Managing Director of Manager Learning & Development (26/27 School Year) at KIPP Colorado – Denver, Colorado

The MD-MLD leads the design and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen leadership and people management across the organization. This role is responsible for building a coherent leadership development system that equips all people managers with the skills, tools, and mindsets required to lead high-performing teams and strong adult cultures. Working in close partnership with the Chief People and Learning Officer and other senior leaders, the MD-MLD ensures that leadership development is aligned to the organization’s Manager Vision of Excellence and Leadership Competency Framework. This role also ensures that leadership development is data-informed, strategically aligned to the school arc of the year, and embedded within the organization’s broader talent strategy. The MD-MLD plays a key role in strengthening leadership capacity, improving staff experience, and building a sustainable system for ongoing leader learning. This full-time position is a part of our Home Office Team and is a key member of KIPP Colorado’s leadership team. This role will report to the Chief People & Learning Officer.

About KIPP: Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students.

Who we are: KIPP Colorado Public Schools is a network of six free college-preparatory public charter schools open to all students. Our 350-person staff educates 2,600 students from ECE to 12th grade. At KIPP Colorado, we partner with our KIPPsters, educators, families and communities to ensure that we are all united around the goal of a choice-filled future for our KIPPsters. Our KIPP Forward Team supports our 1,000+ high school Alumni as they create their own paths. Our core values of excellence, belonging, belief, advocacy and courage are central to who we are and how we operate at all levels of our organization.

What we do: We believe in the unique gifts and brilliance of every student. We believe in setting a high bar for joy and academic excellence to ensure the infinite possibilities our students have before them become a reality. We aspire to create and reinforce a culture of achievement, belonging and support. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student's needs, skills, and interests.

Professional Responsibilities

● Believe deeply in the mission, values, and Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn

● Assume personal responsibility for student achievement

● Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines

● Provide an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning (regardless of my role and its proximity to students)

● Take ownership for the development of your craft and engage actively in coaching sessions (meet 1-2 times every 1 or 2 weeks (depending on need and role) with a manager, receive coaching, implement all provided feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)

● Commit to being prepared. Such as: internalizing and preparing for lessons, preparing for O3s/coaching, preparing for meetings, coaching, PD, reading and internalizing written communication, etc.

● Meet professional obligations including and not limited to meeting deadlines and honoring schedules ● Consistently leverage existing professional tools, including but not limited to Google Suite (google documents, etc.) and Microsoft Suite (including but not limited to your KIPP Colorado email, Teams chat / meetings, Teams phone, and Microsoft Outlook calendar)

● Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities

● Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement

● Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals

● Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings

● Actively engage and implement in all school-wide and Org wide professional development

● Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with

colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade-wide initiatives

• Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, assuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient. Ensure that feedback is focused on improving outcomes and experiences for students

● Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement- including events, home visits, calls home, and other determined and related requirements

● Know that your role, professional development, org wide meetings, etc. may require you to travel around Denver to other KIPP Campuses, our Home Office, or other KIPP or PD events

● Assist with other duties as assigned (such as but not limited to, lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, bathroom duty, hallway duty, school support duties, etc.)

Lead the Organization’s Manager and Leadership Development Strategy

● Lead the development and adoption of the KIPP Colorado Manager Vision of Excellence as the foundation of our organizational approach to people management, leadership growth, and talent development.

● Design and oversee a comprehensive leadership development strategy aligned to the Manager Vision of Excellence and Leadership Competency Framework.

● Establish a coherent scope and sequence for manager skill development across the year.

● Ensure leadership development focuses on the critical capabilities required to lead strong teams and cultures, including coaching, feedback, accountability, and culture-setting.

● Drive the shift from viewing people management as an individual trait to a core leadership skill that can be intentionally developed and strengthened across the organization.

● Ensure leadership development experiences are practical, practice-based, and directly connected to real leadership challenges.

● Serve as a key connector between organization-wide manager strategy and content-specific execution by aligning closely with senior leaders to ensure coherence, clarity, and fidelity across all instructional domains.

Use Talent and Staff Experience Data to Drive Targeted Leader Development

● Partner with People and Talent leaders to analyze staff satisfaction, engagement, and retention data to identify leadership development priorities.

● Translate emerging trends in staff experience into targeted leadership learning opportunities. ● Design and oversee targeted “learning labs” that address high-impact leadership skill gaps.

● Ensure leaders are equipped with practical tools and frameworks to navigate complex people management challenges.

● Continuously evaluate and refine leadership development efforts based on organizational data and feedback.

Align Leadership Development to the School Arc of the Year

● Partner with the Chief Schools & Program Officer and program leaders to ensure leadership development aligns with key moments in the school year.

