Office Manager

Job Type
Full-time
Description
The Office Manager is responsible for ensuring a welcoming environment for all who engage with Growing Place and providing all the services necessary to carry out effective school operations. This position supports the administrative team in carrying out the GP mission. The role requires the candidate to be professional, have excellent written and verbal communication, think critically, and be flexible and inclusive of others. The Office Manager will juggle multiple tasks simultaneously while prioritizing effectively.
Responsibilities and Duties
Promoting Effective Teaching and Learning
Work with Children and Families

• Oversee the smooth, efficient, and professional running of the school's front office
• Answer phones and greet visitors; take and relay messages; provide information to staff and parents. Apply and explain school policies and regulations, including health requirements and necessary forms
• Collaborate with the Campus Director to oversee and organize GP Friends
• Support parents with scheduling meetings with teachers and administrators
• Contact families regarding their children when needed
• Maintain attendance record-keeping daily
• Use ParentSquare to effectively communicate school-wide updates and events for enrolled parents
• Respond to family needs and requests promptly
• Support teachers by notifying them of ill/late/absent children
• Collaborate with administrators to enroll new families
• Collaborate with the Campus Director to create Parent Teacher Conference schedules and sign-ups
• Collaborate with the Campus Director in the planning and execution of school events; not limited to the ordering of supplies, setting up spaces, preparing nametags, etc.
• Available on-call for late-minute emergencies, injuries, or facility problems

Work with Faculty and Staff

• Respond to faculty and staff daily needs as they relate to the operation of the school
• Collaborate with the Campus Director to onboard new staff
• Support with supervision when needed
• Support the Campus Director, Program Coordinator, and Business Manager for record keeping and marketing/communication for the Annual Investment Campaign and school events
• Support with calendaring and scheduling
• Support the Campus Director in coordinating and preparing interviews
• Support the Educational Coordinating Team and staff by preparing meeting spaces for professional development days, educator tours, parent tours, and other internal events
• Collaborate with Campus Director and Director of Pedagogy to orient and oversee internships, observations, and practicum students
• Attend weekly and monthly meetings to organize and coordinate work with other Office Managers
• Be the point person for enrichment vendors at their respective campus
• Utilize Paylocity to record and update staff files, including tracking of CPR and First Aid, Mandated Reporter, and Innovative Pest Management recertification
• Operate and maintain a variety of office machines; Monitor the copier and train staff on its use
• Record late pick-ups and notify the Business Manager for invoicing

Overseeing Admissions and Enrollment

• Collaborate with the Campus Director to organize and coordinate prospective family tours and interviews
• Schedule and communicate with prospective families for Parent Conversations
• Use admissions database to database to ensure up to date the school holds information and that sensitive information is secure and confidential,
• Respond promptly to admissions inquiries regarding the school
• Collaborate with Campus Director and Business Manager to track and send out acceptance and rejection letters for enrollment and tuition assistance
• Oversee enrollment forms and, when appropriate, share information with staff
• Support with marketing and communication for the organization by supporting in the cultivation of seasonal advertisements and hanging of enrollment banners
• Inform Business Manager about the enrollment and un-enrollment for billing purposes

Ensuring Licensing, Accreditation Standards, and Qualifying for Insurance

• Serve as a liaison with licensing to ensure that facilities and personnel paperwork are properly collected and maintained
• Collaborate with Campus Director and faculty to collect, update, and maintain NAEYC accreditation yearly and every renewal period
• Support with design, implementation, evaluation, compliance, and updates of emergency preparedness plans
• Ensure that proper materials needed for emergency preparedness plans are available, accessible, and maintained
• Serve as liaison with local law and emergency personnel as necessary

Maintaining the School Environment and Facilities
Conduct a monthly walk-through to ensure a safe indoor/outdoor campus
Inventory school's emergency supplies on an annual basis, ensuring food and water is not expired
Maintain records for all fire and emergency drills; schedule the annual fire extinguishers inspection and fire inspection
Order materials for the school as directed by the Campus Director; ensure supplies are available, organized and sufficient
Serve as the liaison with janitorial, waste, maintenance, and district companies (City of SM, SMC, or SMMUSD) to schedule regular cleaning, upkeep, and maintenance
Coordinate and oversee Parent Pitch-In Days
Ensure the campus has necessary supplies for first-aid, sanitation, food service, office, and maintenance approved by the Campus Director
Support with the stewardship of resources and ensure a healthy overall fiscal budget
Order, distribute, and maintain inventory of school keys
Ensure Effective Center Communication and Records

• Performs secretarial duties; independently answers routine correspondence; maintains administrator's calendar; schedules meetings.
• Performs receptionist duties; gives information to parents and staff regarding school matters
• Share information as necessary to enhance the operation of the campus
• Contribute to the distribution of internal and external communications
• Greets all visitors, determines their needs, checks appointments, and directs or escorts them to the proper destination.
• Create and manage a system for daily school-wide attendance
• Communicate changes parents make to child's records (i.e., change in pick up plans, medication) to teachers and Campus Director as needed
• Serve as the point person for phone calls and voicemail and relay information to appropriate parties promptly

This job description is not meant to state or imply that these are the only duties the employee performs. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor.
Benefits Information:

• Paid staff synchronized vacation: 4 weeks
  Paid National/State Holidays: 10 Days
• Hours of Paid Sick Leave (PSL): 72 Hours (9 Days) at start of school year; Mid-year hires accrue PSL at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. At the end of each school year, any unused PSL will be rolled over to the next school year as Paid Time Off (PTO), capped at 108 hours.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits Covered at 100%
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 50% match up to 3%
• Life Insurance with a fully paid premium and a $25,000 benefit.
• Eligible for Public Loan Forgiveness Program
• Professional Development includes paid coursework at Santa Monica College, six annual full-day professional development days, and opportunities to attend conferences, workshops, and study tours.

Requirements
Skills

• Associate's Degree
• Meet the California Department of Social Services requirements
• Demonstrated understanding of a school's basic operations
• Demonstrates professionalism in attire, attitude, punctuality, and attendance

Competencies

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: ability to write and speak to parents and the community about GP; demonstrated communication skills to support professional relationships with parents and colleagues, establish professional boundaries, and convey accurate information about the school; maintains confidentiality for children, families, and staff in a professional manner
• Organization and Planning: ability to keep all files and records complete and up to date, can plan effectively to anticipate the needs of the campus
• Collaboration and Teamwork: finds joy in working with others, exhibits a positive team-player spirit
• Caring and Inclusiveness: values integrity for oneself and others, helps to sustain a school culture of belonging
• Flexibility and Adaptability: willingness to take on additional responsibilities and support other areas of the school as needed for daily operations or long-term successes
• Technologically Capable: able to navigate software and use technology to support the organization of the campus, supports the staff with troubleshooting, able to learn and understand systems and processes for a variety of administrative personnel

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Office-based work environment with occasional meetings or events held off-site
• Standing and sitting in environments designed for children ages 3 months to 6 years
• Requires ability to move rapidly from a sitting to a standing position and able to get down and up off the ground as needed
• Ability to push, pull, or lift 50lbs
• Requires working in all weather conditions
• Requires the ability to respond quickly to auditory and visual cues

Salary Description
$22-$29/hour