Chief Operating Officer (Santa Ana)

Role Summary :

At Scholarship Prep, we believe every child deserves a joyful, excellent school where they feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn. Strong schools depend on strong systems - and strong systems require strong leadership.

Scholarship Prep is entering a new phase of growth, and this role will play a critical role in strengthening execution, building connected systems, and ensuring consistency across campuses.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is an enterprise leadership role responsible for building, aligning, and continuously improving the systems that enable our schools to operate at a high level every day. This role ensures that operations, talent, compliance, and technology systems work together to provide schools with the staff, structure, and support they need to succeed.

Serving as a senior executive partner to the Superintendent and Home Office leaders, the COO translates organizational priorities into clear plans and ensures strong follow-through across the organization. Through strong systems, clear expectations, and consistent execution, this role ensures every school is set up for success.

How This Role Makes an Impact :

As COO at Scholarship Prep, you will shape the daily experience of students, staff, and families by ensuring schools are safe, staffed, organized, and fully operational. This role blends systems leadership, team leadership, and execution to build an organization where strong operations consistently support strong outcomes.

Building Strong Organizational Systems

• Design and strengthen enterprise-wide systems across operations, talent, and compliance
• Translate strategy into clear plans, timelines, and deliverables
• Ensure consistent, high-quality execution across all campuses
• Establish clear decision-making structures, ownership, and escalation pathways
• Identify inefficiencies and lead cross-functional problem-solving
• Ensure operational plans and execution align with budgets and organizational priorities

Leading High-Performing Teams

• Lead and develop leaders across operations, facilities, technology, and HR
• Set clear expectations and hold teams accountable to results
• Provide coaching and feedback to strengthen performance
• Build a culture of ownership, urgency, and follow-through

Ensuring Safe, Functional, and Ready Schools

• Oversee facilities, safety, and campus readiness across all schools
• Ensure strong execution of safety procedures and compliance requirements
• Oversee enrollment, attendance, and operational readiness
• Ensure schools are prepared for key moments (start of year, testing, major events)

Driving Compliance, Reporting, and Accountability

• Ensure full compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements
• Oversee reporting including LCAP, SARC, CRDC, and CBEDS
• Lead authorizer oversight, audits, and renewal readiness
• Maintain accurate, timely, and aligned systems across the organization

Solving Problems and Driving Execution

• Step into complex challenges and drive solutions to resolution
• Remove barriers impacting school and organizational performance
• Align teams and systems to ensure strong execution
• Ensure the organization delivers on priorities with consistency

Ideal Candidate :

• Is committed to Scholarship Prep’s mission and values of equity, excellence, and community
• Experience managing and developing managers or senior leaders
• Experience owning outcomes across multiple sites or teams
• Leads teams with clarity, accountability, and trust
• Able to bring clarity and structure to fast-moving environments
• Strong executor who ensures follow-through and results
• Skilled at managing multiple priorities, systems, and stakeholders
• Clear, direct communicator who keeps work organized and on track
• Experience in charter schools or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred