Operations Associate

Marion P. Thomas Charter School Inc.; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Parental leave

Pension eligibility

Professional development

Bonus

Job summary

Marion P. Thomas Charter School in Newark seeks an experienced operations leader to own the daily school logistics, master calendar, testing windows, and safety compliance.

You will coordinate lunch duty, enrollment, attendance, and transportation for trips, while guiding staff and fostering a culture of equity and excellence. This role reports to the Principal and collaborates with the Office Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Strong sense of personal accountability and ownership of outcomes.
• Strategic thinking and strong problem-solving skills.
• Willing to own all operations from lunch duty to testing with precision and care.

Responsibilities

• Manage the school-wide calendar, including key events, testing windows, and deadlines.
• Co-leading student experiences such as spirit days, assemblies, and convocations.
• Overseeing school facilities with custodial/maintenance teams for safety and readiness.
• Managing daily lunch duty coverage and cafeteria flow.
• Overseeing CHE processes with the Office Manager.
• Creating and maintaining a strategic school schedule and coverage plans.
• Designing arrival/dismissal procedures to ensure efficiency and safety.
• Planning and executing student trips including logistics and transportation.
• Leading new staff onboarding related to operational systems.
• Coordinating testing logistics (state, interim, internal).
• Managing enrollment and attendance compliance documentation.
• Monitoring attendance data and partnering with counselors.
• Co-supporting Culture & Climate initiatives with the Principal.
• Coordinating emergency drills and safety protocols.
• Responding to parent concerns about operations and logistics.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Problem solving

Ownership

People management

Systems thinking

Project management

Staff supervision

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Calendar management

Job description

MISSION:

The mission of Marion P. Thomas Charter School is to build culturally rich, transformative educational spaces that cultivate successful, lifelong innovators who use their passions, character, and intellect to better themselves, the greater Newark community, and the world beyond.

WHO YOU ARE:

You are a dynamic, detail-obsessed leader who thrives in a fast-paced school environment and loves bringing order to chaos. You believe that smooth operations make excellent teaching and learning possible—and you're ready to own that mission. You’re a systems-thinker, a builder of strong school culture, and a people-first manager who inspires excellence in every team you lead. You bring operational excellence to everything you touch, from creating the daily schedule and running tight arrival/dismissal systems to ensuring lunch duty, trips, and spirit days go off without a hitch. You know how to lead from the front, whether you’re guiding climate and culture initiatives, ensuring building cleanliness and safety, or co-leading key events like student convocations and testing days. You're equally comfortable managing the behind-the-scenes logistics (like enrollment, attendance compliance, and HIB documentation) as you are leading custodians, security guards, and clerical staff to deliver at a high level.

Do you have what it takes?

• Education and Experience:
  • A Bachelor's degree (required); a Master’s degree (preferred).
  • A deep sense of personal accountability and a drive to foster that same mindset in others. You take ownership, not just of tasks—but of outcomes.
  • Strategic thinking and strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to proactively identify challenges and implement smart, scalable solutions.
  • An eagerness to "own" all of MPTCS’ operations, ensuring that every system, from lunch duty to testing, is executed with precision and care.

THE ROLE:

• Managing the school-wide calendar, including key events, testing windows, and deadlines.
• Co-leading student experiences such as spirit days, assemblies, and convocations.
• Overseeing school facilities in coordination with custodial and maintenance teams to ensure safety, cleanliness, and readiness.
• Managing daily lunch duty coverage, including supervision assignments and cafeteria flow.
• Overseeing CHE processes via coordination with the Office Manager.
• Creating and maintaining a strategic and functional school schedule (including coverage and coverage adjustments).
• Designing and managing arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure efficiency and student safety.
• Planning and executing all student trips, including logistics, chaperones, and transportation.
• Leading new staff onboarding related to operational systems and expectations.
• Coordinating school-based testing logistics (state, interim, and internal assessments).
• Managing supplemental time systems and ensuring accurate documentation.
• Leading enrollment and registration processes and ensuring the school is fully enrolled.
• Monitoring and analyzing attendance data for compliance and trends; collaborating with attendance counselors.
• Co-supporting Culture & Climate (C&C) initiatives in collaboration with the Principal.
• Managing documentation and follow-up for HIB reports and student suspensions.
• Coordinating emergency preparedness, including all required drills and safety protocols.
• Responding to and resolving parent concerns related to operations, safety, or logistics.
• Administering student survey s and ensuring strong participation rates.
• Ensuring hallway and common area bulletin boards are current, engaging, and aligned with school culture.
• Managing technology deployment, tracking, and inventory, including devices for students and staff, in collaboration with the IT team.
• Other duties, as assigned by the Principal

• Salary range: $65,000-$75,000
• Term of Employment: 12 months
• Union: Unaffiliated

Are You Ready To Join The Village?

Here’s what you can expect-

• The opportunity to join an experienced, diverse, and mission-driven team that is passionate about educational equity
• Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, and Life Insurance policies
• Family Focus: Parental/Family leave so you can care for your loved ones
• Pension: Eligibility for participation in the state pension plan
• Learning & Development: A culture that encourages and promotes professional growth and development
• Bonus – We do our best work to succeed together. When goals are reached and if eligible, you'll be rewarded.

Marion P. Thomas Charter School provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.