Executive Assistant, Network 1

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 330,000 students in 600 schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers.  CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.  In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

District-run CPS schools are organized into 18 networks, which provide administrative support, strategic direction, and leadership development to the schools within each network.  This network support model is designed to support the unique needs of CPS elementary and high schools and their school leaders that focuses exclusively on their needs. Network 1 focuses on elementary schools in the northern geographic area of Chicago. 

Job Summary: 

The Executive Assistant is primarily responsible for establishing and maintaining an environment that is respectful and responsive to students, parents, and community partners. In addition, the Executive Assistant will support the Chief of Schools by performing a variety of administrative duties associated with the overall operation of the Network.

The Executive Assistant will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Greet visitors and callers, handle their inquiries, and direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs in a responsive, respectful, and timely manner (i.e. within 24 hours).

• Open parent tickets and escalate Tier 2 & Tier 3 issues to the Parent Support Administrators for resolution.

• Manage the schedule of meetings, activities, and deadlines for the Chief of Schools.

• Prepare and manage payroll, reimbursements, and purchase orders for the Chief of Schools and Network staff.

• Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail and other material, and prepare answers to routine letters.

• Set up and maintain paper and electronic filing systems for records, correspondence, and other material.

• Maintain confidential and time-sensitive materials.

• Oversee the ordering of office supplies and materials for the Network; maintenance of school-related financial records, and prepare documents for internal audits.

• Handle related day-to-day requests and other related duties as required.

• All other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Executive Assistant must possess the following qualifications: 

Education Required: 

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university preferred

Experience Required: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of administrative support experience 

• Minimum of three (3) years of work experience supporting senior-level executives preferred

• Minimum three (3) years as a School Clerk or Network support staff preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Exceptional communication skills (verbal, written and interpersonal), with the ability to interact positively and professionally at all times with parents, students, external partners, schools, and CPS Departments

• Working knowledge or the ability to learn CPS applications: KRONOS, Verify, ORACLE, Dashboard and Google Drive application

• Ability to successfully manage work in a fast-paced professional environment, and operate with a sense of urgency while maintaining a customer focus

• Ability to manage multiple projects and simultaneous deadlines

• Ability to quickly prioritize tasks and responsibilities to support the needs of the Chief of Schools

• Strong attention to detail and strong organizational skills

• Excellent judgment and professionalism

• Proficient with MS Office Suite, Excel, PowerPoint, Oracle, and Kronos

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.