Director of Operations

Job Title: Director of Operations

Division/Department: Administration

Reports to: CFO/COO

Direct Reports: 3-4

Location: Palos Verdes, CA

Type of position/FLSA: Exempt/Salaried   

Salary Band: 12 Month position Other: Occasional evening/weekend work required in support of school events, emergencies, and operational needs

Salary Range: $215,000-$265,000

Position Summary

Chadwick School is accepting applications for a newly created position entitled Director of Operations (DOO). The DOO is an administrative leader responsible for the strategic oversight, coordination, and continuous improvement of essential non-academic operational functions that support the mission, safety, and daily life of the school community. Serving approximately 850 students and 200 employees across a 45-acre campus, including 21 faculty/staff residential housing units, the Director helps ensure that operational services are safe, efficient, compliant, responsive, and aligned with the school's educational priorities and institutional values.

The Director of Operations reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer (CFO/COO) and serves as a member of the school's senior administrative leadership team. The DOO will collaborate with the Business Office, facilities department, department directors, staff, academic leaders, families, consultants, regulatory agencies, vendors, and community stakeholders to maintain a safe and thriving learning environment and to support the school's strategic priorities.

This position is designed as a strategic operational leadership role with increasing responsibility over time. Working in close partnership with the CFO/COO, the Director of Operations will assume progressively broader leadership responsibilities across the school's operational functions as part of the school's long-term leadership succession strategy.

Essential Responsibilities

Campus Safety and Security

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of all campus safety and security operations
• Review, implement, and regularly evaluate comprehensive safety, emergency preparedness, and crisis response plans, and will revise as needed
• Coordinate emergency drills, tabletop exercises, and incident response procedures.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations related to campus safety and emergency management
• Serve as a member of the school's emergency response and crisis management teams.
• Oversee security personnel, visitor management systems, access control systems, and campus surveillance technologies
• Oversee emergency communications systems and protocols, including mass notification platforms and emergency messaging procedures
• Partner with school leadership to promote a culture of safety, preparedness, and situational awareness throughout the community.

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)

• Provide support for the school's environmental health and safety programs and regulatory compliance efforts
• Coordinate compliance activities related to workplace safety requirements and applicable environmental regulations
• Partner with Facilities, Human Resources, Health and Academic Departments to identify, assess, and mitigate environmental and occupational risks
• Support safety training initiatives and maintain appropriate documentation and reporting processes
• Monitor evolving regulatory requirements and recommend operational improvements to maintain compliance and reduce risk exposure

Mail Services

• Direct Liaison with representatives from USPS, FedEx, Amazon, and other services
• Oversee campus mail operations, package management, and distribution systems, revising as needed in conjunction with Facilities and other departments
• Ensure efficient processing and delivery of internal and external mail, parcels, and special deliveries
• Develop procedures to support increasing package volumes associated with residential housing and campus operations

Food Services

• Direct Liaison with onsite school dining service representatives
• Partner with CFO/COO to oversee school dining services and relationships with food service providers
• Monitor operational performance, food quality, customer service, and regulatory compliance in close partnership with dining service representative, facilities department and school leadership
• Partner with dining provider to support student wellness initiatives, dietary accommodations, sustainability goals, and community events.
• Review and manage service contracts, budgets, and operational metrics in partnership with the CFO/COO

Logistics and Campus Operations Support

• Collaborate with the Facilities Director to help coordinate major operational logistics for school events, ceremonies, summer and community programs, and special initiatives
• Develop systems and procedures that improve operational efficiency and service delivery
• Collaborate with facilities, advancement and academic departments to support evolving campus needs

Enterprise Risk Management and Business Continuity

• Partner with the CFO/COO in leading the school's enterprise risk management program
• Support the identification, assessment, and monitoring of strategic, operational, financial, reputational, and compliance risks across the institution
• Support the development and implementation of mitigation strategies and risk reporting processes for the senior leadership team and the Board of Trustees
• Support the CFO/COO in the administration of the school's property, casualty, and commercial insurance programs, including policy renewals, broker relationships, claims management, and annual applications and regulatory filings
• Completes all new and renewal applications, licensing, reports and filings to meet California and Federal guidelines
• Coordinate with Human Resources to determine and manage all required employee safety and training programs
• Support and coordinate the school's business continuity and disaster recovery planning program in partnership with the Head of School, CFO/COO and senior leadership
• Coordinate continuity planning among operational departments and ensure preparedness for disruptions affecting campus operations or educational programs
• Support resilience initiatives that strengthen the school's ability to respond to and recover from emergencies and significant operational disruptions

