Business Office & Executive Assistant (Charter School)

Description

Location: New Orleans, LA

Department: Operations / Business Office

Reports To: COO

Direct Support To: Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent

Position Type: 12-month, full-time

FLSA Status: Exempt (Salaried)

Position Summary

The Business Office & Executive Assistant is a trusted, highly organized professional who ensures smooth day-to-day operations of the school's business office while providing executive administrative support to the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and COO. This role blends back-office execution (invoicing, purchasing, receipt reconciliation, documentation management, and audit support) with high-level executive support (calendar management, inbox triage, meeting logistics, and proactive protection of executive time). The employee must demonstrate exceptional discretion, sound judgment, and absolute confidentiality while consistently delivering accurate, timely work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A. Business Office Operations (Primary Function)

• Prepare and issue invoices (families, vendors, partners, reimbursements, grants, or other billables as assigned) and track invoices through payment/collection.
• Maintain accounts receivable trackers and follow up professionally on outstanding balances in alignment with school procedures.
• Support purchasing workflows, including preparing requisitions, obtaining required approvals, placing orders, tracking deliveries, and resolving discrepancies.
• Reconcile receipts and supporting documentation to statements and internal transaction logs; follow up to resolve missing or unclear documentation.
• Assemble accounts payable documentation (invoices, receipts, approvals) and route items appropriately to support timely processing and strong internal controls.
• Maintain organized, audit-ready records in accordance with school retention requirements (digital and/or paper), including consistent naming conventions and filing practices.
• Assist with routine financial and operational reporting by maintaining trackers, compiling summaries, and flagging discrepancies for leadership review.
• Support audits, compliance requests, and internal reviews by gathering documentation and ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Communicate professionally with staff, families, and vendors regarding invoices, receipts, purchasing needs, and documentation standards.

B. Executive Assistant Support (Primary Function)

• Manage calendars for the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and COO, including scheduling, prioritizing requests, and resolving conflicts with minimal disruption.
• Proactively protect executive time by applying prioritization rules, consolidating meetings when appropriate, and routing requests to the appropriate leader or team member.
• Triage executive inboxes, organize messages, draft routine responses when delegated, and ensure urgent matters are flagged and tracked.
• Prepare meeting materials and briefing packets; support agendas, notes/minutes as assigned, and follow-up tracking for action items and deadlines.
• Coordinate logistics for meetings (in-person and virtual), including rooms, technology, attendees, calendars, and materials.
• Support travel planning and itineraries as needed, including confirmations, schedules, and supporting documents.
• Maintain executive files and confidential records with strict discretion and attention to detail.

C. Communication and Stakeholder Support

• Serve as a professional point of contact for executive offices, ensuring timely, respectful, and accurate communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent leadership with professionalism, responsiveness, and tact, including in high-pressure or sensitive situations.
• Coordinate the flow of information by collecting, organizing, and presenting key items that require executive attention.

Confidentiality and Professional Standards

• Maintains absolute confidentiality regarding student, family, personnel, legal, financial, and leadership matters.
• Handles sensitive documents and communications with discretion, maturity, and sound judgment.
• Adheres to applicable confidentiality expectations and policies, including FERPA where relevant.
• Models professionalism, integrity, and a solutions-oriented approach in all interactions.

Requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a charter school, school system, or mission-driven/nonprofit environment.
• Familiarity with accounting/ERP tools, purchasing systems, or online payment platforms.
• Experience supporting senior leaders with complex calendars and high-volume communications.
• Bilingual (English/French or English/Spanish) is a plus.

Core Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional organization and follow-through; consistently produces accurate, audit-ready work
• Strong prioritization and time-management; protects executive capacity and deadlines
• Professional written and verbal communication; calm, respectful, and responsive
• Discretion and judgment; trusted with sensitive information and complex situations
• Systems mindset; improves consistency through templates, trackers, and clear processes
• Service orientation; supports staff, families, and vendors with professionalism

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Primarily office-based with frequent computer and phone use.
• May require periodic movement around campus and occasional lifting of supplies/materials (up to approximately 25 lbs).
• As an exempt, salaried role, work hours may occasionally extend beyond the standard day during peak periods (start of school, enrollment windows, audits, testing, board cycles, or special events) to meet organizational needs.

All Hands on Deck / Other Duties as Assigned

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. In a school environment, flexibility and teamwork are essential; this role is expected to support time-sensitive operational needs and assist with additional tasks as assigned, including during peak periods such as the start of school, enrollment, testing, audits, and special events.