Vice President of Student Services and Engagement
KIPP Foundation
Company Description
Vice President of Student Service & Experience
Position Overview
The Vice President of Student Services & Experience (VP SSE) owns the design and execution of regional student experience systems to ensure students are safe, supported, engaged, healthy, and prepared for postsecondary success. This role sets the vision, standards, and operating model for culture and climate, SEL, MTSS/behavior, postsecondary readiness, and nursing/health services across KIPP St. Louis.
In partnership with the Chief Schools Officer (CSO), the VP SSE ensures these systems are coherently implemented across schools and aligned to academic priorities, while maintaining clear ownership of regional student experience strategy, quality, and outcomes.
Who we are:
KIPP St. Louis is a part of a national network of free, open-enrollment, public charter schools offering a choice to families and children in St. Louis city. As the largest charter school system in the city, we are driven and committed to our mission and vision.
Mission: Together with families and communities, we create 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.
Vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.
KIPP St. Louis currently educates over 2,000 students and boasts hundreds of alumni. Today, our St. Louis network consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.
What makes KIPP St. Louis unique?
We believe that our educators are proving what's possible in urban education each and every day, by inspiring students, and helping them discover the joy of learning. KIPP schools support our educators to help students achieve academic excellence, building the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
Together, we are raising the bar for every student, every day.
Job Description
Position type: Full time, exempt, 12 Month
Reporting & Collaboration
Direct Manager: Chief Schools Officer (CSO), accountable for school leader supervision and overall school performance (academics, culture, student support, and operations).
Direct Reports: Leaders responsible for regional student experience systems, including postsecondary readiness and nursing/health services.
Key Collaborators: VP of Academics & Instruction, Regional Director of Operations, Special Populations leaders, school leaders, and family engagement partners to ensure student experience systems are aligned, operationally viable, and effectively implemented across campuses.
Autonomy & Decision Making
This role owns regional student experience strategy and quality across attendance, culture/SEL, MTSS/behavior, postsecondary readiness, and health services. The VP SSE sets standards, tools, and operating rhythms; manages and develops regional teams; and partners with school leaders to support high-fidelity implementation. The VP SSE holds accountability for system effectiveness and continuous improvement, using data to drive strategic adjustments.
Inputs: What will I be doing in my day to day work?
Set and steward the regional strategy for student experience systems, including attendance, culture and climate, SEL, MTSS/behavior, postsecondary readiness, and nursing/health services.
Develop regional frameworks, standards, and tools that define high-quality student experience practices across schools.
Lead and manage regional teams responsible for postsecondary readiness and nursing/health services; set clear performance expectations and build leadership capacity.
Design and oversee professional learning for student support roles (e.g., counselors, behavior specialists, postsecondary advisors, nurses) to strengthen implementation of student experience systems.
Partner with school leaders to support implementation, monitor fidelity, and address barriers to effective student support systems.
Establish and monitor data systems to track attendance, behavior, student engagement, health service utilization, and postsecondary outcomes; use insights to drive continuous improvement.
Partner with Operations and Special Populations leaders to ensure student experience systems are compliant, operationally feasible, and integrated with school schedules and services.
Build and maintain partnerships with higher education and community organizations to strengthen postsecondary pathways and wraparound supports.
Serve as the Title IX and Disciplinary Hearing Officer for the region
Outcomes: What will I be evaluated on?
Region-wide implementation of coherent, high-quality student experience systems (culture/SEL, MTSS/behavior, postsecondary readiness, health services).
Measurable improvements in attendance, behavior, student engagement, well-being, and postsecondary readiness outcomes.
Effective leadership and performance of regional teams overseeing postsecondary readiness and nursing/health services.
Strong alignment between student experience systems and academic priorities, resulting in increased access to learning and improved student outcomes.
Demonstrated improvement over time based on data-informed strategy adjustments and implementation support.
What skills should I already bring, i.e., what should I already have a track record around?
Managing through ambiguity,
Ability to make contingency plans and “see around corners” to determine appropriate course(s) of action,
Execution of crucial conversations,
Outline ambitious goals and driving results,
Design and lead instructional professional development,
Use of data to drive continuous improvement,
Leads teams and cross-functional initiatives, and
Ability to drive results in a K-12 district.
What should I know a lot about already, i.e., what should I have expertise in?
Designing and leading professional learning for student support roles to strengthen implementation of student experience systems.
Designing and leading postsecondary readiness systems and overseeing student health and wellness services, including supervision of specialized staff (e.g., nurses).
Leading MTSS/behavior and SEL systems that protect instructional time and increase access to learning
Student health or wellness services and managing specialized staff (e.g., nurses), and
Strong understanding of adult learning theory.
KIPP uses Indicators of Excellence (IOE) to codify what great looks like in daily work. For this role, the IOEs include:
Ownership and Stewardship: Takes responsibility for the integrity of strategic execution, governance, and compliance systems. Ensures no ambiguity around who owns priorities or outcomes.
Monitoring and Quality: Builds disciplined review cycles and quality assurance mechanisms that prevent fragmentation and ensure strong follow-through.
Coherence: Aligns initiatives across departments so that strategy, resources, and execution are integrated rather than siloed.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Ensures that data systems are accurate, transparent, and used to drive action. Elevates leading indicators and performance dashboards to the KIPP St. Louis Cabinet and Board of Directors.
Qualifications
Required:
Experience leading student support systems (attendance, culture, SEL, MTSS, family engagement)
Experience using data to monitor attendance/behavior/support effectiveness
Proven ability to lead teams and partner cross-functionally
Advanced degree in education, leadership, adult education, or adult learning
Strong understanding of college and career readiness indicators and postsecondary transition supports
Proven ability to lead and develop teams responsible for student advising, postsecondary counseling, or transition supports
Ability to use data to monitor postsecondary outcomes and continuously improve student support strategies
Experience overseeing student health or wellness services and managing specialized staff (e.g., nurses)
Administrator certification, or equivalent demonstrated experience leading school-based student support systems at scale
Preferred:
State certification in counseling or a related student support field
Background in counseling, social work, special education, or related fields
Experience in high-performing K-12 school environments
5+ years of classroom teaching experience
Additional Information
What we bring to the table:
KIPP St. Louis is committed to pay equity and to ensuring that we do not unintentionally perpetuate historic wage gaps that persist due to individual negotiations. As a result, salaries are not negotiated. We are transparent about salaries in our job postings so that candidates can make an informed decision before beginning the hiring process. The salary range is $135,000-$165,000. This role is performance bonus eligible.
We are a fast paced, energetic team and family with passionate people who are leading a movement and to cultivate their best working environment we provide the following:
$0 deductible healthcare plan option, including medical, vision and dental.
Employer Paid Short Term Disability.
$50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee.
Retirement plan through PSSRSSL with an employer match up to 14% and an optional 403b as a supplement to our pension program
Employee Recognition: When we succeed together, we celebrate together with our annual gala award ceremony, holiday party, and more!
Public Service student loan forgiveness program qualified employer.
Ongoing professional development.
Generous time off:
Paid leave for illness, personal days, bereavement, jury duty, and military-related leave
Paid parental leave for new families
Paid holidays, as well as a one week Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, a week-long spring break
Wellness days provided throughout the year
Hiring Timeline and Steps
This role will be posted from February 24-February 29. The interview process will take place in March. The anticipated start date for the role is as soon as possible with the latest start of July 6, 2026.
If you are interested in working at KIPP St. Louis, please visit our website below to apply!
Check out our KIPP St. Louis video to learn more about KIPP St. Louis Public Schools!
KIPP St. Louis is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for all our students, families, teachers, staff and community members. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.