Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Rocketship Public Schools

 

Chief Operating Officer (Remote)
DGW Group (Rocketship Public Schools) - null, Remote, United States
Remote Bay Area/California, Nashville, Milwaukee/Chicago area, or Washington, DC/DMV

 

About Rocketship Public Schools

 

Rocketship schools are top tier public elementary schools known for academic results and a holistic approach to personalized learning. The Rocketship network has successfully launched 22 elementary schools across the country since first opening in the Bay Area over eighteen years ago.

 

Rocketship Public Schools’ non-profit network of public elementary charter schools propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and intentionally partners with parents to enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community. Rocketship Public Schools is a collective of parents, teachers, leaders, and students working together to transform the future for underserved communities across our country. At Rocketship Public Schools, we are unleashing potential.

 

VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES

 

• VISION – Equal opportunity for all.

• MISSION – Catalyze transformative change in underserved communities through a scalable and sustainable public school model that propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community.

• VALUES

• AUTHENTICITY – We deliver transparency in our work – assessing how we are growing and learning with honesty and humility.

• COMMUNITY – We seek a diverse set of perspectives to build understanding as we work toward our greater purpose.

• TENACITY – We pursue our goals relentlessly and take courageous steps to achieve ambitious outcomes.

• INNOVATION – We challenge the status quo and take responsible risks in pursuit of meaningful impact.

• EXCELLENCE – We believe all children can succeed and are committed to unleashing the potential inside every Rocketeer.

 

Position Description

 

Rocketship is at an inflection point following a period of significant organizational change, including regionalization and efforts to better integrate core functions across the network. As the organization looks to its next phase of growth, the Chief Operating Officer will play a critical role in strengthening execution, building more connected systems, and ensuring consistency across regions.

 

This is an enterprise leadership role responsible for strengthening and leading the core operating systems that power internal execution and alignment across Rocketship’s national network including human resources, technology, data systems, analytics, and school operations. The COO will lead an organization of 30+ team members, including 5 senior leaders. In this role, the COO will ensure that talent systems, operational processes, and technology work together to give school leaders the staff, support, and data they need to continuously elevate student outcomes.

 

The COO will serve as a key strategic partner to the CEO and executive team, translating priorities into action and ensuring follow-through on the organization's most important work while helping build the structure, systems, and leadership needed to sustain Rocketship's impact over time.

 

Rocketship's ability to deliver strong academic outcomes depends on having the right people, reliable systems, and consistent operations across all schools. This role exists to strengthen that foundation—so school leaders can spend less time managing operational challenges and more time focused on teaching and learning.

 

In the first 12 months, success will include strengthening talent acquisition and workforce planning, improving alignment and consistency across regions, and establishing clearer systems for decision-making, accountability, and operational performance.

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Enterprise Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness

 

• Partner with the CEO and executive team to support the development and execution of Rocketship's multi-year strategic plan, ensuring operational priorities and resources are aligned with long-term goals

• Strengthen operational performance across the organization, ensuring alignment between strategy, priorities, and execution

• Translate organizational priorities into clear plans, ensuring strong follow-through and measurable progress

• Build clarity around decision-making, ownership, and escalation across national and regional teams

• Drive cross-functional alignment across Talent, Operations, Technology, and Data, ensuring coordinated execution across the organization

• Hold functional leaders accountable for results by using clear data and performance metrics to drive alignment, reinforce a culture of accountability and high performance, and ensure consistent execution.

 

Talent & Human Resources

 

• Oversee the Talent/HR function, including close partnership with the Sr. VP of HR and eventual direct management as the function continues to evolve. Manage and develop HR leadership and strengthen systems and execution across talent, including talent acquisition, employee engagement—particularly for school-based staff—leadership development, and organizational culture and performance.

