Chief Operating Officer

Read the job description and apply for the Chief Operating Officer role by clicking here.

Opportunity

Excel Academy is currently in an exciting period of significant growth and organizational change. Excel is expanding its footprint by more than doubling its reach over the next seven to ten years, scaling up to 3 schools in Rhode Island to become a network of 8 or more schools serving nearly 4,000 students in grades K-12 across two states.

Excel is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) who will play a pivotal role in driving strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, cohesion, and organizational effectiveness across its growing network. During this period of growth, the COO will build the critical systems and practices necessary to support a successful and sustainable expansion. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Owen Stearns, this leader will serve as the senior executive responsible for managing Excel’s key priority projects, building systems and practices for the effective functioning of the Network Team, driving the continuous improvement of people operations, and ensuring the Network Team provides excellent support across the growing network.. The COO will directly oversee Network Team leaders who manage centralized supports and functional teams, including human resources, talent, school and network operations, real estate and facilities, risk management, legal, and compliance.

The COO will ensure that every operational functional area under their purview is performed seamlessly and with excellence, so that student and adult learning continues to flourish. As a key leader on the Excel Senior Leadership Team, the COO will maintain and enhance robust, flexible, and reliable network systems at scale with a spirit of entrepreneurial excellence and a focus on continuous improvement.

This is a new role at Excel and an exciting opportunity for a seasoned cross-functional leader to scale and improve systems, marshal resources, manage and lead a large team through layers, and play a significant leadership role in a growing, student-centered, high-impact organization.

Key priorities for the COO in their first year in the role include:

• Taking ownership of Excel’s growth plan by establishing clear project management systems, structures, communications channels, and accountability.
• Continuing to build and develop a strong Network Team to carry out the short- and long-term priorities of the organization with a focus on the direct connection between the Network Team and School Teams.
• Fostering a strong Network Team Culture and establishing routines and systems for effective collaboration.
• Establishing an effective performance management and goal-setting process for the Network Team.
• Positioning Excel for continued growth and expansion by shoring up, scaling, and improving its people operations work (including talent and human resources systems, specifically for the Network Team).
• Coaching and supporting team members who lead these functional areas to systematize people operations.
• Building strong relationships and trust with leaders across the organization in order to successfully generate investment in and deliver on these key priorities.

Responsibilities

Network Team (NT) Management and Leadership

• Provide leadership, management, and support to the NT, fostering a strategic, coordinated, and high-performing team culture with a high bar for customer service and a focus on continuous improvement.
• Cultivate an efficient and effective organization of the NT, ensuring the staffing model, capabilities, and role definitions reflect the NT’s priorities and needs.
• Establish and manage goal-setting, evaluation, and accountability frameworks for the various teams and members of the NT.
• Develop and maintain systems and routines across NT and with schools that promote collaboration, transparency, communication, and overall team effectiveness.
• Build and utilize data systems and analytics to inform organizational and cross-functional decision-making processes.
• Enhance the effectiveness of executive leadership and cross-functional team meetings by supporting thorough pre-meeting preparation, agenda creation, meeting facilitation, decision-making, and follow-up.

Priority Project Management and Implementation

• Quarterback Excel’s growth strategy work, as the organization continues to expand in Rhode Island and double its impact.
• Develop systems and processes to ensure the strong execution of its growth plan, including measurable goals and structures to track progress toward goals.
• Spearhead and manage high-priority cross-functional projects, ensuring strong project management, coordination of various stakeholders, and high-quality implementation.
• Ensure clear and proactive communication and collaboration across the organization, motivating all stakeholders to act in alignment with Excel’s vision and priorities.
• Provide strategic leadership and thought partnership to the network for key priorities and projects.

Functional Area Leadership and Excellence

• Lead the Network Team functional area leaders, whose responsibilities encompass human resources, talent, school and network operations, real estate and facilities, risk management, legal, and compliance. Each key functional area is led by a Director or Managing Director who will report to this position, to ensure alignment with organizational priorities and excellence in execution.
• Talent & HR (led by the Director of Talent and HR Manager): Oversee people operations and all aspects of talent/HR at the network level (i.e., recruiting, hiring, onboarding, HR compliance, performance management/evaluation, coaching/development, compensation/benefits, etc.). Improve upon and scale key people operations systems, ensuring that as the organization grows, Excel continues to recruit, develop, and retain the best talent. Set and oversee critical HR policies and processes to advance the organization’s talent priorities and ensure compliance.
• Real Estate (led by the Director of Real Estate and Capital Planning): Guide and project manage the organization’s real estate strategy. Execute multiple complex and high-stakes facility projects with the Director of Real Estate and Capital Planning that are critical to achieving Excel’s growth plan.
• Operations (led by the Managing Director of Operations): Oversee all school and network operations, ensuring that systems scale to support Excel’s continued growth.

Qualifications

The ideal Chief Operating Officer candidate will bring the following experiences, skills, and mindsets/values:

Required Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of leadership experience and 15 years of professional experience, ideally in operations, HR/Talent, or cross-functional areas in mission-oriented contexts.
• Proven track record of successful project management within an educational or similar organizational context.
• Strong experience leading and managing multiple high-performing leaders of teams, with a track record of fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Experience managing a team across multiple functional areas, such as HR, talent, operations, facilities, and growth.
• Successful change management experience.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited, four-year university.

Preferred Experience

• Experience scaling systems in multi-site educational organizations.
• Content knowledge and expertise in human resources, talent, and/or people operations.
• Experience working in growing charter schools and networks.
• Demonstrated legal and complex risk management skills in the nonprofit sector.
• MBA or advanced degree in a field related to the position.

Mindset/Values

• A commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model.
• Alignment with Excel’s Network Team Values:
• Schools First: We prioritize and participate in what matters most to schools, kids, and families.
• Invest in Relationships: We connect with each other through the work to support the growth and development of our staff and students.
• Ownership: We identify and solve problems fully in order to move the work forward.
• Excellence: We meet a high bar for performance. Then we raise it higher.
• A belief that operations are in service of organizational strategies and goals.
• An unwavering commitment to quality programs and data-driven decision-making.
• A passion for leading and implementing large, complex projects and initiatives to improve an organization.
• Collaborative, inclusive, and accessible leadership style; track record of being a present and engaged leader.
• A strong sense of urgency rooted in a customer-service mindset and commitment to students and families.
• Evidence of well-developed emotional intelligence, growth mindset, humility, and receptiveness to feedback

Initial application deadline: February 2, 2026.