Apply on Employer Site

The Gardner School · 1 day ago

Operations Project Manager

Illinois, United States

Full-time

Hybrid

Entry, Mid Level

$105K/yr - $115K/yr

2+ years exp

The Gardner School is committed to bringing passion and customer focus to their business. The Operations Program Manager is responsible for managing the successful opening of new schools and ensuring smooth transitions from pre-opening planning to post-launch integration, while collaborating across departments to meet regulatory compliance and operational readiness.

Education

Responsibilities

Own and refine a standard playbook for the opening and new school setup process

Delegate and provide guidance to the cross-functional New School Core team to ensure all activities stay on plan and budget, and the team is working as one cohesive unit

Collaborate with Construction and Facilities teams to ensure that all necessary resources and supplies are in place for new school openings

Partner with the Marketing and People & Culture teams to develop and implement a pre-opening enrollment strategy to ensure that new schools meet initial enrollment targets and are staffed appropriately

Oversee the setup and operational readiness of newly constructed schools, ensuring a smooth transition from construction completion to school opening

Supervise and audit the procurement and installation of supplies, furniture, and classroom materials, ensuring all aspects of the school environment are ready for day one

Ensure all vendor orders and ongoing relationships/accounts are set up and established

Work with internal teams, Operations and Finance, to ensure that all licensing and regulatory requirements are met before opening

In partnership with the District Manager and Finance, manage the licensing process for both newly constructed and acquired schools, ensuring all federal, state, and local regulations are met

Ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are in place for the smooth opening and ongoing operation of newly constructed and acquired schools

Work closely with the identified internal Core team, including operations, marketing, finance, and human resources, to coordinate all aspects of new school openings

Ensure cross-functional efforts are being completed on time and to TGS standards, related to enrollment marketing, staffing, and training to ensure new schools are fully operational on opening day

Translate high‑level strategies into clear project roadmaps, with defined objectives, deliverables, timelines, and success metrics

Monitor progress against milestones, proactively identify risks and issues, drive mitigation plans, and escalate decisions when needed

Build strong relationships with leaders across departments and run regular project reviews to ensure accountability for decisions, actions, and follow through

Develop and execute stakeholder engagement and communication plans for key initiatives

Develop and maintain dashboards and scorecards that summarize the status of special projects

Qualification

Licensing KnowledgeRegulatory ComplianceProject ManagementEarly Childhood EducationBudgetingResource ManagementCommunication SkillsLeadership SkillsOrganizational Skills