Operational Assistant

Job Description

OPERATIONAL ASSISTANT

As Operational Assistant, you'll contribute to the day-to-day functioning of a small Catholic classical high school through operational support, event assistance, internal coordination, and general office upkeep. You'll report to the Headmaster (HM).

This is an onsite role and your daily presence at the office is core to how you'll build relationships, anticipate needs, and be part of the institutional community. Chesterton Academy of the Incarnation is located at St. Philip Catholic Church in the historic downtown of Franklin, Tennessee.

This role is well-suited for a motivated, service-oriented individual with strong Catholic faith, organizational instincts, and a collaborative spirit. Love of classical education, the sanctity of the family, and the process of supporting the loving formation of young hearts and minds is ideal. Excellent candidates will be comfortable with a mix of high- and low-skill tasks, and will appreciate how small acts of stewardship create the conditions for great teamwork and institutional flourishing.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Office Logistics & Support

• Serve as a welcoming and professional first point of contact for visitors and guests.
• Maintain and share a school calendar and assist with campus scheduling logistics.
• Track and input attendance and early release records.
• Maintain school files, tracking and coordinating submission of essential faculty and student documents.
• Design and distribute Weekly Update emails to student families.
• Serve as the first point of contact for operational questions and requests (e.g., IT, facilities), placing service calls and tracking status; liaison with the HM, Church facilities personnel, and contractors.
• Oversee logistical planning for various school events (open houses, parent-teacher conferences, field trips, testing, etc).
• Coordinate mail and package distribution; prepare outgoing correspondence and shipments (including UPS/FedEx and bulk mailing).
• Solicit and organize parent volunteers for various school event support functions.
• Coordinate remote promotion of upcoming open school promotional or social events with local middle schools and churches.
• Assist the HM in tracking important school compliance deadlines.
• Assist the HM in monitoring campus access and maintaining campus security protocols.
• Assist the HM in arranging logistical details for internal events and processes, such as student House events, field days, and similar gatherings that support community and culture within the school.
• Assist the HM in managing employee onboarding.
• Assist the HM in occasional design and revision of promotional material (signs, postcards, pamphlets, etc).
• Assist board representatives in coordinating the annual fundraiser Gala.
• Provide occasional special projects management as needed.
• Problem-solve in real time when schedules shift or unexpected needs arise.

Office Upkeep & Supplies

• Procure stationery, office supplies, and business cards; manage inventory and vendor relationships for ordering.
• Ensure that classrooms have adequate instructional supplies (dry erase markers, erasers, pens, etc.).This includes maintaining a reasonable inventory and conducting routine checks.
• Coordinate with the HM, church facilities staff, and vendors/contractors for the setup, breakdown, and cleanup of various school events.
• Plan and oversee daily student cleanup of facilities.
• Help with tasks related to office furnishing, layout, and storage space management, with an eye toward creating a beautiful, functional, and well-ordered work environment.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Strengths and Temperament

• You're service-oriented with a "can-do" attitude: your best work is enabling your colleagues to do their best work.
• You're genuinely interested in helping the team succeed.
• You're organized and detail-oriented without being rigid; adaptable when plans change and able to prioritize competing requests.
• You're willing to own the small but important stuff that keeps the office running smoothly, even when it's behind-the-scenes.
• You look for what needs doing rather than waiting to be asked.

Qualifications

• As a representative of Chesterton Academy of the Incarnation, you must be a practicing Catholic and willing to take the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Prior experience in an office executive support, or operational/administrative role preferred.
• Proficiency or willingness to learn Google Workspace tools and TADS Educate software.
• Prior experience in a classical high school or faith-based institutional setting is valuable but not required.
• First aid training would be valuable but not required.
• Not Required but a significant Bonus skillset would be Website Admin/Dev Skills:
• Familiarity with WordPress or similar website content management systems (CMS).
• Ability to create, edit, format, and publish website content, including news updates, announcements, events, and other school communications.
• Comfortable making minor website updates, such as revising text, replacing images, updating links, and maintaining current information on existing pages.
• Strong attention to detail in ensuring website content is accurate, professional, and consistent with the school's messaging and identity.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• This is a full-time, salaried role with a no-cost emergency health assistance plan available and potential for growth over time.
• Extensive time off. In addition to 2 weeks of paid vacation during the Summer break, this position involves light, remote, or no work (depending on operational necessities) during other scheduled school breaks, which consist of 4 full weeks during the school year (Fall-1, Christmas-2, Spring-1) plus other holidays, including multiple days for Holy Week and Easter.

APPLICATIONS
Please submit application letter (including soonest start date) as well as your resume and an up to 1-page explanation of why you think classical Catholic education is important to office@chestertontn.com. Please do not use AI to produce this explanation. You may address questions to the headmaster at athurow@chestertontn.com.

The school is currently in the initial growth phase, gradually expanding to an initial target student body of about 60 students (15 per grade level). The school's staffing will expand along with its student body.

About the Employer

A joyfully Catholic classic education.

Founded in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2021 through a grass-roots movement of parents, Chesterton Academy of the Incarnation offers an integrated classical high school curriculum centered on the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Focusing on the great books of the Western tradition across all disciplines, the school develops complete thinkers whose depth of knowledge and reasoning skills make them capable of bringing their faith into the world to build up the culture of life. Chesterton Academy of the Incarnation is a member school of the Chesterton Schools Network.