Job Description

Department:

Art - Staff

Pay Rate Type:

Hourly

Employee Type:

Job Summary:

The academic administrative assistant will provide a wide range of office management and administrative support for the Department of Art and the Department of Classics. The position will report to the chair of these departments–one will serve as the reporting supervisor. Work involves the frequent exercise of sound judgment and initiative as well as the highest standards of professionalism in all aspects of the work - including the ability to maintain and preserve confidentiality of departmental materials and deliberations. Frequent verbal and written communication is required both within the College and with outside individuals and agencies. The academic administrative assistant will train and oversee student personnel.

Essential Functions

To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.  This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.

• Oversee the department’s office operations

  • Receive and respond to inquiries and welcome guests of the department.

  • Distribute mail and packages, following appropriate safety and handling guidelines.

  • Event coordination.

  • Support faculty searches.

  • Support faculty reviews and communications with the Provost Office.

  • Arrange work orders with Facilities Services.

  • Train and oversee student workers.

  • Use a variety of software programs (e.g. Microsoft & Google Office Suites, Workday, & Wordpress), and common office technology.

• Supporting the various departments via office management and administrative duties.

  • Oversee transactions and budgets for more than 20 unique college cost centers that represent between $500K and $1 Mil in funds annually.

  • Maintain a credit card account for all departmental purchases.

  • Oversee/approve all departmental account transactions within Workday such as direct vendor payments, expense reports, and fund transfers.

  • Oversee the ordering of supplies, including researching pricing and product availability.  Work directly with vendors to acquire quotes and place orders.

• Engage with internal organizations such as Communications, DavisConnects, College Advancement to support co-curricular activities of students in the department.

• Work as part of a collaborative team of Academic Administrative Assistants.

Position Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required

• 3+ years of previous administrative professional experience

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills with a high level of motivation and initiative

• Attention to detail and accuracy are critical

• Ability to handle confidential information tactfully

• Commitment to support the academic mission and educational goals of the College and the departments/programs being supported

• Strong business English, proofreading, and spelling skills

• Must be able to work independently, exercise judgment and manage projects with minimal supervision

• Highly developed computer skills including extensive experience using Microsoft and Google Office Suite, email and web applications, database applications, WordPress, image editing software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop), as well as an interest in and ability to learn new programs.

• Ability to make an impact through work as a member of a team and diverse community

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience:

• Some post-secondary education

• Experience with web page creation and maintenance

Physical/Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.

• The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.

• There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.

• While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities. 

• There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.

• An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.

• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

• The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the "Apply" button on the Colby Careers website. Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and the contact information of three professional references.