Corte Madera, California
San Pedro, California
New Canaan, Connecticut
Posted: 15-Apr-26
Location: Corte Madera, California
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Title: Front Office Coordinator & Administrative Assistant to the Head’s Office
Reports? ?to?: Director of Head’s Office & Board Relations
Status: Professional Academic-Year Staff (10 month)
Schedule: Exempt - Full Time
Compensation: Commensurate with experience: salary range of $85,000-$100,000
MCDS is an independent, K-8, co-educational school of 600 students. Our mission is to create an inclusive community of learning that inspires curiosity, empathy, and action. Rooted in our values of respect, responsibility, and compassion, we are an intentional community where varied perspectives and life experiences are vital to our collective growth and the strength of our program.
Our Academic & Community Programming: We model teaching excellence through student-centered, differentiated instruction framed around experiential and place-based education. Our 35-acre campus on the hillside of Ring Mountain serves as a living laboratory where students engage directly with environmental sustainability. Our academic program is purposefully scaffolded around three key skill areas—literacy, mathematics, and writing—partnered closely with the developmental milestones and social-emotional needs of our learners.
A Culture of Professional Learning: MCDS is devoted to cultivating an inspiring professional learning environment where adults are engaged in growth throughout the trajectory of their time here. We provide robust funding and time for professional development, encouraging practitioners to seek constant improvement as educators, team members, and community leaders.
The Opportunity
The Front Office Coordinator & Administrative Assistant to the Head’s Office serves as the primary ambassador and operational hub of the MCDS campus. This dual-purpose role is essential to the school’s daily rhythm, requiring a unique blend of high-touch customer service, proactive safety management, and sophisticated administrative support. The person holding this role ensures that every student, parent, and visitor experiences a welcoming and secure environment, while also acting as a trusted, discreet partner to the Head of School’s office.
Key Responsibilities
Front Office Operations & Campus Ambassadorship : As the first point of contact for the school, the Coordinator maintains a professional, organized, and inclusive front-office environment. This goes beyond administrative tasks; it involves managing the complex flow of campus life—from coordinating student attendance and afternoon transportation to maintaining real-time communication with the Safety and Transportation teams. The role acts as a locus for campus management, ensuring information reaches the right people at the right time.
- Instructional Continuity (Substitute Coordination): A critical logistical pillar of this role is the daily management of the school’s substitute teacher program. In close coordination with Divisional leadership, the Front Office Coordinator ensures the seamless continuity of the classroom experience by anticipating absences (such as professional development or outdoor education trips), managing external agency contracts, and guiding substitutes through their daily assignments and lesson plans.
- Health, Safety, and Emergency Response: Serving as the primary backup to the School Nurse and Director of Safety, the Coordinator is trained to pivot instantly from administrative tasks to student care. While not a common occurrence, this would include triaging injuries, administering medications, and maintaining meticulous incident records. Additionally, in partnership with the Welcome Kiosk Attendant, this role monitors campus access and utilizes radio communication to ensure a secure environment for all community members.
- Operational Continuity & Special Projects: The Coordinator ensures the school’s administrative engine never stalls, serving as the designated backup for the Office Manager. Throughout the academic year, the role manages seasonal cycles that ensure the campus is ready for summer work and the return of faculty and students.
Administrative & Privacy Management: As the Administrative Assistant to the Head of School’s Office, this role serves as a trusted partner, communicating with a level of sophistication and calm that reflects the school's standards, building trust with faculty, staff, parents, and trustees while maintaining the firm boundaries necessary for the optimal functioning of the Head’s Office. This position requires an advanced administrative skillset, an intuitive understanding of institutional priorities, and a sophisticated approach to sensitive information.
- Secure Calendar Architecture: Manage the complex and confidential Head of School calendar with precision. This goes beyond scheduling; it requires the ability to structure the Head’s day to protect focused work time and strategic priorities while also ensuring seamless transitions and appropriate access for trustees, faculty, staff, and parents. Every entry is handled with an eye for privacy, ensuring that sensitive meeting titles and participants remain strictly confidential.
- Strategic Information Filtering: Act as the primary professional filter for the Head of School’s office. This person must possess the high-level communication skills necessary to manage incoming requests, diplomatically redirecting inquiries to appropriate departments while ensuring the Head’s time is primarily focused on mission-critical engagements.
- Privacy & Data Integrity: This role ensures that private communications, sensitive documents, and the specific details of the Head’s schedule are protected from unauthorized access or casual observation. Absolute confidentiality must be maintained regarding personnel files, student records, and any board-level details.
- Project Management: In partnership with the Head’s Office, this Administrative Assistant will organize and oversee select events for faculty and staff throughout the school year, as well as assist with special projects as they arise.
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate is a poised, multi-channel communicator who thrives in a sensitive, fast-paced environment. They are equally comfortable managing a high-volume executive calendar, solving a last-minute substitute shortage, or treating a student's scraped knee.. They model the MCDS mission through inclusive practices, a gracious demeanor, and an unwavering commitment to student welfare and the Head of School’s success.
Requirements
- 3+ years experience working in an externally-focused administrative position
- Excellent communication and organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced school environment
- Integrity, trustworthiness, and stewardship of privileged information
- Skilled and deep interest in collaborative work
- Confidently work on various projects, with little to no oversight
- Prior experience working in a school or similar environment preferable but not required
- Commitment to professional growth, inclusion and belonging
- Mid to advanced level in Google suite, comfortable learning new systems and software
- Strong knowledge and hands-on experience with database management
- Comfort and skill with daily contact involving faculty, staff, administrators, children and parents/guardians
- Physical requirements: navigate a multi-story campus, prolonged desk work, occasional lifting up to 20 lbs.
Compensation and Benefits
- The full-time equivalent salary range for this position is $85,000-$100,000, commensurate with experience
- We offer a compensation and benefits package that includes fully paid employee medical, dental, vision, life insurance for employees, employer contributions toward dependent coverage, a generous retirement plan match with retirement planning support, short-term/long-term disability insurance, a flexible spending account, employee assistance program and free lunch
- Additional benefits include professional development opportunities, tuition discounts for employees’ children attending MCDS, and up to four weeks of additional paid support (coordinated with state benefits) when welcoming a new child. Eligibility requirements apply
- In deciding whether to apply for a position at Marin Country Day School, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with the School’s
- The School does not provide employment visa sponsorship. All employees must be authorized to work in the United States as a condition of employment
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to employment@mcds.org.
Marin Country Day School is an Equal Opportunity Employer – we do not discriminate against any employee or job applicant on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, or sex. We welcome applications from people of color and those with experience outside the education field. Please note: MCDS does not sponsor employment visas. Being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.