Head of School Executive Assistant

Job Responsibility: Southridge acknowledges that we teach and learn on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Tsawwassen, and Semiahmoo First Nations. Southridge is a K-12 independent day school located in South Surrey, BC. The school is home to 689 students and 130 faculty and staff. We have a tradition of developing well rounded students with a balance of knowledge and goodness, inspiring students to go out into the world and make a difference. Southridge is affectionately described as ‘a lighthearted place of serious purpose' and we want you to know…it's true! If you're passionate about working in an energizing environment with colleagues that value building strong relationships, fostering strong minds and good hearts through student-centered teaching and learning, and community all while having fun, we want to hear from you!

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

HEAD of SCHOOL EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

We are currently inviting applications for the position of Head of School Executive Assistant. This position will commence as soon as possible.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Support for the Head of School:

• Provides wide range of complex office administration and support to the Head of School
• Develops, implements, and administers Head of School office systems and procedures, guidelines, and operations
• Conserves Head of School's time by reading, researching, and routing correspondence; drafting letters and documents; collecting and analyzing information; initiating and organizing virtual meetings
• Provides historical reference by utilizing filing and retrieval systems
• Records meeting discussions and produces minutes Manages Head of School Office correspondence
• Provides reconciliation support for Head of School's VISA expenses
• Greets Head's visitors
• Answers the phone for the Head of School office, takes messages and follows up to ensure people have been responded to in a timely fashion
• Creates and maintains an annual administrative task catalogue (including a detailed summer task list) for the Head of School Office and responds proactively to tasks and expectations
• Manages the Head of School's calendar including scheduling, rescheduling, and adjusting meetings as needed
• Takes a future forward orientation to calendar oversight and preparation for the Head of School Office and operates at least six weeks beyond the present date
• Organizes travel plans and conference arrangements for the Head of School and occasionally for Senior Management Team members
• Oversees DocTract to ensure the policy update schedule and communication plan is implemented and monitored on an ongoing basis
• Prepares presentation drafts for the Head of School
• Archives files and documents from the Head of School Office in keeping with the School's Records Retention Schedule
• Ensures that journal subscriptions to the Head of School's office are maintained and renewed in a timely manner
• Other tasks assigned by the Head of School

Support for the Board of Governors:

• Attends and records minutes at Board Meetings
• Acts as a resource for the Board Chair by creating agenda templates and formatting the Board meeting minutes
• Prepares the Board meeting room for monthly Board meetings
• Formats and files Board meeting minutes in keeping with the expectations of the Board Secretary and South Surrey Independent School Society's bylaws
• Provides administrative support for chairs of Board committees by scheduling meetings and following up with committee members as necessary
• Maintains the Board portal ensuring that relevant and updated materials are posted for Board meetings and that the calendar is accurate and updated as required
• Supports the coordination of the distribution of Annual General Meeting (AGM) materials to members of the South Surrey Independent School Society in keeping with the bylaws of the Society and the timelines therein
• Writes and sends emails to Board members from the Head of School Office at the direction of the Head of School
• Supports the planning of the Board Social and Board Retreat

Support for the Management Functions of the School:

• Transcribes meeting minutes and files summary document on the shared Google Drive for the Senior Management Team and the Leadership Team for Learning and Students
• Identifies action items from meeting minutes for subsequent meetings, notes them on future agendas and brings them to the Head of School's attention for action when required
• Assists in special projects for the Head of School including, but not limited to, the strategic plan, CAIS accreditation, Ministry of Education and Child Care inspections, various forms of record keeping, the risk registry and other unique projects such as the campus master plan and capital campaign fundraising initiatives
• Aids in meeting preparation by drafting agendas, gathering supporting documentation and communicating in a timely manner with meeting participants (including posting documents to appropriate online sources)
• Provides support to the Assistant Head through calendar management and other ad hoc requests

Leadership of Administrative Functions:

