Salary Grade VI

General Description

Requiring limited supervision, with latitude for the use of independent judgment, initiative and decision-making, provides administrative and clerical support to the College department or work area to which assigned. Duties and responsibilities will primarily be complex and challenging and involve the following: planning, organizing and prioritizing work flow; troubleshooting problems using analysis and reasoning; developing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with others; and scheduling, directing and overseeing the work of others in the assigned area. Employees in this title will be expected to possess specialized knowledge and expertise in the specific area of assignment. (Minimum standard 45-50 wpm)

Essential Job Functions

Employees with this title are expected to perform the tasks of all other Office Administrative Associates and Office Administrative Assistants as required.

Examples of typical tasks and responsibilities (this list is not meant to include all possible assignments in this title group):

• Trains individuals in lower titles and serves as a role-model in courteous, quality service to all students, supervisors, coworkers, and internal and external customers in all situations.
• Skillfully distinguishes professional from personal concerns; reduces conflicts and produces customer satisfaction in difficult situations; accepts referrals from lower level staff; anticipates problems and seeks to provide guidance.
• Oversees and monitors the day-to-day operations of the work area, coordinating and scheduling work activities, reviewing and guiding the work of others, and responding to shifting priorities as needed.
• Troubleshoots problems that arise, analyzing situations and data, evaluating and deciding upon possible solutions, keeping supervisor informed, and implementing the problem resolution.
• Communicates effectively with faculty, staff, and administrators at all levels; handles priority communications with tact, and in confidence; follows up consistently and maintains records of communications; hears the requests in complaints and responds accordingly.
• Establishes and maintains a network of peer, professional contacts among other College units/departments, external agencies, and other groups that interact with the department to impact favorably upon the assignments and goals of the work area.
• Provides high level administrative support to faculty, supervisors and managers, conducting research, compiling data and providing explanatory reports and memos as requested.
• Responds to various types of inquiries and correspondence, analyzing requests, gathering information for appropriate responses and composing the required letter, document, form or memo on a personal computer using college determined word processing software (e.g., MS Office/Word).
• Screens and proofreads documents on behalf of the supervisor for accuracy using both technology tools and personal skills to edit for spelling, grammar, content and tone; ensures all corrections are made prior to submitting for signature.
• Handles special projects as assigned, planning and scheduling tasks, identifying and collaborating with a team of coworkers, monitoring and performing assignments to ensure successful completion.
• Oversees the planning and coordination of meetings or events on behalf of the work area or supervisor. Monitors planning sessions, staff assignments, arrangements for space, materials and refreshments, scheduling speakers and the number of guests or attendees ensuring a seamless flow of activities.
• Monitors, oversees, directs, trains, and collaborates with coworkers, colleagues and subordinate staff in accomplishing the day-to-day goals of the work area.
• Oversees and monitors the work area’s timekeeping processes, reviewing time sheets, responding to calls for sick or emergency leave, resolving problems, and ensuring the timely and accurate completion of weekly logs and uploading of data to the payroll system.
• Within delegated authority, establishes or revises systems of records to improve retention and discovery of documents; creates internal processes for collecting and maintaining records; trains others in college retention policies and procedures; oversees others to insure compliance with changing retention requirements.
• Ensures the security and confidentiality of all personnel records of students/employees and other confidential documents on behalf of the work area and the college.
• Monitors and oversees the maintenance of department inventories, requiring periodic inventory reports. Anticipates and plans for needed supplies for upcoming or seasonal events and activities. Keeps the supervisor informed of items needing reorder. Conducts research on products and supplies comparing price and quality. Prepares purchase order requests.
• Conducts research, analyzes data, compiles statistics and prepares professional reports utilizing database and spreadsheet software.
• Possesses and maintains an expertise in all department processes, procedures, and college mainframe applications. Understands how to apply this expertise in solving student/customer problems and is able to train, communicate and provide the information clearly and accurately to others.
• Monitors budgets and expenditures on behalf of the work area, maintaining records of accounts, conferring with supervisor, and preparing budget requests.
• Coordinates payroll operations, maintaining time sheets and payroll system; processes authorizations, tax and deductions for employees into the system; checks trial payroll and makes corrections; and maintains and controls various reports on taxes and deductions.

