Director of Operations

Our schools create a safe and cool environment for students to achieve their musical and creative potential. We want as many students as possible to have the opportunity to experience the magic that is School of Rock, to discover their passion for music, and learn life skills. The Director of Operations, International role will work with international franchisees and various stakeholders in the organization to reinforce our commitment to this vision around the world.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Direct International Franchisee Support: Direct International Franchisees are those whose franchise agreements are signed directly with School of Rock and operate in English-speaking markets where there is no Master Franchisee in place. This role will act as a brand consultant to review and improve all aspects of school performance, including revenue growth, brand standards, music program excellence, and other school KPIs.

• Field Operations: Conduct regular site visits to document operational and facility compliance. Manage outstanding tasks from site visit reports to ensure franchisees are following brand standards.

• Franchise Consulting: Conduct monthly support calls with franchisees to monitor and influence KPIs. Act as the primary contact for franchisees, offering guidance on brand standards, company initiatives, and operational practices.

• Cross-departmental support: Consult with other departments to identify additional support and training needs to improve support in international franchise school operations. Collaborate to ensure smooth processes in the case of franchise ownership transfers, renewals, and graduations from "new" schools into "steady state" schools.

• Expert-level knowledge: Maintain ongoing knowledge about best practices of operating a School of Rock business. Develop and maintain a strong understanding of the Franchisor/Franchisee agreement and the mutual obligations between the two parties. 

• Operations Manual: Maintain a strong familiarity with the School of Rock Operations Manual and supporting resources. Ensure these documents remain relevant to international operations, recommending revisions as necessary.

• Safety & Compliance Advocate: Educate on and reinforce critical safety standards.

Master Franchise Support: In many international markets, School of Rock follows a master franchising model, in which we have local partners who develop and support the franchise organization in a given country. In collaboration with the VP of International Operations, this role will serve to augment support for master franchisees and their teams in order to replicate our best practices around franchise support. This role requires little to no travel to these international markets.

• Monitor unit and portfolio performance for schools supported by master franchisees. 

• Collaborate with VP of International Operations around tactics to drive growth through alignment with best practices and brand standards.

• Assist VP of International Operations in developing and supporting successful roll-out plans and training for new programs, initiatives, and campaigns.

• Consult with appropriate leaders and other departments to identify additional support and training needs to address opportunities in international franchise school operations.

• Coordinate with the compliance and operational standards department to monitor and drive alignment with critical safety and compliance standards in master franchise markets. 

• Collaborate with VP of International Operations and other departmental stakeholders on additional projects to support the School of Rock community. Such projects may support training globalization and administration, curriculum expansion, reporting and technology solutions, partnership exploration, events, general operations team projects, and other areas of the business as required.

Additional Responsibilities

• Balance the needs of representing brand interests as well as advocating for international franchisees.

• Contribute to fostering a global culture within the School of Rock organization. 

• Cultivate a collaborative environment across corporate team and franchise owned schools to support a consistent "one brand" vision

• Facilitate and support communication between Corporate and Franchisees. 

• Manage travel against the annual budget.

• Manage individual G&A budget.

• Complete and submit all reports, documentation, and other administrative requirements in a timely manner. 

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree 

• School of Rock operational experience preferred

• Actively develops open and trusted relationships with internal partners, franchisees, and stakeholders

• Effectively communicates and positively influences direct reports, franchisees, and stakeholders

• Possesses a high degree of self-motivation with a proven track record of achieving results

• Strong financial acumen, analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, and influencing skills

• Ability to handle multiple tasks within a constantly changing and demanding environment. Strong project management and organizational skills; demonstrated track record for flexibility and urgency in prioritizing and organizing projects

• Excellent communication (written and oral) skills

• Expert-level skill with various software productivity tools

• Expert-level skill with various operational point-of-sale (POS) and CRM systems

• Passion, love, knowledge, and/or experience in music, the arts, and/or education is highly desirable

• Strong connection to School of Rock's mission

• Some travel will be required of this position (approximately 10-25% travel)