Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Posted: 04-Jun-26
Location: Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Type: Full Time
Salary: $65,000-$80,000
Categories:
Salary Details:
Required Education:
About Pingry
The Pingry School, a prestigious K-12 coeducational, independent day school with a rich history dating back to its founding by Dr. John F. Pingry in 1861, stands at the forefront of academic excellence in the United States. With campuses located in Basking Ridge, Pottersville, and Short Hills, New Jersey, Pingry is celebrated for its academic programs, a student-written Honor Code that underpins our community values, and a comprehensive commitment to arts, athletics, community, and civic engagement. Our mission is to inspire in our students a lifelong passion for learning, personal development, and social responsibility, preparing them to be global citizens and luminaries of the 21st century. Rooted in relationships and guided by our foundational philosophy, Pingry is a vibrant community of more than 1,200 students hailing from over 90 towns across New Jersey and New York. At Pingry, we are united by a love of learning and a commitment to preparing students to navigate the complexities of the 21st century with confidence and integrity. For more information, we invite you to visit our website at pingry.org or connect with The Pingry School on Facebook, X, and Instagram to discover why we love school.
Position Summary
The Middle School Office Coordinator serves as the strategic administrative partner to the Middle School Director and the primary operational engine of the division. Far more than an office manager, this individual acts as a high-level Executive Assistant who sets the emotional and professional tone for the Middle School office.
This role requires a unique blend of high emotional intelligence and advanced executive functioning. The Coordinator balances the needs of students, parents, and faculty with patience and grace while simultaneously leveraging emerging technologies, modern digital tools, and advanced systems to optimize workflows, automate routine processes, manage complex budgets, and produce executive-level presentations. They are the calm in the center of the storm, ensuring that the division runs with precision, warmth, and a solution-oriented mindset.
The Middle School leadership team is looking for someone who is:
- The Middle School Advocate: You possess a genuine affinity for the middle school years. You find joy in the unique energy of 11-to-14-year-olds and appreciate the humor, curiosity, and rapid growth that define this developmental stage.
- The Faculty Champion: You are a proactive, reliable resource for the faculty. You anticipate their administrative and operational needs, remove friction from their daily routines, and manage logistical hurdles with empathy and speed to help them focus fully on the student experience and teaching.
- The Strategic Partner: You partner closely with the Director to anticipate upcoming needs, using strong executive functioning to manage a complex calendar and discern priorities amidst the fluid, fast-paced demands of the school day.
- The Tech-Forward Innovator: You don't just use tools; you optimize them. You are deeply tech-savvy, naturally curious about modern digital tools, and energized by the challenge of streamlining systems and automating workflows to maximize office efficiency. You are, or will quickly become, a "power user" of our school management systems.
- The Empathetic Gatekeeper: You are the first point of contact for parents and students. You listen with empathy but act with efficiency, solving problems in real-time.
- The Operational Architect: You see the big picture of the school year and can manage large-scale logistics, from budgets to multi-day trips, without losing sight of the details.
Responsibilities
Executive Support & Strategic Leadership
- Calendar & Communication: Provide high-level calendar management for the MS Director; draft and revise correspondence for divisional resources, and serve as a liaison to the administrative team, including the creation of sophisticated Board and Division presentations.
- Strategic Communications & Narrative: Maintain a "big picture" approach to the Middle School calendar; proactively identify key events and achievements to ensure they are communicated through the proper channels (e.g., The Big Blue Bulletin, The Insider, and internal faculty updates) to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged.
- Financial Oversight: Manage and track the Middle School budget; oversee faculty/staff supply procurement and expense reporting.
- Workflow Optimization: Continuously evaluate office systems, integrating AI and new technologies where appropriate to automate routine tasks and increase divisional efficiency.
- Leadership Partnership: Act as a central hub for the Assistant Director of Academics, Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Students, and the Substitute Coordinator to ensure seamless daily coverage and communication.
Student & Faculty Operations
- Field all divisional inquiries and manage the Middle School Director’s correspondence, ensuring timely, professional, and empathetic responses to faculty, parents, and students while maintaining overall office excellence.
- Maximize utilization of the Veracross ecosystem to analyze student enrollment and attendance, support the course scheduling process, and monitor athletic registrations and attendance.
- Monitor student attendance trends; partner closely with school nurses and counselors regarding student well-being and family situations.
- Track progress memos and academic alerts, ensuring the Academic team is informed of student needs in real-time.
- Support the "Welcome to Middle School" initiatives; support the transition for Grade 5 parents and major milestone events like the Form II Retrospective and Project Week.
- Serve as the "Face of the Middle School," greeting all visitors with warmth and professionalism.
- Manage the Middle School substitute process in coordination with the US/MS Sub Coordinator.
- Lead the end-to-end coordination for all MS events, field trips, PSPA, and divisional meetings. This includes managing travel logistics, food/catering coordination, and room set-ups via the Pingry Event Request Form.
- Partner closely with the Facilities and Operations teams to manage all Middle School physical space needs, work orders, and safety protocols.
- Perform other duties as assigned to support the evolving needs of the Middle School division and the wider school community.
QualificationsExperience:
- 5+ years of experience in a high-level Executive Assistant or School Administration role.
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace and Veracross (or similar SIS). Demonstrated ability to use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for content creation, data analysis, and workflow automation.
- Experience in graphic design or presentation software (Canva, PowerPoint) for presentation development and reporting.
- Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage complex, multi-month project timelines.
- High EQ; the ability to handle sensitive, confidential information with absolute discretion and maintain a calm, welcoming demeanor during high-stress periods.
- A deep and genuine love for working with middle school students. You must possess the patience, humor, and energy required to support this specific developmental stage.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; the ability to articulate complex information clearly and warmly to a variety of stakeholders, from nervous students to the Board of Trustees.
- A deep-seated commitment to cultivating a culture of belonging. This includes the ability to design inclusive environments (both in the office and the classroom) that ensure every student feels seen, valued, and capable.
- A deep commitment to Pingry’s Honor Code and the interpersonal skills necessary to work cross-functionally within a diverse, high-achieving, and fast-paced community.
Qualified candidates are invited to apply online at https://www.pingry.org/careers.
