Manager of Operations, Commissioner's Office

State of Massachusetts • Everett, MA

78d

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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.
• At least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity.
• Strong leadership and management skills to support and coordinate with staff, manage projects, and drive results.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and correct usage of the English language including grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
• Demonstrated experience to write concisely, express thoughts clearly, and develop ideas in logical sequence.
• Ability to adjust to changing situations and to meet emergency or changing program or production requirements.
• Ability to understand the provisions of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines governing the agency's operations and activities.
• Ability to work in person 5 days/week.
• Ability to deal tactfully with others and establish rapport with high level executives.
• Prior experience supporting multiple managers.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Strong organizational and critical thinking skills as well as attention to detail and commitment to quality and accuracy.
• Excellent working knowledge of MS Office applications and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.
• A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.
• A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required experience.
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required experience.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Manage all agency-wide processes that interface with the Commissioner.
• Create workflows for internal leadership groups 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.
• Act as a key advisor and problem-solver, helping ensure alignment across departments while handling sensitive information in a fast-paced environment.
• Manage the Commissioner's schedule, including meetings, functions, events, public appearances and interviews.
• Prepare and brief the Commissioner for scheduled events.
• Manage the Commissioner's travel arrangements and schedule on a daily basis.
• Coordinate a complex calendar, prioritizing high-level internal and external engagements.
• Copy edit letters and process letters/documents requiring the Commissioner's signature.
• Answer the Commissioner's phone line and process legislative reports.
• Track and distribute US postal mail received in office.
• Compile and populate the Executive Office of Education tracker for external engagements across Cabinet.
• Coordinate cross-departmental projects, track key priorities, prepare briefing materials, reports, scripts, and presentations.
• Support crisis response and ensure timely execution of critical initiatives while promoting accountability and collaboration across teams.
• Manage 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.
• Set up zoom/conferences in the Commissioner's office, welcome internal and external guests for Commissioner's meetings, and prepare daily meeting materials/binder for the Commissioner.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Industry: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree