About The Position
The Senior Vice President (SVP), KF People & Ops is the senior leader responsible for the talent systems, norms, and operating practices that underpin a best-in-class performance culture at the KIPP Foundation—one that sets a high bar, holds leaders accountable for results, and equips teammates to thrive in meeting it. Partnering with executive leadership, the SVP designs and runs the systems that embed high performance into how KF hires, develops, evaluates, and rewards its people, enabling KF leaders to attract, develop, and retain top performers in their professional domains in support of the network's mission to deliver nation-leading educational outcomes for students.
The SVP also leads KF operations and Network event functions that ensure the smooth planning, coordination, and execution of Network convenings that connect leaders across KIPP and design and execute the core processes required for KF as the coordinating body of the Network to function effectively.
This role oversees three teams: KF Talent, Event Operations, and two Senior Directors of KF Operations, and ensures that KF talent & culture, Network events and organizational operations are tightly aligned to KIPP’s strategic priorities. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the SVP plays a critical role in shaping how the KIPP Foundation operates as a high‑functioning organization in service of regions, schools, and students, ensuring that teams have the clarity, capacity, systems, and support needed to do their best work.
Responsibilities
Set Organizational Vision and Strategy for Talent & Operations
Define and lead a cohesive strategy for KF culture, talent, and operations that builds a best-in-class performance culture and advances KIPP Foundation priorities in support of the One KIPP strategy across the KIPP Network.
Drive a performance culture through talent systems and growth and development work across KF; ensure talent systems effectively support attracting, developing, and retaining high‑performing, mission‑aligned staff.
Monitor organizational health indicators (e.g., employee engagement, skill development, process adoption, regional leader satisfaction, etc.) and drive improvements based on data and feedback
Serve as a thought partner to the COO and Leadership Team on organizational effectiveness, capacity, and long‑term sustainability.
Steward KIPP Foundation culture to ensure high quality talent is hired, retained, and thrives to serve KIPP regions and students; set vision for and drive the KF cultural moments (All Staff calls and convenings, comms, etc).
Manage and oversee KF Ops work through two Senior Directors including governance of 2030 plan, annual planning, and design and implementation of KF and Network processes (network feedback loop, KIPP Pulse, contact management, etc).
Executive Leadership and Team Management
Lead, coach, and develop team members to ensure leaders set clear vision for their bodies of work and teams attain their goals.
Build a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement across Talent and Operations teams.
Partner closely with Executive Team leaders to ensure all teams embody and drive toward the vision for a thriving KIPP Foundation.
Ensure alignment and tight coordination across KF Talent, KF Ops, and Event Operations workstreams in pursuit of Foundation-wide goals.
Personnel Leadership, Risk Management, and Escalations
Serve as the senior escalation point for complex or high-risk personnel issues
Exercise sound judgment and decision-making authority on complex people matters, escalating to the COO and/or General Counsel when issues carry enterprise, legal, or reputational risk.
Identify systemic people risks or patterns across teams (e.g., capacity strain, role clarity, leadership gaps) and proactively address them through organizational or talent strategy adjustments.
Change Leadership and Enterprise Execution
Serve as the primary people-and-operations leader for major KF shifts (strategy, structure, ways of working), ensuring change is well-sequenced, communicated, and sustained.
Anticipate risks and remove barriers to execution across teams and functions.
Represent teams you manage as well as the larger KF team in executive decision‑making forums.