Front Desk Coordinator

Front Desk Coordinator

Location: Washington, DC

Employment Type: Full-time

Reports to: Director of Operations

Compensation: Salary starts at $39,047 - $62,107 and will be commensurate with degree and years of experience

FLSA Status: Exempt

About Breakthrough Montessori Public Charter School

Breakthrough Montessori Public Charter School's mission is to provide diverse families of Washington DC a public Montessori education designed to enable children to develop within themselves the power to shape their lives and the world around them.

Our vision is for students to have the competence and courage to individually excel, and collectively build a just society.

Breakthrough Montessori PCS is committed to equity in all areas of our school's work. We believe in the unbounded potential of all children. Therefore, we are a supportive environment that seeks to employ a diverse staff reflective of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and backgrounds.

Breakthrough Montessori PCS is a coaching school; all team members receive and give coaching to support professional growth.

Position Summary:

The Front Desk Coordinator serves as the primary point of contact for families, visitors, and incoming communications at Breakthrough Montessori PCS. This role is responsible for maintaining a welcoming, organized, and secure front office environment while supporting daily school operations and fostering strong relationships with families.

This position plays a key role in shaping the school's front-facing experience and requires a professional, approachable, and service-oriented individual who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and responsive. The ideal candidate is solution-focused, able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, and maintains a high level of confidentiality and professionalism at all times.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

The Front Desk Coordinator is a 12-month position. Working hours are Monday-Friday from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Responsibilities include the following:

Front Desk Operations

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all visitors, families, and incoming calls; maintain a professional, welcoming, and organized front office environment at all times
• Manage front door access, monitor visitor sign-in procedures, and ensure all guests follow school safety and security protocols
• Respond to phone, email, and in-person inquiries promptly and accurately; route inquiries to the appropriate staff member when needed
• Receive and distribute mail, packages, and deliveries; maintain organized front office systems and documentation
• Provide general administrative support to the operations team and school leadership, including scheduling, copying, filing, and materials preparation

Enrollment & Attendance Support

• Assist prospective families with enrollment inquiries; provide accurate information about the application process, lottery, and school programs
• Support the collection, organization, and tracking of enrollment documentation, student forms, and family intake records
• Manage student sign-in and sign-out, including late arrivals, early dismissals, and aftercare pick-up, in accordance with school policy
• Support attendance tracking and accuracy across student programs, including reconciliation of attendance changes, follow-up on absences, and communication of attendance-related updates to families and staff in coordination with the operations team

Family Engagement & Communications

• Serve as the school's primary family-facing point of contact the go-to person for information, updates, and support across all school programs and events
• Build positive, respectful, and consistent relationships with families, treating every interaction as an opportunity to strengthen the schoolfamily partnership
• Communicate school news, event information, schedule changes, and updates to the school community via phone, email, school communication platforms and social media
• Support family communication around student progress and classroom updates in coordination with instructional staff, using school-designated platforms and tools
• Support families navigating school processes with patience, clarity, and a solutions-oriented approach; connect families to the appropriate staff member when needed
• Facilitate equitable access to information for all families, including multilingual communication support (Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, French, Chinese, and other home languages spoken by our community)

Building Reset & School Operations Support

• Support end-of-day and opening procedures, including resetting shared spaces and high-traffic areas to ensure the building is ready for the following day's staff and school operations
• Exercise sound operational decision-making and judgment when school leadership may not be immediately available, escalating to appropriate staff when needed
• Assist with aftercare operations, including student check-in/check-out and family communication around extended day schedules
• Assist with the coordination and logistics of school events and community initiatives
• Provide general operational support to ensure smooth, aligned day-to-day functioning across the school

Required Competencies and Qualifications:

• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with a professional, welcoming, and customer-service oriented demeanor
• Ability to build positive relationships and work effectively as part of a diverse team
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated commitment to upholding the school's mission, including anti-bias and anti-racist practices
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of student, family, and staff information
• Solution-oriented mindset with strong problem-solving and collaboration skills
• Experience in a school, front office, or customer-facing role preferred
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets) and general office equipment
• Multilingual candidates strongly encouraged to apply (e.g., Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, French, etc.)

Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred (education, communications, business administration, or related field)
• Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• Experience working with diverse populations of students, families, and communities required
• Experience working in public schools preferred; experience with Montessori environments is a plus

Working Conditions:

The working environment characteristics described represent those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The position involves sitting, bending, standing, pushing, and reaching with both hands/ arms as necessary and may require some lifting up to 40lbs. In addition to the routine use of standard office equipment.