Administrative Assistant Job Opening

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Administrative Assistant

Open Position:Administrative AssistantDirect Reports: N/A

Reporting To: Admin. Asst. to Head of School/HOSFT/PT:Full-Time, Year-Round

When Needed:2013-14 School YearFLSA Status:Non-Exempt

St. Thomas School is seeking a full-time Administrative Assistant. The Administrative Assistantis responsible for managing the reception desk in the main office and for providing back-up and support to the other Administrative Assistants. The position requires the capacity to manage multiple responsibilities in a calm, professional manner. Timeliness and responsiveness are central to carrying out position responsibilities. If that sounds like you, we’d like to hear from you! Salary is competitive with public and independent schools. STS offers an excellent benefits package, opportunities for professional development, and an extraordinary work environment.

Who We Are:

St. Thomas School, a non-sectarian, Preschool through Eighth Grade school, is one of the oldest independent schools on the east side of Lake Washington. St. Thomas School’s educational journey is defined by a cognitively rigorous program with an emphasis on developing character, leadership, and a passion for learning and achievement. Our mission is to develop responsible citizens of a global society. STS is a recognized leader in developing the whole student. Our core values include gratitude, responsibility, respect, courage, integrity, tolerance, compassion, perseverance, and generosity. STS serves over 300 students and boasts a 55,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold certified campus.

Job Summary:

Under general supervision, serves as the primary contact greeting anyone coming into the school, answering phone calls, and acting as the school office liaison to parents and visitors. Always strives to make a great first impression and provide excellent customer service, a welcoming presence, and quick, friendly responses in person, on the phone, and via email.

Specific Responsibilities:

  • Authorizes entrance and egress of school grounds
  • Serves as primary contact for walk-ins as well as for entire school including all personnel (directs calls, greets visitors, offers coffee/water, )
  • Maintains student and parent information in the administrative database, accepts updates, exports and compiles different reports and data for administrators, faculty, and staff
  • Attends to children in Health Room, serving as primary contact for parents and students relating to all health concerns/allergies/medications
  • Coordinates STS space usage and facilities use forms, communicates with committees as needed for events, ensures internal and external calendars are up to date and works with parent volunteers on communicating events to the internal and external communities
  • Assists in the collection and distribution of documents, fees, Parent Association (PA) business, teacher/parent correspondence, event and auction-related items; accepts cash, checks and donation-related payments, following established cash receipts procedures
  • Works with IT and Sr. Administration to maintain updated medical and allergy forms, and immunization paperwork current and filed accordingly for each school year
  • Facilitates sign-in procedures, ID tag creation, and assists in implementing general safety procedures and security regarding access to the school

Specific Responsibilities (cont’d):

  • Maintains accurate daily attendance records, produces attendance reports as necessary, works with faculty to get their attendance submitted, and contacts parents/guardians regarding attendance matters (student absences, concerns about late arrivals, etc.)
  • Works with IT to roll over the student database each summer: creates school calendar; allowing for accurate attendance reporting and correct trimester reporting; assigns all students to every teacher for every class throughout each day, creates homeroom designations, creates electronic schedules, and creates Course and Section ID’s and names
  • Serves as the liaison with the school’s lunch program provider
  • Coordinates dismissal plans for parents and students and ensures current emergency contact information is updated in the database as reflected by the parents for pick-up procedures; communicates any changes to teachers and extended day instructors
  • Handles daily requests from administrators, faculty, parents, vendors, potential families, and students about various matters that come in via phone, email, mail, or in-person
  • Assists in ensuring all pertinent forms and procedures, and any other updates are published and available on the parent and faculty/staff website
  • Supports placement of orders and other purchases and check requests for the main office and school supplies, ensuring proper documentation and budget codes are used; works with the Business Office to coordinate documentation of received orders
  • Works with PA Committee members to maintain and organize the Lost and Found collection and Uniform Closet
  • Creates, prints, and distributes the school roster and parent directory each summer
  • Receives deliveries, processes incoming and outgoing mail
  • Monitors and organizes clean-up in regard to staff lounge, shared workrooms, lunch spaces, general areas and hallways, conference rooms, and the coffee/tea bar
  • Vigorously engages in his/her own professional development
  • Establishes and cultivates community relations by maintaining open and candid dialogue with all of the school’s constituencies
  • Is familiar with, and complies with, all policies and regulations as put forth in the school’s documents
  • Since safety and security are everyone’s responsibility, takes all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, faculty, staff, equipment, materials and facilities
  • Performs other duties as assigned

Required Education, Training & Experience:

  • High School Diploma or GED required
  • Associates degree or Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year college or university preferred
  • 2-3 years’ of experience working in an office environment with a focus on customer service
  • Experience with school focused technology is a plus: Senior Systems Advantage, FinalSite, PickATime, SchoolMessenger
  • Current CPR and First Aid certification

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

  • Excellent customer service skills
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Proficient at working in a Microsoft Windows environment (Windows 7 or higher), using Office (version 2010 or higher), including Outlook; ability to master common automated systems for record keeping, and confidently learn new technology
  • Excellent Outlook calendaring and time-management skills
  • Excellent professional (in person, email, phone, letter) etiquette
  • Ability to maintain confidential information and professional relationships
  • Skilled at working with multiple phone lines
  • Ability to work with a data management system (DMS - Senior Systems preferred)
  • Website editing skills (Finalsite preferred)
  • Ability to work and communicate well with all levels of administration, faculty, staff, students, parents, and outside vendors; comfortable in being the first person to interact with visitors
  • Ability to multi-task and adapt in a busy and open-office environment
  • Ability to sit and keyboard, talk on the phone up to 8 hours per day
  • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds (e.g., cases of water, paper, and office supplies)
  • Some outdoor work may be required
  • Ability to evolve in the role as the school grows and changes

If this sounds like you, please submit an application for employment (available on the STS website), your résumé, and a cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position via email to or by mail to St. Thomas School, Attention: Careers, 8300 NE 12th Street, Medina WA, 98039. Thank you for your interest in St. Thomas School.

The position is open until filled. No phone calls please.

St. Thomas School – 6/18/2013 3:32 PM

This description is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements.