About Alma

Alma del Mar is a K-8 charter school whose mission is to put every one of our scholars on the path to college and to challenge them to be service-minded leaders. We do this by immersing our scholars in a highly demanding, highly supportive environment where they receive a content–rich education. As an Expeditionary Learning school, Alma brings to life a three dimensional vision of student achievement that includes mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality student work.

We’re located in New Bedford, Massachusetts a beautiful coastal city known for its history as the heart of the whaling industry and as a central hub of the abolitionist movement.

Alma gets results for kids. Alma scholars not only outperform their district peers on MCAS, they often outperform their peers in the surrounding suburbs. In some areas, our scholar achievement now matches some of the highest performing schools in the Commonwealth. We have been nationally recognized for our work with English Language Learners.

The Dean of Operations Role

The Dean of Operations is responsible for all matters of school administration that do not directly relate to instruction or student behavior. They report to the School Principal and the Director of Network Operations. The Dean of Operations coordinates the operational side of running a school in order to relieve the principal of non-instructional obligations so that s/he can focus almost exclusively on student achievement and the professional development of the teaching staff. This position will take on a variety of operational responsibilities from overseeing the development and implementation of the school budget to gathering and analyzing school data to ensuring that the school has sufficient materials to serve its students. The Dean of Operations also supervises a team of operations professionals including an office manager, receptionist, cafeteria staff and plant manager.

At Alma we believe that talent is the most important lever driving student success. We know that we can best serve our scholars by helping you to meet your long-term professional growth and career goals.

Budget & Finance

• Work with the school principal and Director of Network Operations to develop and manage the school’s budget
• Maintain accurate records of all financial transactions and submit them to the network finance team for processing
• Participate in monthly meetings to review/account for budget variances; monitor usage of the school credit card
• Ensure adherence to school’s fiscal policy and procedures; participate in annual financial audit process by providing documentation as needed to auditors
• Manage school purchasing process by placing orders with vendors, tracking delivery and maintaining inventory

School Operations

• Each year, prepare the campus for start-up/new school year by ordering furniture, equipment, and classroom supplies as well as ensuring that school services (i.e., student food services, student transportation services) are lined up and ready for action
• Process new hires
• Manage semi-monthly school payroll
• Manage the tracking and follow up regarding employee benefits and employment background checks
• Manage bus transportation
• With the support of the Director of Network Operations ensure compliance with all state, federal, and local employment laws and policies
• Ensure the maintenance of campus facilities by managing custodial personnel and third party contracts for trash removal, recycling, and security
• Manage the school’s food services by coordinating with service providers and overseeing deliveries
• Manage the school’s supply and asset inventory

School Administration

• Ensure that the school is adhering to all local compliance and reporting requirements, as per calendars and guidelines provided by Director of Network Operations
• Provide oversight of the planning and execution of school special events, such as field work, Family Conferences, Expedition Night and graduation
• Oversee the administration of all student tests
• Disseminate progress reports to school staff and ensure the timely production of student report cards
• Ensure that student records are properly maintained and updated at the school

Management and Leadership

• Directly supervise the other members of the school operations team
• Actively serve on the school’s leadership team, which also includes the school’s principal and deans

Who We’re Looking For

We seek outstanding leaders with the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred, candidates with a high level of applicable professional experience instead of a bachelors degree will be considered
• At least three years of operations management experience in a school or similar environment required
• Experience managing a team to develop and implement systems and processes
• Comfort level with financial oversight and budgetary tracking
• Ability to manage multiple work streams simultaneously
• Strong technology skills, including comfort with Excel or Google Sheets and electronic calendaring (Outlook, Google or similar) and student information systems (like PowerSchool, Dean’s List or similar)
• Humility, resilience, and a hunger to learn and grow
• Personal organization, attention to detail and strategic planning
• Bilingual candidates are highly encouraged to apply, especially those with proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese or Cape Verdean Creole

What You Can Expect

• Weekly meetings with a manager who supports you
• The opportunity to have meaningful impact across a network
• The autonomy to make decisions and do what is best to design the systems that will support the school to work towards high student achievement.
• Friendly, supportive, #almazing colleagues

This is a year-round position with paid vacation time. This position is expected to begin July 1, 2024.

Compensation: Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Multilingual candidates are compensated higher. We offer a comprehensive benefits package.

Alma del Mar is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds and identities are strongly encouraged to apply.