• Leads special projects as determined by the Head of School Office, with management and Board purviews
• Serves as principal administrative contact and liaison with external contacts, typically including government and accrediting agencies
• Assumes a lead role in administrative duties associated with the Summer at Southridge program
• Maintains constituent confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential
• Completes projects by distributing work to colleagues and following up on results
• Leads the coordination of the events and activities during the final week of the school year
• Monitors Ministry of Education and Child Care communication and supports the distribution of relevant information to the directors and principals as required
• Provides leadership and administrative support for CAIS Peer Review Team visits and Ministry of Education and Child Care evaluations
• Maintains all school policies and guideline documents including formatting, managing updates, communicating changes and creating/monitoring annual policy update tracking processes for the Senior Management Team
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies, if applicable

Support for Administrative Functions:

• Maintains manual of Head of School Executive Assistant duties
• Checks the school's website regularly to ensure facilities bookings and school calendar are in congruence
• Updates the Emergency Preparedness Plan, Business Continuity Plan and the Critical Incidence Response Guide annually
• Reviews, assesses and monitors follow up action steps associated with the updates listed above and their associated correspondence
• Provides support for members of Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
• Gathers and analyzes information required for administrative action and reporting to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, the Federation of Independent School (FISA), the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISABC) and the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS)
• Creates, maintains, and communicates the long-range accreditation/evaluation calendar, representing a 10-year horizon
• Coordinates special events, staff socials, full faculty and staff meetings and full school assemblies, by ensuring that hospitality is organized (if required), rooms/spaces are reserved, RSVPs are organized (if necessary) and technical support is coordinated
• Uses multiple technical applications including word processing, database management, spreadsheets, graphics and presentation software, electronic calendar, email, and other applications to support the general administrative functions of the school
• Creates, maintains, and communicates the school's long range academic calendar, representing a 3-year horizon
• Assists with correspondence to the school community
• Supports evacuation procedures for fire, earthquake, and lockdowns
• Adds all Staff Birthdays to the Head and Assistant Head of Schools Calendars
• Prepares Staff Birthday cards for Head of School
• Other duties assigned by the Head of School

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS and EXPERIENCE:

• Specific training and qualifications (preferably an undergraduate degree) in communications or a similar field of study
• Excellent events planning and management skills
• At least five years of experience as an executive assistant
• Approachable and professional manner
• Recognized and proven leadership skills
• Ability to work effectively with a team of very committed professionals
• Exemplary organizational skills with attention to detail being recognized as a strength
• High level of accuracy and efficiency in all areas of responsibility
• Capacity to manage multiple tasks and a high volume of work
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills
• Motivated by the demands of a busy and fast-paced workplace environment
• Self-directed with demonstrated and documented examples of superior intuition and judgement
• Ability to function as a collaborative member of team
• Excellent word processing skills
• Superior computer/technology skills throughout the Microsoft suite
• Superior Google Suite skills
• Experience as an employee in an independent school environment will be considered a very strong asset
• Specific training in and qualifications from a recognized executive assistant training program will be considered an asset

Values:

The ideal candidate will be aligned with the values and mission of Southridge, will want to be an active member of a vibrant school community, and will demonstrate a desire to make a difference in the world. They will be someone who:

• Is a lifelong learner
• Has excellent study, critical thinking, and communication skills
• Is a creative and independent thinker
• Has a positive attitude
• Seeks their passion
• Believes in the value of trust, tolerance, compassion, and respect
• Understands the sacrifice and reward of community service
• Has an appreciation of, and a desire for, lifelong physical activity and fitness
• Commits to personal wellness
• Appreciates the arts and their contribution to a richer life
• Can work effectively as part of a team

Southridge offers a competitive annual salary range of $75,000. to $85,000. In addition, we have a comprehensive benefits package, a generous RRSP matching program, access to health and wellness activities including generous support for professional learning and development. Preferred candidates will be required to complete a satisfactory Criminal Records Check. For more details visit our career page.

As a 1.0 FTE this position qualities for our flexible remote workplace policy during non-instructional periods.

Southridge School is committed to fostering an environment of inclusion, equity and belonging to support an increasingly diverse community, and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. To apply for this position, please visit our 'How to Apply' page for step-by-step instructions on submitting an application through our online system. This posting will remain open until filled.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those under consideration will be contacted.