POSITION OBJECTIVE

Under general direction, the Department Assistant 3 provides comprehensive administrative and financial support to ensure the smooth functioning of the University Housing office.  This position plays a crucial role in budget management, communication facilitation, and the execution of complex departmental operations supporting ~5,000 students. Assume primary supervision of 1 to 4 undergraduate student assistants. The individual in this role exercises a high degree of confidentiality, precision, and initiative while streamlining workflows across multiple departments. The position requires a systematic approach of allocating everyone’s time among a diverse set of demands and priorities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Coordinate and facilitate workflows between the university housing department and other related university offices to ensure seamless collaboration and resolution of cross-departmental matters. Proactively identify potential bottlenecks or inefficiencies within departmental workflows. Recommend and implement solutions to streamline processes for optimal efficiency. Anticipate the needs of department leadership and act proactively to ensure deadlines are met and projects progress smoothly. Coordinate and facilitate workflows between the university housing department and other related university offices to ensure seamless collaboration and resolution of cross-departmental matters. (15%)
2. Process financial transactions through requisition purchase orders, payment requests, journals, P-card, and D-card following university guidelines. Ensure approvals on purchase order requests at each approval level. Process transactions for cash, check handling and receipting processes, and make deposits. Communicate with vendors and other university offices in the preparation of bids and price quotes. Assist with the preparation and forecasting of departmental budgets. Reconcile monthly expense statements. Authorize routine departmental expenditures, ensuring compliance with university guidelines. (15%)
3. Provide outstanding customer service when answering telephones and assisting with walk-in customers in the central office by providing accurate department and off-campus housing information and referrals. Get answers to problems and then follow up with student and/or parents. Initiate and follow equipment and correspondence and proactively coordinate office functions in monitoring and ordering office supplies, organizing, and managing filing systems, maintaining office equipment, and organizing records and files to include creating a virtual file cabinet. 15%
4. Schedule and organize meetings by producing agendas, meeting minutes, information packets and other documentation to be distributed. Manage incoming and outgoing correspondence, prioritizing matters according to urgency and sensitivity. Facilitate clear communications between the university housing department and other university offices. Operate a computer to view, enter, edit, format, revise, proofread, print, and distribute information. Create and produce a variety of written material, requiring speed and accuracy, such as correspondence (including confidential documents), letters, memos, reports, and agendas. (15%)
5. Recruit, select, train, and supervise 1 to 4 central office undergraduate student employees. Process all student employment paperwork. (10%)
6. Act decisively in handling sensitive and confidential matters, prioritizing problem identification and timely resolution. Follow established procedures and triage complaints from parents, families, and students. Follow up with appropriate information or make appropriate referrals. Educate inquiring customers of on-campus and off-campus policies and procedures and provide information about the residential program. Answers contractual and other questions providing accurate information or referral regarding services provided.  Gather and compile student information/billing through accessing the housing management system and student information system (SIS) if anyone needing immediate information within the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines. (20%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCITONS

1. Perform other duties as assigned. (2%)
2. Assist with other full-time professional housing staff schedules. (2%)
3. Process travel for the professional staff in the department, including director, associate director, assistant director (2), assignments coordinator, and customer service coordinator.  Submit all travel paperwork in a timely manner as well as process all payment requests. (2%)
4. Assist with move-in and move-out policies and procedures for all residential students. Participate on departmental committees (Fall/Spring move-in, room selection, website, etc.). Assist in scheduling meetings, retreats and accessing resources. (2%)
5. Utilize knowledge and understanding of the executive director of university housing’s priorities to accomplish assigned tasks. (2%)

CONTACTS

Department: Continuous contact with professional, clerical, secretarial, custodial, and maintenance staff. Daily contact with graduate and undergraduate student staff of housing.

University: Regular contact with the offices of residence life, student affairs, counseling services, student conduct and community standards, campus planning and facilities, sustainability, CWRU police, property management, triangle apartments, Greek life, disability resources, athletics, student activities and leadership, health services, international affairs, admissions, student employment, registrar, human resources, undergraduate studies, first year experience, procurement, travel, and other auxiliary services.

External: Continuous contact with parents and other family members of students, alumni, vendors, architects, consultants, contractors, UCI institutions, property owners and guests. Periodic contact with prospective students and families. Apartment managers in the area.

Students: Continuous interaction with graduate students, undergraduate students, and student employees. Regular contact with the residence hall association, National Residence Hall Honorary, community councils, and other student organizations.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervise 1 to 4 undergraduate student employees.

QUALIFICAITONS

Experience:  5 years of office administrative experience required. Work experience related to higher education is preferable. Supervisory experience required.

Education: High school education required; (some college education preferred).

Education/Licensing: High school education required.

REQUIRED SKILLS

1. Excellent communication skills: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. Talking to others to convey information effectively.
2. Ability to actively learn - understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
3. Ability to operate copy and scanner to perform calculations and produce documents.
4. Ability to meet consistent attendance.
5. Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors and customers face to face.

WORKING CONDITIONS

General office environment. The employee will perform repetitive motion using a computer mouse and keyboard to type.