Operations Associate (Meridian PCS)

ABOUT MERIDIAN PCS:
Meridian is a PreK-8th grade school located in Washington DC’s vibrant U Street Corridor. Our mission is to inspire a passion for learning in our students and to help them build their self-confidence and self-respect through academic achievement.

Our 650+ students are a diverse mix of African-American, Latino, Asian, African, and White students. Almost 30% of our students are English language learners, and we have one of the largest Hispanic populations in DC charter schools. We are committed to building a community of teachers and staff who reflect the rich diversity of our student body.

Meridian is committed to serving families from our local communities; and one-third of our students live within a half mile of the school. The U Street Corridor was once the heart of black culture in DC and offers a tangible historical archive for our students, and Columbia Heights is one of the most racially and economically diverse neighborhoods in the District. We are also proud of the fact that Meridian is a school of choice for parents— all eight wards of the city are represented among our student population.

Meridian’s strengths include two beautiful and historic campuses, with nearby outdoor and recreational grounds; state of the art technology for students and teachers; updated and aligned curricula; an academic program laser-focused on student growth, achievement, and social-emotional development; extensive professional development and support for teachers and leaders; and a school culture grounded in student achievement, collaboration, and student-centered learning.

Join us as we continue to take Meridian from good to great! For additional information about Meridian visit mpcs-dc.org.

ABOUT THE POSITION:
The Operations Associate is a key member of the Meridian’s Operations Team. This role maintains the front desk office and interfaces regularly with Meridian PCS leadership and stakeholders to provide communication and coordination to ensure that our students and our community are provided with the highest quality day-to-day support. This role has additional responsibilities in supporting the Operations Department. The Operations Associate will report to the Manager of Operations. Meridian is looking for an Operations Associate to start in May 2022 in preparation for SY 2022-2023.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Office Management and School Operations Support
- Welcome and assist all visitors and members of the Meridian PCS community who call or come to the front desk for support
- Set the tone for the school's warm and professional culture
- Manage the incoming and outgoing calls for school
- Create and maintain the staff directory for both campuses
- Create and maintain classroom assignments at the Elementary School campus
- Coordinate and communicate with families, students, staff, partners (i.e. school nurse, contractors, security, etc.), and visitors as needed
- Ensure deliveries made to the school are tracked and distributed to the appropriate receiver or location in the school
- Oversee clerical tasks, such as sorting and sending mail
- Ensure the school's front desk environment is at all times clean, neat, organized and orderly
- Collect student forms/records from families and ensure they are delivered to the correct departments
- Ability to enter and maintain items inside of Powerschool as needed for student records and/or attendance matters
- Manage logistics, planning, and communication for school-wide events
- Coordinate with school leaders and manage logistics on class specific events, including field trips and promotion ceremonies
- Support with planning for emergency drills and staff emergency preparedness
- Receive supply request from staff located at the Elementary School campus and distribute supplies as needed
- Manage and maintain the supply closet at the Elementary School campus
- Maintain certification and stay up to date on training in order to administer medication appropriately if the school nurse is not available
- Provide support to Out of School Time transitions such as (provide front desk coverage from 3:45pm-4:15pm and/or provide support to the late pick-up room from 3:45pm-4:15pm)
- Perform additional duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:
Successful candidates must possess the following:

Required Education and Experience
- Associate’s degree preferred by not required and/or
- Minimum of three years of experience working in a similar school-based role or non-profit organization in Operations/Business Administration or Finance
- Must be able to work with confidential information
- Bilingual in Spanish (speaking/writing) is preferred

Required Core Competencies
- Excellent communication skills, and the ability to communicate persuasively in positive and negative situations
- Capacity to accept feedback from others, make decisions, and exhibit sound and accurate judgment
- Ability to work independently and with others in a team approach

Desired Attributes
- Exceptional communication skills and ability to quickly build rapport and foster positive relationships
- Must be highly collaborative, recognizing the role of teamwork in solving complex problems
- Ability to relentlessly pursue goals and work through obstacles. A high degree of initiative in resolving problems and implementing solutions in a fast-paced environment.
- Work comfortably with people from diverse backgrounds
- Excellent organizational skills and timely completion of tasks
- Solid writing skills
- Knowledge and experience using Windows, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Applications including Word, PowerPoint, and Google Documents
- Math Aptitude: Comfort with numbers and accounts payable
- Conscientiousness: Understanding that everything going out the door matters to the customer; striving for excellence
- Customer Orientation: Good customer service skills with internal and external customers, attention to detail
- Dedication: Being persistent, punctual and dependable, with a positive, can do attitude
- Sense of Urgency: Understanding the urgency of situations and address matters promptly
- Flexibility/Adaptability: Open to change and to considerable variety in the workplace
- Honesty: Trustworthiness with company resources and information

Physical Demands of the Position
These physical characteristics are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job safely. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Mobility sufficient to move about, stand, and/or sit for extended periods, and access all locations in the work environment
- Manual skill to appropriately control and manipulate objects, tools, materials, and equipment used on the job, including a telephone and a computer
- Flexibility and strength to reach with hands and arms, bend and stoop
- Ability occasionally to lift and or move up to 50 pounds
- Ability to hear and understand speech at normal room levels, and to hear and understand speech on the telephone
- Ability to speak clearly in audible tones so that others may understand
- Specific vision abilities required by this job includes close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus and peripheral vision
- Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19
- Required work hours: 7:45am-4:15pm with a 30 minute lunch break

HOW TO APPLY:
Do you believe that every child deserves the right to a high quality education? Do you want to prepare students for unlimited global opportunities? Apply today! Click below to join us as an Operations Associate.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

In accordance with Mayor's Order 2021-109, Meridian Public Charter School requires all staff to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or obtain an approval for exemption due to medical or religious reasons.

Meridian Public Charter School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The School’s EEO policy prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Meridian PCS prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and will reasonably accommodate applicants with a disability, upon request, and will also ensure reasonable accommodation for employees with a disability. Under this policy, equal employment opportunity is required in recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, termination, compensation, benefits, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment as required by applicable law.