Executive Assistant to the Head of School

The Harley School
Executive Assistant to the Head of School
Position Description
Reports to: Head of School
Principal Responsibilities:
▪ Represent the Head confidentially and discreetly to parents, faculty and staff, trustees, and external
constituencies through written, telephone, electronic, and in-person contact; serve as ambassador
for Harley.
▪ Manage Head’s Office and support Head – arrange meetings and appointments in a fast-paced
environment; answer phones/screen calls/respond to email; edit large, school-wide reports; proof
correspondence; arrange travel; maintain files and school records; organize hospitality for meetings,
update designated web pages.
▪ Board of Trustees Liaison: including preparing and distributing meeting materials, attending
meetings, recording minutes, and maintaining corporate records. Organize and staff (as requested)
New Trustee Orientation, Board Retreat, and Board Social. Provide support for initiatives as
requested. Support the Governance Committee of the Board. Organize all aspects of the Annual
Business Meeting in May. Maintain records including School Bylaws and Policies.
▪ Initiate and manage the creation and publication of the annual School Calendar. Take the lead on
other school-wide publications, including annual Back to School document upload (August) and
major community letters.
▪ Model collaborative problem solving and support in coordination with other departments.
▪ Organize school events including (but not limited to) New Faculty/Staff Orientation, Opening
Faculty/Staff meeting, Welcome Back Social, Opening Day Assembly, Professional Days, Thanksgiving
Assembly, Holiday Party, year-end Faculty-Staff Celebration, all-school faculty/staff meetings.
▪ Support high-level initiatives as needed, including:
▪ Decennial Re-Accreditation and Five-Year Review. Support writing and editing of Self-Study,
organize all aspects of the Visiting Committee visit to the School.
▪ Administrator searches
▪ Strategic Planning
▪ Fundraising campaign activity
▪ Support the School and Business Office in recruitment, hiring, and creation and distribution of
employee assignment sheets.
▪ Coordinate employee recognition program (length of service awards presented annually in
September and thank you gifts to departing employees in June).
▪ Produce and distribute updates to Crisis Plan/School Safety Documents including Emergency Closing
Procedures.
Qualifications:
Human relations role model: pleasant, positive, tactful, resourceful; able to work behind-the-scenes
and stay a step or two ahead of emerging situations; detail-oriented and persistent.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interpersonal relations as well as print and
multi-media publications. Precise with grammar and usage.
Comfortable with technology (proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite
(Calendar, Slides, Sheets, Docs.), and Adobe Creative Cloud (PDF & E-signature, Adobe Sign, Ai, ID,
PS)
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Job Description: Executive Assistant to the Head of School
NAIS offers the following list of common responsibilities and qualifications as guidelines and a starting point for
schools refining job descriptions for critical roles.
Alternate title: assistant to the head of school.
Job Summary
The executive assistant to the head of school provides consistent, confidential, and professional
administrative support for the head of school in order to maintain the well-being of the school and the
broader community. The executive assistant to the head plays an integral role in the day-to-day goings on of
both the faculty and the student body. The ideal candidate will be the first line of communication between
the head of school and the wider community.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
The executive assistant to the head of school will:
● Promote the school’s mission, making it the center of all decisions and actions.
● Support an atmosphere of trust and openness among teachers, students, and parents.
● Organize and review daily priorities for the head of school.
● Schedule, maintain, and confirm the head of school’s appointments and calendar activities.
● Assist the head of school with work and events related to the board of trustees.
● Manage all arrangements for faculty/staff meetings and employee events.
● Record all meeting minutes.
● Review the head of school’s mail and email, and draft responses when necessary.
● Screen the head of school’s phone calls and take messages.
● Prepare the head of school’s memoranda.
● Make travel arrangements for the head of school.
● Manage expenses for the head of school’s budget.
● Provide general clerical duties and administrative support to the school.
● Manage and maintain teaching/administrative supplies and materials.
● Manage all personnel documents.
● Maintain family, faculty, and student databases.
● Prepare the parent directory.
● Prepare and manage the school calendar and other scheduled events.
● Serve on administrative and academic committees.
● Open and deliver the school’s mail.
● Welcome guests.
● Complete occasional errands.
● Coordinate and support extra-curricular and enrichment programs, including field trips and
afterschool programs.
● Assist in planning campus-wide events.
● Arrange for substitute teacher coverage.
● Prepare new-staff and faculty orientation for the start of the school year.
● Compile information as requested, formatting reports, graphs, tables, records, and presentations.
● Assume responsibility for other projects as assigned by the head of school.
Other Duties
[Include any other duties that may be required of the position, such as coaching responsibilities, dorm
duties, advising, or other specific duties. Be sure to include any job duties unique to the position such as
work hours, travel, evening and weekend duties, public appearances, etc.]
5.2.22
Common Qualification Requirements
● Bachelor’s degree
● 5+ years’ prior experience in education or as an executive assistant to a high-level school
administrator or corporate executive
● Outstanding interpersonal skills
● Dedication to a high level of confidentiality
● Exceptionally capable in both written and oral communication
● Excellent organizational skills while still exhibiting a high degree of flexibility
● Technologically savvy
● Proven success at working collaboratively and efficiently on a creative and goal-oriented team
● Able to make quick decisions, take initiative, and prioritize tasks
● Passionate about the mission and vision of the school
● Warm and personable with a good sense of humor and considerable patience
● High-energy and enthusiastic about working in an academic atmosphere
● Familiarity with shorthand a plus