• Lead the redesign and scaling of Rocketship’s talent acquisition function to build consistent, high-quality pipelines for school and central leadership roles

• Establish a more proactive, strategic approach to recruiting and workforce planning

• Lead talent strategy to directly support operational priorities by strengthening retention and leadership development aligned to organizational goals and school needs

 

School Operations

 

• Oversee and strengthen school operations across the network—including facilities, compliance, student registration and retention operations, attendance systems, parent engagement, and school-based operational staffing and routines—ensuring consistent implementation across regions

• Drive greater consistency across regions by establishing clear operating standards and expectations

• Ensure schools have the operational support they need to run effectively and predictably

• Improve visibility into school-level operations through clear metrics and reporting

 

Technology, Data & Systems

 

• Oversee technology, data, and student information systems, ensuring they effectively support school and organizational needs

• Build connected systems and processes across Talent, Technology, and Operations that enable strong decision-making and scalable execution

• Ensure systems are secure, scalable, and aligned to organizational needs, and effectively adopted across the organization

• Identify gaps in current systems and prioritize improvements to strengthen usability and impact

• Drive innovation across systems and operations, including the thoughtful use of emerging technologies such as AI to improve efficiency, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness

 

Ideal Candidate Profile

 

The ideal candidate is a high-capacity operator who has successfully led complex, multi-functional organizations and can translate strategy into strong execution. This leader brings both strategic perspective and disciplined follow-through, with a track record of building systems and teams that deliver results over time.

 

Strong candidates will likely have experience as a COO or in a similarly broad enterprise leadership role within a multi-site organization. Rocketship will also consider exceptional leaders from adjacent backgrounds, including senior HR/talent leaders, Chiefs of Staff, or other enterprise operators who have led cross-functional initiatives at scale.

 

The strongest candidates will:

 

• Bring a track record of leading through complexity and delivering results across multiple functions

• Be equally comfortable setting strategy and driving execution

• Demonstrate the ability to build trust, collaborate effectively, lead through influence, and hold teams accountable

• Show a commitment to staying and building over time, not just driving short-term impact

• Get on the ground and close to the work—traveling regularly to schools and regions to diagnose challenges firsthand, build trust with teams, and ensure solutions are practical and fully implemented

 

Leadership Competencies

 

Strategic Systems Thinking: Sees how talent, operations, and systems connect; designs solutions that improve performance across the organization

 

Execution and Operational Leadership: Translates strategy into clear plans and delivers results through strong systems, disciplined execution, and consistent follow-through

 

Cross-Functional Leadership: Leads across functions, breaking down silos and ensuring coordinated execution

 

Talent Leadership: Uses talent as a lever to drive organizational performance, including recruiting, retention, and leadership development

 

Decision-Making and Problem Solving: Makes sound, timely decisions in complex environments, using data and judgment

 

Culture and Mission Alignment: Builds and reinforces a culture of accountability, clarity, and commitment to Rocketship's mission

 

Required Qualifications

 

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in operations, general management, HR/talent leadership, Chief of Staff roles, or related fields

• Experience managing large, cross-functional teams, including senior leaders

• Experience operating in a multi-site or multi-region organization, with a strong preference for charter school or broader education sector experience

• Demonstrated success leading organizational change, building systems, and improving performance in complex environments

• Strong team leadership, project management, and change management experience

• Experience leading or significantly improving talent acquisition and talent systems in complex organizations strongly preferred

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred

 

Compensation

 

Salary Range: $250,000–$275,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

 

Rocketship offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and wellness coverage, retirement benefits, and generous paid time off.

 

Location & Travel

 

This is a regionally based, national role. Rocketship has a strong preference for candidates located in one of its regions (Bay Area/California, Nashville, Milwaukee/Chicago area, or Washington, DC/DMV). Candidates interested in relocating to one of Rocketship’s regions will be provided relocation support.

 

Success in this role will require strong, on-the-ground visibility across schools and regional teams—particularly in Year 1—as the COO builds relationships, assesses needs, and establishes systems and structures to support long-term performance. Travel is expected to be approximately 25–40%, especially in the first year.

 

How to Apply

 

Rocketship has engaged DGW Group to lead the search for our Chief Operating Officer. Inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Interested candidates should apply by May 25, 2026

 

Equal Employment Opportunity

 

Rocketship Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Rocketship Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

 

Rocketship Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. For questions, concerns, or complaints, please contact Human Resources.