MS Program Assistant

Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Crystal Springs Uplands School is a 6-12 co-educational, independent day school located on two distinct campuses in Hillsborough and Belmont, CA with 125 employees. Our deeply connected culture and community celebrates scholarship, strives for balance, and fosters inclusion. The Professional Adult Community (PAC) is an experienced, collaborative group of employees who are committed to the mission and core values of the school. Crystal is full of kind, curious learners (adults and students alike) who are passionate about the school’s mission of transformative teaching and meaningful connections. We are committed to the work required to create more equitable systems and foster inclusive environments so that all members of our community can thrive together.    

Through transformative teaching and meaningful connections, we empower kind, curious learners to thrive together.

• We Celebrate Scholarship - The foundation of Crystal is academic excellence.
• We Seek Growth Challenges - Our culture says try it.
• We Foster Kindness & Inclusion - Crystal is a caring and diverse community.
• We Strive for Balance - A holistic approach to well-being is integral to our mission.
• We Engage with Enthusiasm - With unbounded spirit, we give our best effort every day and pay it forward to our community.
• We Lead with Humility - Being grateful and open-minded, we pursue lifelong learning.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in dynamic settings serving multiple constituents. A successful candidate in this position will:

• Share a commitment to upholding Crystal’s core values and working in an inclusive school environment
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and engage effectively with all constituents
• Bring robust organizational, technological, and communication skills 

Crystal seeks a Full-time, non exempt, 1.0 FTE Middle School Program Assistant. The Middle School Program Assistant plays a vital role in supporting the daily operations of the MS campus. Working closely with the MS Program Manager and the Professional Adult Community (PAC), the Program Assistant helps create a safe and welcoming environment for students and serves as a steady presence at the front desk. The Program Assistant provides direct support to students, helps coordinate activities, supervises students, and ensures programs run smoothly outside of the school day. While the position is supportive in nature, it also requires strong independent judgment and the ability to make thoughtful, real-time decisions that contribute to the overall success of the MS program.

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Asks thoughtful questions and uses reliable data to solve problems. Recommends practical and creative solutions, considering the broader impact on daily work and institutional goals.

Inclusive Collaboration: Works effectively across differences and with others to build partnerships, solve problems, and advance shared goals. Fosters a respectful, welcoming community through active inclusion and shared commitment to common objectives.

Quality Results: Ensures high quality results on projects/tasks, meets deadlines, and attends to details. Takes responsibility for the quality of work and achieves results with little oversight.

Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally in written, verbal, and interpersonal settings, with strong listening skills

Interpersonal Effectiveness:  Demonstrates high self and social awareness, empathy, and curiosity to build authentic, trusting relationships with students and colleagues. Manages emotions effectively, collaborates positively, and handles sensitive situations with the highest levels of discretion and confidentiality.

Personal Growth: Demonstrates commitment and curiosity to ongoing learning and development.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Front Desk and Communication Support

• Greet and direct visitors, ensuring a welcoming front desk presence
• Answer, screen, and forward incoming phone calls
• Receive and sort daily mail
• Respond to and support the needs of students, families, and Professional Adult Community (PAC) in coordination with the MS Program Manager (PM)
• Fill in for MS PM in the event of their absence
• Track and follow up on forms and documentation from parents/guardians, students, and PAC

Scheduling, Event, and Program Coordination

• Schedule meetings and coordinate calendars as needed
• Assist with managing calendar for HoMS
• Assist with set-up for parent and community events(lunch with Kelly etc.)
• Create signage for the MS such as the WSB, Lunch Menus, signs for closures, etc.
• Organize catering for events and meetings
• Send hall speech videos to parents 
• Maintain emergency system paperwork and supplies
• Support Director of Experiential Education (DoEE) with logistics and paperwork for MS Community Engagement Days and 8th Grade Global Program
• With MS Teaching Assistant and MS Student Council, coordinate Fun in the Sun, school dances, and grade-level socials.

Supply and Facilities Management

• Maintain the MS workroom, coffee station, and health cabinet
• Organize inventory and order supplies for the Middle School and MS PAC
• Procure snacks and drinks for the Grade Level Hubs
• Coordinate deliveries and restocking (e.g., First Choice supplies)

Student Supervision and Care

• Assist with daily attendance and student accountability
• Produce attendance reports and follow up with families about student absences 
• Serve as student mentor for hall speeches or student council elections
• Attend to students' physical needs (e.g., illness, injury, forgotten items)
• Co-lead Student Council with the MS Teaching Assistant
• Support with last-minute class coverage if needed
• Help manage MS afterschool programs by observing, checking in with students and PAC, and reporting updates to the HoMS
• Stay late to supervise students awaiting pickup and ensure a safe end-of-day environment
• Uphold Crystal’s Core Values and foster an inclusive, supportive community
• Fulfill the school’s duty of care through attentive, proactive supervision of students

Cross-Divisional and Institutional Support

• Support Upper School and 6–12 institutional projects and initiatives as needed
• Support needs for co-curricular programs, including MS Athletics, MS Experiential Education, MS Fine Arts Productions, as delegated by the Head of Middle School (HoMS) and the MS PM
• Support needs for MS afterschool programs, as delegated by the HoMS and the MS PM

Peninsula Bridge Summer Program – On-Site Support

• During the five-week summer session, the Program Assistant continues their core responsibilities with a focus on logistics, supervision, and communication. In addition to regular duties such as student care, attendance, emergency preparedness, and materials coordination, the role includes:

  • Coordinate daily programming logistics in collaboration with the Peninsula Bridge Site Director, including:
    • Creating advisory and elective rosters
    • Supporting the schedule and supervision assignments
    • Maintaining student information systems (e.g., attendance in FACTS, behavior notes, care tracking)
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for Teaching Assistants (15–20 high school/college volunteers):
    • Ensure TAs are prepared with necessary materials and assignments
    • Foster a positive TA culture through ongoing communication, observation, and coaching
    • Monitor TA presence and locations throughout the day
    • Communicate any notable concerns or needs to the Site Director
  • Follow up with families about attendance, including outreach to Spanish-speaking households
  • Complete additional logistical and administrative tasks as needed to support summer operations
  • Be fully on-site and available during the entire summer session
  • Represent the PB program in meetings, tours, and events with donors, board members, and community partners
  • Act as point person for PB in the absence of the Site Director
  • As time allows before/after the summer program:
    • Assist with TA recruitment and onboarding
    • Support two staff development sessions and orientation planning
    • Participate in evaluation meetings and summer debriefs

• Consistent travel between the MS and US campus.
• Light travel to pick up snacks and supplies as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Minimum of one (1) year of relevant work experience.
• Operational knowledge of the Internet and web-related technologies, including, but not limited to, Google applications, Gmail, MS-Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience working in a school setting
• Spanish and/or Mandarin language proficiency is highly desirable. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Able to work in a dynamic environment dealing with a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a varied and diverse array of contacts
• Able to lift up to 20 pounds
• Able to climb stairs on occasion
• Able to work at a desk and computer for extended periods

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee, which may change at any time, with or without notice.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

Crystal Springs Uplands School provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.  

Salary and Benefits

This is a non-exempt, full-time (40 hours/week), benefits-eligible, 12-month Administrative position, and the hourly salary is commensurate with experience within the range of $30/hour - $35/hour.

The recruitment period will remain open until sufficient resumes have been received and may close at any time a sufficient pool of highly qualified candidates has been established. The ideal start date for this position is October 5, 2026.