Manager of Operations, Commissioner's Office

     The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves and where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas.  

Educational Vision of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Our educational vision describes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) aspiration for elementary and secondary public education and adult basic education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This vision is anchored in our commitment to high-quality teaching and learning in the Commonwealth. We will continue to work with districts, schools, and educators to promote teaching and learning that is antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural; that values and affirms each and every student and their families; and that creates equitable opportunities and experiences for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved. For more information on our vision, click here.    

The Manager of Operations, Commissioner's Office will be responsible for the creation and ownership of all Commissioner Office operational policies and functions, creation and ownership for Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and Executive Office of Education (EOE) communication policies, management of all agency-wide processes, and direct support of the Commissioner.

The incumbent supports the Commissioner and Chief of Staff by creating and owning the policies for operational structures and functions across the five workstreams/teams within the Commissioner's Office: Internal Communication and Planning, External Stakeholder Outreach, Legislative Affairs, LEA Operations, Strategic Projects.

• Develop internal policies for all Commissioner Office decision-making and dissemination processes across the five workstreams and with the Commissioner.
• Create cross-functional operations procedures, structures and systems across the five work streams to ensure that all deliverables across the Commissioner's Office teams are timely, high-quality, responsive to stakeholder feedback, and meet the high expectations of the Commissioner.
• Automate Commissioner's Office processes to ensure that LEAs, Legislatures, External Stakeholders, and Internal Stakeholders receive clear and consistent responses from the Commissioner and his/her designees.

The incumbent creates internal policies for communication between the Agency and the Executive Office of Education and the Agency and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

• This role develops internal policies to manage and approve all communication to the Executive Office of Education from any Agency employee and serves as the Commissioner designee for the EOE.
• All communication to the Executive Office of Education from any Agency employee is approved and coordinated through this role.
• This role develops internal policies to manage and approve all communication to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from any Agency employee and serves as the Commissioner designee for BESE.

 The incumbent manages all agency-wide processes that interface with the Commissioner.

• Create workflows for internal leadership groups inclusive of the Commissioner Tactical Team, Commissioner's Cabinet, DESE Senior Leadership team to ensure that senior leadership across DESE uses consistent and timely decision-making processes to accelerate agency actions.
• Create all agency-wide budgetary, strategic, communications workflows that require coordination with and approval by the Commissioner
• Manage and coordinate all-staff meetings, events and engagements on behalf of the Commissioner
• The role acts as a key advisor and problem-solver, helping ensure alignment across departments while handling sensitive information in a fast-paced environment.

The incumbent will also be responsible for direct support of the Commissioner and his/her calendar.

·       Managing the Commissioner's schedule that is comprised of meetings, functions, events, public appearances and interviews, as well as preparing and briefing the Commissioner for scheduled events.

·       Reporting directly to the Chief of Staff and working closely with other Commissioner's Office staff, the incumbent of this position will further be responsible for managing the Commissioner's travel arrangements and schedule on a daily basis.

·       This individual will be responsible for strategically managing the Commissioner's time by coordinating a complex calendar, prioritizing high-level internal and external engagements. The manager will exercise sound judgment, discretion, and a deep understanding of the Commissioner's priorities to support timely decision-making and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders. 

·       Other duties in the Commissioner's office include copy editing letters and processing letters/documents requiring the Commissioner's signature, answering the Commissioner's phone line, processing and record keeping of legislative reports, tracking and distributing US postal mail received in office, compiling and populating the Executive Office of Education tracker for external engagements across Cabinet.

·       Create and manage internal policies for communication between the Agency and the Executive Office of Education and the Agency and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Manage and organize operations across the five workstreams in the Commissioner's Office.

·       Coordinate cross-departmental projects, track key priorities, prepare briefing materials, reports, scripts, and presentations, support crisis response, and help ensure timely execution of critical initiatives while promoting accountability and collaboration across teams. The incumbent supports the development of internal and external policy by conducting research, analyzing data, and engaging stakeholders to ensure that policies are clear, effective, and aligned with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.

·       Manage the Commissioner's calendar and scheduling priorities to align with strategic goals, ensuring smooth coordination of meetings, events, school and district visits, and public engagements, as well as managing the agency's official “Weekly Tracker” for EOE review.

·       Oversee all logistical aspects of the Commissioner's day to day elements, travel, event planning, and other engagements, including itinerary development, coordination, expense reporting, logistics, etc. and ensure the Commissioner is fully prepared for events and meetings by compiling/composing agendas, briefing materials, reviewing communications, proofreading documents, creating slides, and reviewing materials for accuracy and alignment with agency goals.

·       Manage agency-wide processes that interface with the Commissioner, inclusive of Commissioner Tactical Team, Commissioner's Cabinet, Senior Leadership Team, and all-staff meetings.

·       The position will report to the Everett office 5 days/week and will be responsible for setting up zoom/conferences in the Commissioner's office, welcoming internal and external guests for Commissioner's meetings, and preparing daily meeting materials/binder for the Commissioner each week/day.

·       Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills are essential.

·       Other duties, as assigned.

·       Based on assignment, travel throughout the Commonwealth maybe required.

The position will report to the Everett office 5 days/week.

Questions regarding this posting or the application process should be referred to Maureen O'Brien @ maureen.t.o'brien@mass.gov

Preferred Qualifications:

o   Strong leadership and management skills to support and coordinate with staff, manage projects, and drive results;

o   Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, strong and attention to detail are critically important;

o   Knowledge of the principles, practices, and correct usage of the English language including grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation;

o   Demonstrated experience to write concisely, express thoughts clearly, and develop ideas in logical sequence;

o   Demonstrated experience to maintain an organized work environment while guaranteeing the highest level of quality in all work performed;

o   Demonstrated experience organizing and maintaining Outlook calendar schedules for executive or senior staff;

o   Ability to adjust to changing situations and to meet emergency or changing program or production requirements;

o   Ability to understand the provisions of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines governing the agency's operations and activities (Educational Reform Act of 1993);

o   Willingness to work varied shifts and/or irregular hours as requested by the Commissioner;

o   Ability to work in person 5 days/week;

o   Ability to deal tactfully with others, establish rapport with high level executives and manage matters that are confidential and/or time sensitive in nature;

o   Prior experience supporting multiple managers;

o   Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills, including the ability to build relationships with peers, work collaboratively with DESE staff, EOE agencies, and other state staff and stakeholders;

o   Strong organizational and critical thinking skills as well as attention to detail and commitment to quality and accuracy;

o   Ability to work independently and as a member of a diverse team of internal and external professionals;   

o   Excellent working knowledge of MS Office applications and Outlook.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.

III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.

IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

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An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.