Conditional Use Permit (CUP)

• Work closely with Head of School, CFO/COO and school leadership to support CUP efforts
• Coordinate operational compliance activities associated with the school's Conditional Use Permit and related LA County and municipal agreements including car counting/reporting and resolving violations
• Review and track permit requirements, operational restrictions, reporting obligations, and renewal timelines
• Collaborate with school leadership, consultants, legal counsel, and local agencies regarding permit-related matters
• Support documentation, community communication, and reporting requirements associated with entitlement obligations

Community and Neighborhood Relations

• Serve as the school's primary operational liaison to the adjacent Homeowners Association and neighborhood stakeholders
• Foster collaborative relationships with neighboring residents and community organizations
• Address concerns related to traffic, parking, events, campus activities, and operational impacts
• Participate in community meetings and represent the school's interests in a professional and collaborative manner
• Support positive long-term relationships between the school and surrounding community

Budgeting and Vendor Management

• Develop and manage departmental operating budgets
• Establish key performance indicators and service standards for operational programs
• Ensure fiscal responsibility while maintaining high-quality service delivery
• Review service agreements and vendor contracts and inform CFO/COO of recommendations

Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervise 3-4 operational staff and contracted service providers as assigned
• Build strong partnerships across all academic and administrative departments
• Provide regular operational reports, analysis and recommendations to the CFO/COO, HOS and other senior leaders, as needed
• Participate in strategic planning, institutional initiatives, and long-range campus projects
• Contribute to leadership discussions regarding operational strategy, risk management, and community engagement
• Professional development: In consultation with the CFO/COO, attend seminars, conferences and workshops to remain current and share best practices
• Complete other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations management, public administration, risk management, education administration, or a related field
• Minimum of seven to ten years of progressively responsible operational leadership experience
• Demonstrated experience managing complex operational systems and multiple service functions simultaneously
• Experience in risk management, emergency preparedness, environmental health and safety, and regulatory compliance
• Strong project management, organizational, and analytical skills
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and relationship management abilities
• Participation in the school's emergency response and incident management program is required
• Collaborative Team Player
• Sense of Humor

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven leader with experience in an independent school, higher education institution, municipality, healthcare organization, or similarly complex organization
• Experience with enterprise risk management and business continuity planning programs
• Leadership role in campus safety and security
• Familiarity with Conditional Use Permit requirements and community relations in educational settings
• Professional certifications in emergency management, risk management, security management, business continuity, environmental health and safety, or operations leadership
• Master's degree in a related field

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Collaboration
• Flexibility
• Operational Excellence
• Crisis and Emergency Management
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Relationship Building
• Communication and Diplomacy
• Regulatory Compliance
• Project Management
• Financial Stewardship
• Problem Solving
• Leadership and Team Development

Physical Requirements

The position requires regular movement throughout a large campus environment, attendance at evening and weekend events as necessary, and participation in emergency response activities during incidents and campus emergencies.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT

• Required to lift and carry up to a maximum of 25 lbs., in a correct manner consistent with the appropriate training provided by the School.
• Occasionally required to use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, touch and use tools, reach with hands and arms, climb stairs, bend, stoop, twist, lift, reach, push, pull, grasp, balance, kneel, crouch, crawl, grasp, talk, hear, and walk during the course of employment.
• Walking and being outdoors for somewhat extended periods of time on a regular basis is part of the job as the school sits on 45 acres of land.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and an ability to adjust focus.
• Will extensively use telephone, computer, copier, and other office equipment in the course of a day.

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.  This may include warm, hot, or cold temperatures.  The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

CLEARANCES

Required Screenings: TB assessment Clearances: Livescan background check

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, and responsibilities that are required of the position.

By submitting an Employment Application, I hereby understand and agree that consistent with its obligations under Education Code Section 44051 subd. (a)(2) and as a part of the application consideration process, Chadwick School will contact each Educational Employer and inquire about your employment history including, without limitation, whether I was the subject of any credible complaints of, substantiated investigations into, or discipline for, egregious misconduct, as defined in Education Code Section 44932, subd. (a)(1).