Director of Recruitment and Persistence

Company Description

About KIPP Philadelphia:

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools committed to partnering with students and families to disrupt systemic educational inequity and create a future without limits. Over 120,000 students attend one of the 280 KIPP schools that operate in 27 regions across the United States. KIPP Philadelphia Schools Public Schools (KPPS) is a part of the national KIPP Public Schools network and currently leads seven schools serving approximately 2,800 students in North and West Philadelphia. By 2030, KPPS will lead ten schools serving approximately 4,000 students.

Our Mission

Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Life at KIPP Philly KPPS knows that talented, committed, culturally competent teachers and leaders have the power to amplify our children’s potential by creating a school experience that affirms, values, and challenges them each day. We seek to create a professional environment full of joy, candor, care and community where excellent educators can make a long-term home alongside peers who are equally committed to the work. Educators at KIPP –

• Are committed to anti-racism, equity and inclusion
• Are part of a close-knit, diverse community of educators working together in service of children
• Show up as themselves, inspiring our children to do the same
• Believe school should be a joyful, affirming space for both children and adults
• Believe that strong relationships and precise preparation are critical to increasing learning outcomes
• Want to evolve their craft via 1:1 coaching and high quality professional development
• Have access to leadership pathway programming and opportunities to grow their career
• Enjoy a competitive, comprehensive health benefits package, and a 403B retirement matching program
  
  

Job Description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition, the Director of Recruitment & Persistence [Director, R&P] ensures that KPPS schools are fully staffed with talented, committed, diverse educators who will value, affirm and challenge our students every day. The Director, R&P serves two main functions:

• Employs innovative recruitment strategies for the region: Collaborating with Senior Director, the DOR&P drives efficient recruitment and thorough selection, and hiring for a portfolio of our schools, ensuring that all candidates have a positive, professional experience. The DOR&P serves as a partner to each school’s principal to deeply understand school profiles and needs, to share updates on hiring progress and strategy for open positions, and to devise strategies to secure & retain high quality candidates. As part of the KPPS People Team, the DOR works closely with colleagues to analyze and respond to recruitment and hiring data, develop innovative outreach strategies, train and support principals in talent management, and understand the larger talent landscape at KPPS.
• Implements data driven teacher persistence mechanisms: The bottom line is when teachers persist through the school year and beyond it’s best for student outcomes, fosters effective teaching and pushes us closer to our goal of educational equity. The Director, R&P will manage a cohort of primarily new to KIPP teachers and support their persistence with KPPS from the moment they sign their offer by analyzing data, having 1:1 meetings and crafting differentiated approaches to ensure our teachers are not just recruited but also retained.
  
  

Do you have experience working in schools that serve diverse, under-resourced communities? Are you passionate about educational equity and believe that recruiting & retaining great teachers and leaders are the key to student growth and achievement? This could be the role for you! The Director, R&P knows what effective teaching looks like, is comfortable and confident engaging directly with principals, and enjoys leveraging data to improve their practice.

Key Responsibilities:

Recruitment Strategy & Principal Partnership

• Work with closely with the larger People Operations team to analyze recruitment, hiring and retention data and develop effective strategies and interventions
• Partner with Principals to deeply understand current and projected school staffing needs, the details and nuances of the positions themselves, and the ideal candidate profile
• Source new talent for current and future open positions (by following up on referrals, cold-sourcing on venues like LinkedIn, attending career/job fairs, etc.), cultivating relationships with compelling candidates over time
• Develop relationships with candidates, working to understand their motivations, barriers and needs
• Host candidates during interviews and support the selection process, ensuring that all candidates have a warm, positive, rigorous experience and that principals operate with fidelity to a rigorous, standardized interview process
• Ensure that recruitment and hiring data is accurately maintained and up to date in our central systems so that data can effectively inform the collective work of the team
• Provide feedback and input on talent initiatives, systems, principal training topics and materials, etc.
• Participate in local and national recruitment/talent focused collaboratives, developing relationships with like-minded individuals doing similar work and learning new approaches
  
  

Teacher Persistence & Cohort Management

• Manage a cohort of new KPPS teachers to support their persistence with KPPS from the moment they begin.
• Regularly conduct school visits to embed yourself in school communities, check-in with your cohort of KPPS teachers and build authentic relationships with current staff
• Hold routine check-ins with school leaders to gather feedback on current performance of the teachers in your cohort and make recommendations for retention.
• Lead regular check-ins with cohorts to assess staff satisfaction, support new teacher certification progression and making recommendations to the Principal and Assistant Principals to make staff engagement improvements.
• In collaboration with the people leadership team, assess historical retention data, create and disseminate employee satisfaction surveys and analyze the data to create strategies for improvement.
• Conduct employee engagement initiatives such as running employee resource/affinity groups to promote educator voice, creating off campus employee experiences and facilitating roundtable discussions.
• Research and identify opportunities of professional development for your cohort.
  
  

Routine Recruitment Logistics & Operations

• Plan, facilitate and coordinate interviews, ensuring both principals and candidates are prepared and clear on logistics
• Post and screen applications for open positions using our applicant tracking system
• Develop high quality job descriptions that meet branding and legal standards
• Complete reference checks, draft and send offer letters for new hires
• Support preparation for and attend recruitment outreach events
• Operate with flexibility, especially during hiring season, pitching in to support our team’s greatest needs
• Other duties related to recruitment, selection, onboarding and training as assigned by the Senior Director of Talent
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• 4 years of experience working in schools/districts that serve diverse, under-resourced communities
• Prior teaching experience is highly preferred.
• Experience leading employee engagement initiatives preferred
• Experience in a high-performing school or district leadership position preferred
• Unwavering belief in the potential of all students and the critical role that teachers and leaders play in driving positive, affirming school experiences and strong outcomes
• Possesses a clear vision of strong instruction, and has the ability to recognize teacher talent and potential
• Very strong interpersonal skills – builds strong relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, with emphasis on unwavering customer service
• Strong data analysis skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication – clear, likable, and inspiring
• Organized – manages multiple work streams and can prioritize effectively
• Thorough and detail-oriented – executes high quality work and keeps information up-to-date
• Achievement orientation – persistent focus on results
• Flexible and adaptable – can manage change and work comfortably with ambiguity
• Team player – works well in a collaborative environment
• Grit – strong work ethic with a relentless drive
• Humility and Openness to Feedback – constantly strives to learn and grow
• Bachelor’s degree is required
• Able to attend occasional evening or Saturday events/engagements. Additionally, the ideal candidate has a knack for connecting with people quickly and the personal skills to effectively manage their time and communication with a diverse set of stakeholders.
  
  

Additional Information

Additional information

Compensation

• Teacher salaries at KPPS are equitable and transparent. To maintain equity, teacher salaries are determined by a combination of years of teaching experience and certification status. All candidates are welcome to ask their recruiter how their experience and credentials will translate to their salary.
• All full-time team members at KPPS enjoy a comprehensive health benefits package (including vision and dental, a telehealth option, and flexible spending accounts) for themselves and their families as well as a 403B matching program for retirement savings and free access to financial advising services.
• Uncertified teachers have access to $2500 in tuition reimbursement to pursue certification at a Pennsylvania-approved certification program.
  
  

Note To Applicants

KIPP Philadelphia Schools is an equal opportunity employer. Employees are selected on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.