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Burgundy Farm Country Day School Position Description
Assistant to the Head of School/Admin Assistant
Burgundy Farm Country Day School is a progressive, coed day school on a pastoral 26-acre campus near Alexandria, Virginia. We serve 270 children in junior kindergarten through 8th grade. Burgundy believes children learn best in an inclusive, creative and nurturing environment that engages the whole child. Our innovative, hands-on approach to education cultivates independent thinking, promotes academic excellence, instills respect for diversity, and teaches responsibility for self, for others, and for the natural world. For more information, visit www.burgundyfarm.org .
Position Description
The Assistant to the Head of School/Administrative Assistant performs a wide range of administrative and clerical support duties in support of the Head of School and School events and operations. The job is comprised of three principal pieces, in priority order:
• Supporting the Head of School, beginning with managing Head and School calendaring and scheduling;
• Supporting the work of the Board of Trustees, including organizing the Board Hub, supporting scheduling of committee meetings, board meetings and retreats;
• Supporting the broader functions of the Administrative Team, including:
• Admin and G/A meetings and planning retreats, School events, especially events hosted by the Head
• Building and managing the internal and master calendars
• Collecting annual School data (for AISGW, VAIS, NAIS DASL)
• As time allows, supporting all-school events such as the Fall Fair, Auction, Grandparents Day, and graduation reception
Qualities of Ideal Candidate
The Assistant to the Head of School should be a self-starter who enjoys a dynamic work environment, diverse tasks, and brisk work pace but who also can make good use of slower times (as in summer) for organization and planning and decluttering the Head’s office suite, work spaces, and files, etc.
The ideal candidate takes satisfaction in working hard on varied and ever-changing projects as well as essential cyclical and detail-oriented tasks that support the mission of the school, such as researching issues, assembling data and reports, coordinating meetings and projects, and supporting important Head communication. This role is full-time, with limited evening and weekend work, planned in advance.
Position Requirements
• Excellent reliability, timeliness, discretion, and communication skills, with good technology skills.
• Ability to think and write clearly, and to prioritize and shift priorities quickly
• Occasional night time or weekend check-ins, evening or weekend work (compensated with overtime and/or compensatory release time).
• Keeping and managing Head’s schedule and priorities.
• True team mentality, without a need for lots of recognition.
Report Structure
Position reports directly to the Head of School, but also gives administrative support to the administrative team, Board of Trustees President, Executive Committee and committee chairs.
Responsibilities:
• Provide administrative support for the Head of School, Administrative/Leadership team, and Board of Trustees.
• Keep, adjust, monitor calendar to ensure HoS is able to prioritize
• Monitor for calendar overcrowding, ensure travel and transition time
• Issue meeting confirmations and reminders
• Anticipate conflicts, coverages, and nuances of HoS’s daily, weekly, monthly schedules
• Schedule and maintain notes for Admin and G/A meetings
• Take a lead role in School Calendaring
• Maintain the School’s Master internal and website calendars.
• Maintain calendars and reservations for school-wide conference rooms and common spaces.
• Assist Leadership Team and HOS with the creation of the annual school calendar, managing the number of school days per year, and ensuring all information is on the internal and external master calendars.
• Help administrators and directors periodically as admin support is needed.
• Act as emergency/second backup to (front desk) Receptionist
• Assist with scheduling for facilities rentals, emergency drills.
• Support Special Event Management.
• Provide administrative support for the Board of Trustees
• Assist HoS and BoT President in maintaining the Board Hub
• Schedule meetings, arrange food/refreshments and set ups (with event forms).
Job Specifications:
• Associate’s/Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Phone skills, including politely screening calls, taking messages, reaching out on behalf of the HoS.
• Ability to work with a wide range of Burgundy constituents and others helpfully and professionally.
• Excellent organization, communication, writing, and editing skills.
• Proficiency/willingness to learn Microsoft Office, Google docs, Veracross, other software and online resources as needed.
• Understanding of small events and menu planning.
• Willingness to learn new skills.
• Experience with a similar role preferred.
Position is full-time, hours 8-4:30 with a 30 minute lunch. Some flexibility of availability to support evening events is feasible and desirable. The Executive Assistant to the Head of School receives all school holidays, along with vacation per policy/years of service — plus two weeks paid at Christmas and one week paid at spring break. All vacation time should be coordinated with the Head. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to: Jeff Sindler, Head of School, at jeffs@burgundyfarm.org .
Qualities of Ideal Candidate
The Assistant to the Head of School should be a self-starter who enjoys a dynamic work environment, diverse tasks, and brisk work pace but who also can make good use of slower times (as in summer) for organization and planning and decluttering the Head’s office suite, work spaces, and files, etc.
The ideal candidate takes satisfaction in working hard on varied and ever-changing projects as well as essential cyclical and detail-oriented tasks that support the mission of the school, such as researching issues, assembling data and reports, coordinating meetings and projects, and supporting important Head communication. This role is full-time, with limited evening and weekend work, planned in advance.
Position Requirements
• Excellent reliability, timeliness, discretion, and communication skills, with good technology skills.
• Ability to think and write clearly, and to prioritize and shift priorities quickly
• Occasional night time or weekend check-ins, evening or weekend work (compensated with overtime and/or compensatory release time).
• Keeping and managing Head’s schedule and priorities.
• True team mentality, without a need for lots of recognition.
