School Operations Associate (Tatu International School) 

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Company Details
Industry: Education Management
Description: Nova Pioneer Education Group is a Pan-African independent school network offering preschool through secondary education for students from ages 3 through 19. We prepare the next generation of leaders and innovators through world-class teaching methods with an emphasis on 21st century skills. We established Nova Pioneer because we believe education should prepare young people to create their future, not just work in it. Nova Pioneer is a launchpad where ambitious young Africans can begin to shape a better future for the continent and the world. We began by asking ourselves the question, "What capabilities will young people need to succeed in and shape the future that they will encounter, and what approaches to education will best develop those capabilities?” All of our founders have extensive backgrounds in education at top institutions across the globe, having studied at universities such as Harvard and Stanford and led education programs for McKinsey and Co., the African Leadership Academy, and top school networks in the US (Excel Academies). Yet at Nova Pioneer we believe that you never stop learning. So we visited and studied leading schools spanning from Singapore to Peru, and the United States to the United Kingdom. We connected with leaders of the cutting-edge education research, and leading thinkers on 21st Century Learning such as Sir Ken Robinson and teachers and atelieristas from Reggio Emilia, the leading global early education model, to name a few. We launched our first school in South Africa in 2014, with the aim of incorporating the best education models in the world, while keeping it as affordable as possible. We’ve since expanded within South Africa, and to Kenya as well - with our first Kenyan school launching in 2015. In all of our schools, we bring in and train top educators to deliver educational excellence in an environment that nurtures our students to uncover their potential and blaze trails in the world beyond our school walls.
Job Description

ABOUT THE ROLE

 

The School Operations Associate is responsible for assisting/directing the planning, development and implementation of duties and projects related to School Academic Systems, Sports Activities, Transport, Meal Services, Educational Technology, Library, IT Services, Facilities Management, Procurement and Finance and Administration.

 

Promoting Nova's Values and Beliefs

 

Fully embrace Nova’s values and beliefs.

 

Promote Nova's values and beliefs to students, staff, other faculty, parents, and members of the outside community.

 

Key responsibilities for the role include:

 

Day-to-Day Operations

 

Drive operational excellence in daily school operations.

 

Ensure smooth campus operations, including evening, weekend, and holiday activities.

 

Liaise with school leadership, academic team, and operations team for seamless operations.

 

Support various aspects of school operations (Library, Student Support Services, Kitchen operations, Sports Activities, etc.).

 

Plan, assign, and direct contract/casual staff, including cleaning and security.

 

Appraise staff performance, recommend any rewards and discipline steps for contract/casual staff, and address complaints and resolve problems.

 

Project Implementation

 

Assist with the implementation of initiatives by the Operations team.

 

Support project execution related to school goals, including renovation, construction, new policies/systems, etc.

 

Space Allocation & Management

 

Lead allocation and management of school spaces/facilities.

 

Ensure stakeholders are informed of any changes or issues in good time.

 

Secure and prepare spaces/equipment/facilities for school events at least 7 days prior.

 

Uniform Management

 

Act as a point person between Procurement and school leaders for uniform changes.

 

Support the execution of new uniform designs.

 

Ensure updated uniform brochures are available for parents and included in parent newsletters.

 

Health, Safety, and Compliance

 

Contribute actively to the success of the school's Health & Safety Committee.

 

Ensure compliance with all national and county government regulations (permits, licenses, certificates, etc).

 

Maintain well-filed and accessible school registration documents.

 

Conduct daily facilities and spaces walkthroughs, providing daily reports with photos.

 

Conduct weekly and bi-weekly facilities and infrastructure walkthroughs, providing detailed reports.

 

Ensure timely identification and actioning of all repair and maintenance needs, while providing regular updates to stakeholders.

 

Complete and communicate the safety drill calendar and procedures, document drill reports, and implement feedback.

 

Assets and Resource Management

 

Maintain the school asset register and ensure monthly reviews by the School Leader..

 

Manage school assets through their life cycle, from acquisition to disposal.

 

Sensitise teammates and students on responsible resource use, e.g. water and electricity. 

 

Address teammate needs (repair of furniture, fittings, restrooms) within 48 hours, closing out issues within 5 days.

 

Financial Management

 

Track the school's OPEX budgets and expenditures, ensuring compliance and maximising savings.

 

Serve as the school’s Procurement Launch point person, preparing the budget, leading procurement in liaison with the Procurement team, receiving and tracking deliveries, attending relevant meetings, and providing regular updates.

 

Receive, review, and store Procurement Launch & mid-year supplies and deliveries.

 

Prepare resource-efficient budgets for major school events (Big Events), obtain approvals, and share post-event reports.

 

Prepare annual special billing revenues budgets and lead post-reviews.

 

Liaise with the Dean of Students/Associate Dean of Students and vendors for the timely processing of invoices and payments.

 

Share Purchase Requests (PRs) with the School Leader twice a week, ensuring clear item narration and timely PR processing.

 

Maintain positive relations with vendors, consultants, and suppliers, ensuring good communication and customer experience.

 

Leadership and Professionalism

 

Maintain professional grooming and dress code, modelling high expectations.

 

Volunteer for tasks, displaying courtesy, friendliness, and respect to stakeholders.

 

Bring a solutions-driven mindset to all engagements.

 

Project warmth, positivity, and optimism in interactions.

 

Respond to written communication within 24 hours.

 

Ensure meeting preparedness by diarising meetings, arriving early, providing updates, meeting timelines, and contributing thoughtful input.

 

Collect, analyse, and present data at least three times a term for data-driven planning.

 

Prepare timely, concise, and accurate written communication.

 

Take responsibility for tasks, seeing them through to completion with a plan, realistic timelines, and budgets.

 

Maintain an organised Google Drive folder for role-specific documents, accessible by the School Leader, line coach, and school team.

 

ABOUT YOU

 

Skills and Qualifications required:

 

A Diploma/ Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Management or Economics.

 

A minimum of 4 years of related work experience, preferably in business operations, project management, marketing, event management and/or finance operations.

 

 At least 1-2 years spent in a leadership/ supervisory role demonstrating progressive responsibility.

 

Superior problem-solving and planning skills

 

Highly developed organisational, communication and presentation skills

 

Good competence in Microsoft packages, such as Microsoft Excel

 

Superior interpersonal skills as demonstrated by the ability to form professional relationships at all levels of the organisation and with appropriate external stakeholders

 

 

 

Education: Degree, Diploma
Employment Type: Full Time

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