● Collaborate cross-functionally with senior academic leadership (SDOCs, MD of Instructional Leadership, MD of Academics) to translate organization’s manager strategy into coherent, content-specific vision, implementation, and support.

● Working in close partnership with the Chief People and Learning Officer and the Managing Director of Instructional Leadership, ensure that School Leaders are strong people managers with the skills, tools, and mindsets required to lead high-performing teams and strong adult cultures.

● Ensures that leadership development is aligned to the organization’s Manager Vision of Excellence and Leadership Competency Framework.

● Integrate leadership learning with the operational and instructional priorities of schools.

● Align leadership coaching and development to major milestones including school launch, midyear resets, performance cycles, and retention planning.

● Establish a leadership development cadence that maximizes relevance while minimizing leader overload.

● Ensure leadership development strengthens both instructional leadership and people leadership across schools.

Build and Sustain a Leadership Learning Infrastructure

● Design and launch a centralized leadership learning platform that houses professional development resources, tools, templates, and recorded learning sessions.

● Ensure leadership learning materials are aligned to the Leadership Competency Framework and Manager Vision of Excellence.

● Create accessible pathways for leaders to engage in ongoing, self-directed learning. ● Develop onboarding learning pathways for leaders hired midyear.

● Establish systems and norms to maintain, update, and continuously strengthen the organization’s leadership learning resources.

Relationship Management

● Successfully balance decision-making that is in the best interest of both the Org and the schools they oversee

● Assure alignment between Org priorities and school management, by building relationships and investment with all parties and supporting the efficacy staff in our schools

● Cultivate and manage relationships with Org leaders and other critical stakeholders, especially Chief People Officer, principals and school leadership team members

● Meet with internal and external stakeholders and synthesize their concerns, challenges, and ideas into easily understandable and actionable recommendations

Role Level Specifics, Scope of Work, and Level of Responsibility

● For more about how you’ll lead at this level, please visit the KIPP Colorado Role Levels Matrix (this is an internal document, only)

About the skills and qualifications you will bring to this role:

● Bachelor's Degree (required)

● At least 8 years as a school leader or senior organizational leader responsible for managing a team of adults (required)

● At least 3 years of experience in leadership professional development, people management strategy, leadership development roles, or talent development roles (required)

● 3+ years of experience managing a team (preferred)

● Previous experience developing and facilitating adult learning/training (required)

● A full understanding and Commitment to an Exceptional Student Experience (more about that HERE) (required)

● Previous experience developing and facilitating adult learning/training (required)

● Adept at thinking strategically, translating plans into action, and exhibiting excellent judgment ● Detail oriented with exceptionally strong follow-up and follow-through skills

● Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP Colorado’s mission and values, including a strong commitment to the belief that all children can learn and deserve access to an excellent public education

● Naturally and readily assumes responsibility to fix problems and create improvements

● Ability to quickly and effectively build relationships with, motivate, and engage a diverse group of stakeholders

● Skilled at analyzing, interpreting, and using data to collaborate, identify best practices and areas for improvement, and drive results

Employee retention and satisfaction is imperative for KIPP Colorado. We seek to provide competitive compensation and benefits including the following:

● Competitive Market Salary: Starting salary for this role begins at $147,900 and is commensurate with experience

○ Please submit a comprehensive resume to assure all your experience is accounted for! Tip: We don't care if your resume is more than one page, we are eager to see and compensate you for all of your experience and accomplishments

● Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by KIPP Colorado and options for family enrollment and coverage, through United Healthcare

● Time Off !!!: More than 6 weeks of annual vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO)

○ Based on hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) ○ All employees receive summer break through an organization-wide closure, based on work location and position

○ Access to parental and medical leave: includes 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks (after your first year)

● Career Trajectory: Access to opportunity to move up, across schools, and grow your career during weekly coaching sessions to refine your craft

● Mental Health Care: Immediate and ongoing access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program

● Technology & Access: Equipment provided: laptop & phone

● Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including a PERA 401k option

● Move to Join Us: Relocation reimbursement (when applicable)

● Additional Pay: Most schools offer various stipend opportunities

● Other Insurance Options:

○ Wellness reimbursement

○ Voluntary employee, spousal, and child life insurance

○ Voluntary long term disability insurance

○ Voluntary short term disability insurance

○ Optional Basic Life and AD&D Insurance

● Additional Information: For more information, you can view our benefits FAQ here

KIPP Colorado Schools is dedicated to equal employment opportunities and fair labor practices. KIPP Colorado Schools, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, KIPP Northeast Elementary, KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary

provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications, and the ability to perform a job without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, legally protected medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, or on any other basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. It is our policy to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based upon these grounds.