May serve as key clerical administrative support to an executive staff member, handling confidential documents, correspondence and telephone inquiries, maintaining calendars, booking reservations, etc.

Qualifications

• A high school diploma or its equivalent (e.g., GED).
• Six (6) years of work experience in the required field for the specific work area or a closely related equivalent field.
• Demonstration of the specific core competencies indicated for this title and level.
• Technical skills as indicated for this title and assignment level.

College credits, in a matriculated course of study from an accredited institution, may be substituted for work experience.

A department with an assignment necessitating special requirements, with the approval of Human Resources, can request higher educational requirements.

Core Competencies

Communication

• Communicates well, both verbally and in writing; uses technology effectively in communicating.
• Communicates in a style appropriate to the college and consistent with its mission.
• Listens effectively; gives and accepts feedback in a constructive manner. Demonstrates respect in all communications for the diversity of all internal and external customers.
• Handles more unique or difficult inquiries seeking solutions that involve a thorough knowledge of the policies or regulations of the department or college. Assesses situations using precedence and is skillfully flexible in responding.
• Redirects conversations to other departments or professional staff when appropriate.
• Prepares and submits complex written reports or correspondence for both internal and external customers.
• Models respect for diversity in all communication.
• Honors commitments made to customers and assists lower level staff in being responsible to customer expectations.

Interpersonal

• Willing to help and assist others.
• Respects others, especially those who are of different backgrounds, and self. Exhibits a positive friendly and open attitude.
• Works as part of a team; seeks to include diverse opinions and views. Handles conflict appropriately; able to disagree without hostility.
• Shares information and ideas; gives others credit when due.
• Accepts accountability for own actions and promotes accountability of others. Applies appreciation of differing skills in assigning duties to lower level staff. Applies appreciation of diversity in forming an office project team;
• Leads projects to successful conclusion by integrating the contributions of others. Creates in others a commitment to shared success for the team.
• Identifies professional development opportunities that would be useful for lower level staff.
• Remains effective under stressful conditions. Maintains confidentiality as appropriate.
• Acknowledged by others for the guidance provided; organizes the public acknowledgment of others.
• Confronts interpersonal differences with respect; avoids blaming others.
• Formulates agreements with others to solve problems and lives up to commitments made to others.

Institutional Know-How

• Committed to the mission and values of the college and the goals of the unit. Knows and follows policies and procedures.
• Knows where or how to find information.
• Respects others as resources and uses their time carefully. Develops a network of internal contacts.
• Serves as a resource to others about policies, procedures, and precedents. Keeps others informed.
• Considers the interconnectedness of the various college offices and systems in balancing efforts to achieve the unit’s goals.
• Can articulate the unit’s policies and procedures and explain how they intersect with other areas of the college.
• Takes the initiative to follow up on referrals to other units in order to assure appropriate services have been rendered and to maintain good relations with other offices.
• Understands the impact of individual performance of support staff on institutional outcomes.
• Represents and conducts the business of the college in accordance with all rules, regulations and mandates.
• Trains lower level staff in institutional processes and techniques for maneuvering through the system.

Customer Service

• Gives high priority to customer concerns. Engages customers and anticipates needs.
• Takes initiative on behalf of customers and provides customer options.
• Is flexible and service-oriented. Attends to details.
• Apologizes when appropriate and accepts responsibility on behalf of the College. Provides individualized service to unique needs of customers.
• Prioritizes customer needs, develops long-range solutions. Willing to extend oneself on behalf of customers.
• Escalates problems to a supervisor if special consideration is warranted. Proactive, follows up to ensure needs were met.
• Establishes mechanism to correct incidents of poor service. Strives to create a customer-oriented culture among support staff.
• Assists professional staff and supervisor in reinforcing customer culture.

