Office Manager/ Administrative Coordinator/ Administrative Assistant (Berkeley, California)
Walden Center and SchoolWalden Center and School is looking for a talented administrative coordinator to join our collective in the fall of 2024. If you have a vision of building a close-knit community, of working with kids, parents, and a small committed team of educators, this may be the engaging, invigorating, satisfying job you are looking for.
Walden Center and School has been a leader in progressive elementary education and collective administration for over 65 years. We are an independent K-6 school where drama, music, language, and art sit alongside traditional academic subjects as our core curriculum. At Walden, we believe that children learn best when their academic, emotional, physical, and social needs are addressed, and families are an integral part of our community. Teachers take an individualized approach in designing their curricula in order to meet each child where they are developmentally. Also, the teachers and administrative staff run the school as a collective, which provides workers with autonomy and the right and responsibility to make decisions that affect both their own positions and the whole school. We are passionate about working with the diversity of our current community and strive to support an environment that feels inclusive and intentional.
Our approach to learning encourages creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking as ameans to help children develop a lifelong love of learning, a strong sense of community, and a powerful sense of self. We believe learning should be personalized, child-centered, and joyful.
Job Description
The Administrative Coordinator oversees all aspects of office management at Walden and works collaboratively with the other collective members to run the school. An essential part of this position is interacting with students and adults on a daily basis, as the office is the hub of our small school. The administrative coordinator provides practical support for teachers, students, and parents. Some specific tasks are:
- Maintaining the office equipment
- Managing and tracking parenting adult work commitment assignments
- Purchasing office & cleaning supplies and materials for the teachers
- Organizing office and cleaning materials
- Maintaining common areas cleanliness
- Create and maintain organizational systems using Google Suites/Workplace
- Provide logistical support to event planning
- Direct liaison to outside organizations and contractors
- Recruits, schedules and manages parent volunteers who staff the office
- Additional duties as they arise to maintain the functionality of the school
Collective Administrative duties:
At Walden, there is no “principal” of the school. We operate as a collective, meaning that the teachers and administrative staff are solely responsible for all matters pertaining to the school’s day-to-day operation and leadership functions. In this non-hierarchical structure, all teachers and administrators play an equal role in the running of the school, and decisions are made on a consensus model.
For your first two years, your duties as a member of the collective will include the following:
- Actively participating in weekly staff meetings
- Participating in the planning and executing of school events, including community-wide events and assemblies
- Collaborating to ensure the smooth operation of the school, which might include coordinating schedules, making admissions decisions, and communicating with other stakeholders
- Implementing and managing school policies and procedures, helping to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment
- Participating in at least two school committees
- Supporting other administrative needs as they arise
- Meeting with a mentor once a week
- Supervising students when assigned duty
- Collaborating with Collective members in consensus building process
- Problem-solving classroom and administrative issues
- Reading and responding to emails regarding school business in a timely manner
- Attending and participating in school events
- Reflecting on and supporting the school’s vision and mission
- Supporting ongoing school business after hours and on weekends as needed
- Supporting administrative goals generated in the meeting by taking on tasks
- Commitment to participate in collectively administering the school using a consensus model
- Summer Duties: admissions support, ongoing committee projects, and other tasks; meets when needed.
Typically, in your third year at Walden, your duties will increase as you become a core collective member
- Additional time with the other core collective members for sensitive and pressing issues
- Leadership positions on school committees
- Evaluating, mentoring, and managing fellow employees
- Ultimate responsibility for community-wide issues, complaints, problems
- Managing the recruitment and hiring of new staff
Qualifications and skills:
- Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent)
- 3+ years experience as a school office manager
- Knowledge of child development
- Robust management and organizational skills
- Ability to adapt to ongoing interruptions
- Familiarity with social-emotional learning
- Excellent communication skills
- Flexibility
- Proficiency in Google Suite/Workplace
Compensation:
- This job is three half days, and two full days (M-F) on site
- Salary: $57,685.29
- Benefits include Health, Vision, Dental, Retirement contribution, 7 PTO days
For more information about Walden, see our website: www.waldencenterschool.org.
Please send a resume and cover letter addressing your skill set and experience in an elementary school setting to hiring@waldencenterschool.org and add “Administrative Coordinator Hiring” to the subject line.