Operations Manager 26-27 SY

Étoile Academy Charter School, an independent K-8th grade charter school in Houston, is seeking an ambitious, smart, and high-capacity individual to join our team. Étoile Academy is founded on the belief that all students can learn and achieve at high levels when held to the highest expectations— regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, zip code, or home language. We will ensure that every student in grades K through 8 has the academic and character foundation necessary to succeed in high school, graduate from college, and pursue ambitious life goals. 

School Operations Manager

The School Operations Manager plays a critical role in overseeing the daily operational functions of the school, ensuring efficient and smooth processes in various areas, including student safety, logistics, attendance, enrollment, and compliance. This position works closely with school leadership and staff to maintain an organized, compliant, safe learning environment.

School Operations Leadership:

• Supervise the School Operations Associate and other operations staff (Office Manager, Facilities Manager, Office Assistant), including goal setting, coaching, and regular feedback.
• Lead and coordinate daily school operations, ensuring that the building is open and ready by 6:50 am daily and that alarms are disarmed properly.
• Oversee systems for school safety, including working with fire alarms, fire department, and fire marshal to ensure compliance and operational readiness.
• Lead the creation and implementation of safety protocols, ensuring all emergency drills and procedures are documented and compliant with local regulations.
• Manage the school’s calendar, ensuring updates are made regularly and shared with the school leader and key stakeholders.

Procurement & Financial Management:

• Works with the Business Manager for purchasing processes, including submitting request to the Business Manager for purchase orders, managing invoices, and coordinating payments with the Business Manager for school services and supplies.
• Work with the Business Manager and Director of Operations to ensure purchase orders, timesheets, and invoice data entry are accurate.
• Monitor and track the purchase of supplies and materials for the school, including technology and teaching resources, and handle inventory management.
• Code invoices, collect payments for various school activities (e.g., trips, clubs), and prepare deposits with proper documentation processes.

Student & Parent Services:

• Coordinate student transportation logistics, including printing and filing of completed bus rosters & student behavior reports, and supporting parents to ensure families connect with the transportation provider for updates or changes in transportation.
• Implement and manage the arrival and dismissal procedures (car flow, bus lineup, and walkers) to ensure safe and efficient transitions.
• Lead efforts in student recruitment, providing parent tours, supporting enrollment activities, and working closely with the Student Recruitment & Enrollment team.
• Manage the school’s social media presence, including updating posts and ensuring effective communication with the school community.
• Sending communication to families via DeansList as needed.

Child Nutrition & Student Services:

• Oversee Child Nutrition operations, including managing meal card replacements, submitting meal counts, and compliance with the National School Lunch Program.
• Work closely with the Cafeteria team and the Director of Operations to ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly.
• Ensure proper documentation and compliance for food services, janitorial services, and other vendor-managed services.
• Building strong relationships with student service providers and collaborating to troubleshoot pain points as needed.

Attendance Support & Management:

• Support daily attendance tracking by supporting PEIMS in identifying when lead teachers are absent.
• As needed, support with making parent phone calls to follow up on student absences and support the school’s attendance improvement initiatives.
• Coordinate with the administrative team and substitutes to ensure all attendance-related procedures are followed and documented properly.
• Assist with managing student tardies and early dismissals, ensuring that all attendance records are accurate and up-to-date.
• Work with the school leader and support staff to identify and address attendance-related issues and trends.

Technology & Facilities Management:

• Manage student and staff technology, including Chromebooks, ensuring that technology is functional and supports educational needs.
• Collaborate with IT contractors to ensure the school's technology infrastructure is operational and up-to-date.
• Ensure the school building meets cleanliness and safety standards, managing facilities and materials requests.
• Oversee school events logistics, including field trips, parent meetings, and other community engagement activities, ensuring smooth operations from booking transportation to coordinating meal needs.

Professional Development & Staff Support:

• Co-lead professional development sessions focused on school operations, including technology use, inventory management, and general school policies and procedures.
• Provide training to teachers on operational aspects such as alarm use, safety procedures, and other systems to ensure smooth school operations.

We look for team members who embody our REACH values. This includes the characteristics below. 

• Open to sharing and implementing feedback with reverence and professionalism for the work (Respect).
• Authentic care for student results and effective teaching (Excellence). 
• Setting a higher bar for yourself and others each day (Ambition).
• Honest contribution and collaboration to the community (Community).
• Do what is needed to achieve results (Hard Work).
• Believes in education as a profession and holds oneself to a high level of conduct and professionalism
• Sense of humility, customer service mindset, urgency, and the ability to proactively solve problems and make decisions quickly.
• Ability to be calm under pressure, especially in difficult conversations with parents and staff

Qualifications

• Fluency in English and Spanish preferred  
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with a diverse staff
• Alignment with the school's mission to ensure that every student in grades K through 8 has the academic and character foundation necessary to succeed in high school, graduate from college, and pursue ambitious life goals.
• Demonstrated application of Étoile Academy’s core values: Respect, Excellence, Ambition, Community, and Hard work.

Étoile Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact HR at 713.265.8657.