HMS - Office Manager

DISTRICT OVERVIEW

Holyoke Public Schools (HPS) serves 5,400 students in 12 schools and employs nearly 1,500 people. The District was placed into receivership by the State of Massachusetts in Spring 2015, due to struggling performance well below the state average. Dr. Stephen Zrike Jr., a seasoned Massachusetts educator, was selected as Receiver to lead this exciting turnaround effort, which includes significant autonomy and flexibility from the traditional school system. Since being in receivership, the District has experienced many promising successes, including an 8-point increase in graduation rates and 29-point decrease in the number of students who drop-out. HPS has also extended the school day for students in preschool to 8th grade, expanded choice programs such as dual language and personalized learning, and offering new opportunities to students, such as computer science and many other enrichment programs. For more information about the HPS Turnaround Plan, please visit: https://www.hps.holyoke.ma.us/turnaround/.

The Office Manager plays a central role in ensuring a well-run, efficient, and responsive school. In addition to maintaining the school’s administrative systems and routines, the Office Manager functions as the primary contact person for all of the school’s constituents. The Office Manager must be able to communicate effectively with students, teachers, families, community members, vendors, and visitors.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Leadership Support:

• Assist leadership in staff recruiting, selection, orientation, and onboarding
• Manage the collection and maintenance of student, personnel, and school information (receiving forms and paperwork, tracking missing forms, managing databases, updating contact information, maintaining records, entering data, etc.)
• Design and implement office policies by establishing standards and procedures, measuring results against standards and making necessary adjustments

Technology, Reporting, and Operations:

• Maintain office services by organizing office operations and procedures; preparing payroll; controlling correspondence; designing filing systems; reviewing and approving requisitions; assigning and monitoring clerical functions; and overseeing all other daily activities at the school
• Manage school-wide daily systems (managing student and staff attendance, tracking the student discipline system, payroll, maintenance and supply systems, purchasing systems, etc.)
• Plan and manage logistics and preparations for school events and activities as needed
• Oversee the production and distribution of school report cards

Customer Service and Communication:

• Serve as the main point of contact in the school reception area
• Greet and document all visitors
• Manage phones (answering calls, re-directing calls, taking messages, placing calls, creating school announcements, etc.)
• Oversee and maintain strong communication with and to families and other community partners
• Oversee other clerical staff

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A desire to work with educationally underserved student populations and their families
• An ability to adapt quickly to change, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and a capacity to remain calm and focused when faced with unexpected challenges
• Attention to detail and problem solving skills
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Excellent time management skills and ability to multi-task and prioritize work
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is strongly preferred

PLEASE NOTE: This job description is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills and working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to reflect the position activities and requirements, these requirements may change over time. Management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and assign other duties as necessary.