenance, capital projects, facilities strategy, and long-range real estate planning. Decide where to build in-house capability and where to use external specialists, and hold vendors and capital-project partners accountable for quality, schedule, risk, and budget. In co-located facilities, partner with districts to meet Achievement First standards.
Own networkwide student recruitment and enrollment and set service standards for transportation, food, school safety, health and nursing, and related operational support. Direct functional teams and partners to monitor performance, fix recurring failures, and deliver dependable services. In Rhode Island, Achievement First serves as its own local education agency; in Connecticut and New York, it partners with traditional districts for essential services, requiring differentiated operating arrangements and close oversight.
Lead the Information, Technology, and Data portfolio through capable functional experts, setting enterprise priorities and holding teams accountable for reliability, security, and useful information. With academic leadership, determine where technology and data can materially improve teaching, learning, and decision-making. Build the senior technology leadership needed to execute an integrated, realistic roadmap.
Build a strong bench of operational leaders and a culture of disciplined execution. Set leadership expectations, develop functional leaders, and partner with regional leaders to strengthen coaching and school operations capability. Establish playbooks, knowledge-sharing, and continuous-improvement routines so effective work survives changes in people and structures.
Own results within the COO portfolio while serving as a candid, accountable partner to the CEO, academic leadership, Finance, People, Strategy, and regional executives. Lead operational change, confront difficult tradeoffs, and align decisions across functions. Establish service-level agreements and performance reviews for major facilities and school-service partners, and correct failures promptly.
We seek a proven executive who has led complex operations through material change and can show sustained results, not simply broad responsibility. The right leader distinguishes symptoms from structural causes, prioritizes ruthlessly, builds systems that work across locations, and develops leaders who deliver with autonomy.
Achievement First's executive team is deeply collaborative, bringing together regional school leaders and the functional leaders who support the full network. The COO will exercise both direct functional authority and enterprise influence: setting standards, forging agreements, handling productive conflict, and sustaining accountability through relationships, transparent evidence, and clear decisions. This leader has the confidence to make difficult decisions, the humility to seek different perspectives, and the discipline to follow through, balancing urgency with change management that brings school leaders along.
Preferred Qualifications
In the first year, the COO will establish a clear vision and measurable standards for operational excellence, strengthen accountability and coordination across AF's decentralized model, and deliver meaningful improvements in school environments, facilities, technology, enrollment, and essential services. Specific targets and investment priorities will be set collaboratively after an initial assessment.
Ongoing performance will be measured across:
Candidates must live in Connecticut, New York, or Rhode Island, or relocate before the start date. This is an on-site role that requires being in person at least three days per week at Achievement First schools and offices, with regular travel across all three states.
Achievement First sets salaries through a lens of equity, based on the skills, education, and experience relevant to the role. The salary range for this position is $250,000 to $300,000. Achievement First offers all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off; medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with employer match; and paid family leave.
We welcome applications from accomplished leaders motivated to build operational excellence in a complex, mission-driven public education network. Submit a current résumé and a letter of interest highlighting your executive leadership experience, significant operational accomplishments, and alignment with Achievement First's mission.
Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/
