Movement Schools Chief Operating Officer

OUR MISSION

Movement Schools is a growing network of free, public charter schools.  We exist to love and value scholars and communities by leading a movement of excellence in education. In partnership with our families, we equip our scholars with the tools to close generational gaps through self-efficacy, access to world-class instruction, and financial education.

Background

Movement Schools is a rapidly growing network of free, public charter schools serving students in pre-K through 5th grade. The organization exists to love and value scholars and communities by leading a movement of excellence in education. In partnership with families, Movement Schools equips scholars with the tools to close generational opportunity gaps through self-efficacy, access to world-class instruction, and financial education.

Founded in Charlotte, North Carolina, Movement Schools currently operates six charter schools and multiple pre-K programs across two states: North Carolina and Georgia. Today, the network serves more than 1,500 students and continues to grow its presence across the Southeast.

Movement Schools works in close partnership with the Movement Foundation, a philanthropic organization that has committed more than $300 million to advance the network’s growth and long-term community impact. This partnership has helped establish a strong foundation for expansion and community investment while maintaining a disciplined focus on financial sustainability.

As the network continues to scale, Movement Schools is prioritizing the systems, infrastructure, and leadership capacity needed to support a larger and more complex organization while sustaining strong academic outcomes, operational excellence, and financial health.

To learn more about Movement Schools, please visit our website.

Opportunity 

The Chief Operating Officer will play a central role in shaping the next chapter of Movement Schools’ growth. As Movement continues to expand its footprint across North Carolina and Georgia, the COO will lead the development of the operational infrastructure required to support a multi-state network of schools. Reporting to the CEO and working with the executive leadership team, the COO will ensure that operational systems, organizational processes, and cross-functional coordination support strong academic outcomes and sustainable growth. The COO will translate Movement’s ambitious growth plans into disciplined operational execution across multiple schools and regions.

Movement Schools operates with a lean central management organization (CMO), and the COO must be comfortable setting strategic operations vision and direction, and rolling up their sleeves to execute this vision. This leader will be expected to build systems and long-term infrastructure while also stepping directly into problem-solving and implementation when needed.

The COO will oversee core operational functions across the organization, including school operations, facilities, human resources, technology, compliance, and other network-wide operational systems. A central focus of the role will be building clear processes, scalable systems, and aligned operational practices that enable school and regional leaders to focus on driving student academic outcomes.

The COO will partner closely with and directly manage the head of HR, the head of Compliance and the network’s Business Operations Directors (BODs), who lead operational execution at the school level. The COO will strengthen coordination between central office operations and school-based teams to ensure consistent systems, clear expectations, and high-quality operational support across campuses.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the operations infrastructure for a high-performing organization and to establish the operational systems and standards that will support Movement Schools as it grows into a multi-state network serving thousands of students and families. The COO will also play a critical role in helping the organization move from reactive, short-term operational solutions toward more sustainable, long-term processes that support continued growth and operational excellence.

The Key Priorities for the Chief Operating Officer include:

• Strengthen Organizational Infrastructure for Growth: Lead the development of scalable operational systems and processes across key functional areas, including school operations, facilities, human resources, technology, compliance, and procurement. Ensure the organization has the operational infrastructure, staffing models, and processes required to support continued expansion.

• Build Aligned and High-Performing Operations Teams: Develop strong operational leadership across the network and clarify roles, responsibilities, and decision-making structures across central and school-based operations teams. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Improve Cross-Functional Planning and Execution: Partner with executive leadership to strengthen organizational planning processes, including expansion planning, multi-year operational planning, and cross-functional coordination. Ensure operational planning is aligned with academic priorities, enrollment projections, and growth plans.

• Establish Consistent, Data-Driven Operational Systems Across the Network: Build scalable operational systems and playbooks across procurement, vendor management, compliance, and reporting to support existing schools and future launches. Develop clear dashboards and reporting structures that enable leaders to monitor performance, identify risks early, and make informed decisions.

• Support New School Launches and Expansion: Lead cross-functional operational readiness for new schools, coordinating work across facilities development, staffing, finance, compliance, and school operations to ensure each campus opens with strong systems and operational support in place.

Responsibilities

Operations Strategy & Organizational Leadership

• Lead operational strategy to support regional scaling;

• Develop and manage operational planning around the multi-year financial model, including staffing plans, revenue analysis, expense drivers, and school-level budgets;

• Ensure operational infrastructure aligns with expansion timelines and organizational priorities;

• Build scalable systems that reduce operational burden on school, regional, and executive leaders;

• Directly oversee and support the head of HR, the head of Compliance, and the network’s Business Operations Directors (BODs), who manage school-level operations across campuses and serve as the primary operational leaders within each school;

• Lead change management efforts across the organization, helping teams successfully adopt new systems, processes, and operational expectations.

Operations Team Management & Infrastructure

• Define standards for operational excellence and establish measurable performance dashboards;

• Lead and develop regional and school-based operations teams;

• Ensure high-quality internal service delivery across departments;

• Drive continuous improvement through performance data and stakeholder feedback;

• Build operational systems and playbooks that standardize processes across campuses and support consistent implementation as the network grows;

• Evaluate the current operations organizational structure and implement improvements that provide effective oversight and support for school-based operations teams;

Human Resources

• Provide executive oversight of HR strategy, systems, and organizational design;

• Oversee onboarding systems, retention strategy, and workforce planning aligned with growth goals;

• Ensure compliance with employment laws, policies, and HR best practices;

• Partner with senior leaders to build a strong, mission-aligned organizational culture.