Knowledge Base

• Stays current in knowledge of field.
• Maintains technical skills and know-how necessary to perform job duties. Applies knowledge and skills to tasks.
• Seeks to acquire mastery of new responsibilities; adapts to changes. Organizes and plans work methodically; can explain to others clearly. Pays attention to details; knows precedents and anticipates issues.
• Can handle multiple tasks with clarity about stages of completion for each. Readily serves as a resource to others, providing information and techniques. Imparts knowledge to coworkers to provide effective and efficient service on behalf of the department/College.
• Ensures all support staff are made aware of changes in forms, procedures, etc. affecting their work; monitors changes to ensure quality.
• Follows up with customers who report receiving incorrect information; Recommends corrections in printed handouts and other documents/information shared with customers.
• Consistently seeks ways to improve; leads other support staff in acquiring skills. Admits knowledge gaps and seeks assistance without being defensive.
• Alerts supervisors to time sensitive directives and/or notices of changes in policies.

Work Ethics/Professionalism

• Behaves in accordance with all college rules and regulations. Demonstrates pride in quality of work.
• Follows up on commitments; keeps agreements and promises.
• Notifies key people of important issues or changes in situations affecting work. Increasingly accountable; develops ownership of work.
• Trustworthy; exhibits both the skills and the sincerity to do the job.
• Shows keen interest in the quality of work done by lower level staff and by self; seeks and provides feedback on request; available to others.
• Shares information with other support staff related to best practices in higher education affecting the work of the unit.
• Can be counted on in difficult situations or during peak times to provide stable, thorough work and extra effort as needed.
• Viewed as role model by others.

Problem Solving/Reasoning

• Analyzes information and breaks it down to identify problems and determine solutions.
• Pays attention to details and thinks things through before acting. Recognizes errors and makes corrections or informs appropriate others. Uses reasoning to make decisions based on college-wide impact rather than simply on self/unit/division perspective.
• Sees the context of written information and spots irrelevant and extraneous information; offers suggestions for corrections or improvements.
• Organizes and reorganizes information in a fashion that is easily accessible. Handles and solves complex and exceptional problems without supervision; seeks assistance when needed.
• Exercises sound judgment in resolving problems and in advising lower level staff. Assists lower level staff with work by guiding them through a thinking process that encourages them to acquire better reasoning/problem solving skills.
• Anticipates future consequences and adjusts actions accordingly; thinks in the future as well as the

Technical Competencies

• Highly skilled at utilizing all office machines and trains others in use and maintenance.
• May be designated key operator for printers, copy machines, etc. Proficient skill using a personal computer
• Thorough understanding of how to use major software and operating systems
  • Knowledge and use system functions (e.g., Windows)
• Highly skilled at using the college’s administrative information systems.
• Highly skilled at word processing
  • Understand document mapping
  • Edit documents, tracking changes; showing both new and stricken materials in drafts
  • Comparing two documents side by side
• Recommends document and data security protocols; reviews security compliance by lower staff
• Recommends software improvements, shortcuts, or other productivity saving uses; assists others in mastering changing software packages.
• Using a master document
  • Develops and applies online forms
  • Footnotes and endnotes
  • Creates special effects (e.g., text boxes, watermarks, etc.)
• Skilled utilizing spreadsheet software
  • Imports and formats data
  • Links files or tables within files
  • Integrates spreadsheets into text files as parts of reports
  • Write moderately complex calculations (e.g., formulas using more than one function such as averages, percentages, etc.)
• Skilled at using database software
  • Creates and accesses databases
  • Sorts and queries data
  • Formats and generates reports
• Skilled at using PowerPoint
  • Formats slide presentations working from draft materials
  • Imports clip art and tables into presentations
  • Skilled at applying color and sound per instructions of supervisor
• Designs organization charts
• Prints meeting notes and slides
• In offices where this need exists, creates web pages
  • Creates tables of content
  • Creates and uses templates