Compliance & Governance

• Oversee network-wide operational and regulatory compliance, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local regulations across all schools and regions;

• Manage charter authorizer compliance, including charter renewals, amendments, expansions, and ongoing authorizer reporting requirements;

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state education regulations, including IDEA, ESSA, Title I–IV, Title IX, FERPA, and HIPAA (as applicable);

• Establish and maintain operational compliance systems, policies, and procedures that support regulatory requirements and charter cycles across multiple states;

• Oversee preparation for regulatory reviews, audits, and authorizer reporting processes, ensuring schools are prepared and compliant;

• Develop and implement compliance training and capacity-building for school leaders and operations staff.

Finance

• Partner with the Finance team to support the achievement of annual and multi-year financial sustainability goals;

• Collaborate with Finance on accounting, reporting, banking, budgeting, procurement, and financial planning functions;

• Work in partnership with the Finance team to support accurate financial reporting for staff and the Board;

• Partner with Finance to oversee purchasing systems and vendor procurement processes.

Facilities & Real Estate Development

• Manage the real estate portfolio and expansion strategy;

• Oversee facility development, construction readiness, and operational launch timelines;

• Integrate mission, finance, development, and facilities priorities.

Legal Affairs & Risk Management

• Serve as the primary liaison with legal counsel to support legal strategy, insurance oversight, safety protocols, and risk mitigation across the organization.

Technology & Systems

• Oversee and manage planning and implementation of technology infrastructure;

• Ensure effective implementation of student information systems and enterprise platforms;

• Lead evaluation and consolidation of technology systems to reduce fragmentation and improve operational efficiency across the network.

School Nutrition Services

• Provide executive oversight of school meal programs;

• Ensure compliance with USDA and state nutrition regulations;

• Manage vendor partnerships and drive operational efficiency;

• Ensure equitable, high-quality meal services aligned with student needs.

Transportation & Logistics

• Oversee transportation strategy, including routing, scheduling, vendor management, and logistics;

• Ensure services are safe, reliable, cost-effective, and compliant with regulatory standards;

• Evaluate long-term opportunities to bring transportation services in-house to improve cost efficiency and operational control as the network grows.

New School Launches & Expansion

• Support cross-functional readiness planning for new school openings;

• Ensure operational systems are in place prior to launch;

• Coordinate expansion efforts across facilities, HR, finance, compliance, and operations;

• Build repeatable launch playbooks to support rapid scaling;

• Develop operational launch playbooks and infrastructure that allow new schools to open successfully while minimizing operational strain on existing campuses.

Qualifications

The ideal COO candidate will bring the following experiences, knowledge, skills, and mindset/values:

Required Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Proven track record of achieving ambitious operational goals;

• At least five years of progressively increasing operational leadership experience;

• Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple operational departments and functional areas;

• Demonstrated success building infrastructure and transforming operational systems in schools, school networks, or other complex multi-site and/or rapidly growing organizations;

• Demonstrated ability to hire, develop, and coach high-performing leaders;

• Demonstrated ability to make data-driven decisions and apply strong strategic thinking;

• Demonstrated expertise in change management and implementing new systems within growing organizations;

• Ability to diagnose operational gaps, prioritize improvements, and execute solutions in fast-paced environments;

• Strong attention to detail paired with a long-term strategic perspective;

• Ability to lead effectively in complex, high-growth environments, building trust through strong people leadership while balancing warmth, accountability, and high expectations;

• Strong executive presence and cross-functional collaboration skills;

• Bachelor’s degree required.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• MBA or related Master’s degree;

• Experience leading operations within charter schools, Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), and expanding school networks.

Mindsets and Values

• Deep alignment with the mission, vision, and values of Movement Schools;

• Deep commitment to equity, justice, and serving historically underserved communities, particularly Black and Brown students and families;

• Integrity, transparency, and accountability in leadership and decision-making;

• An exceptionally high bar for excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement and strong operational outcomes;

• Resilience, adaptability, and a solutions-oriented approach to complex challenges;

• Flexibility and comfort navigating change and ambiguity in a fast-growing, multi-state environment;

• A builder’s mindset—energized by strengthening systems, building infrastructure, and rolling up their sleeves to execute in a scaling organization;

• Entrepreneurial, systems-oriented leadership with the ability to build scalable, people-centered operations;

• Commitment to building trust with school-based operations leaders and ensuring their perspectives inform organizational decision-making.

Compensation and Application

The starting compensation for this role is $200,000. This full-time role aligns with the academic calendar and provides meaningful growth in a purpose-driven environment.

• Employment Type: Full-Time.

• Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package available for eligible employees.

• Schedule: Monday - Friday. Evenings and weekends as needed.

• Travel between regions and schools is required. The COO typically travels 40-50% and up to 70% depending on the time of year.

Initial Application Deadline: April 20th, 2026