Student Life Programs at MIT | Professional Jobs

Administrative Assistant II:
Student Activities Office and SLP Office Management

Overview
Under minimal supervision, performs complex and diverse duties to ensure Student Life Programs, and particularly the Student Activities Office, is effectively interfacing with our customers – particularly students. Provides administrative support for Student Activities Office programs and projects, including the Finances Office. Anticipates and initiates actions regarding office operations which require knowledge of the Institute and other departments.

Job Responsibilities and Requirements
Oversight and Coordination of SLP Front-Office; Coordination of Student Activities Finance Office Processes – 60%

Interviews, hires, selects, trains, and supervises student reception staff for W20-549 (SLP) and W20-401 (Undergraduate Association), providing a total of 60 hours of office coverage per week. Student staff provide short-term project support to staff and student leaders, coordinate the distribution of Student Activities Finances checks, and serve as front-line responders to a variety of student questions and inquiries across all areas of SLP. Delegates work to and follows up on work of student staff.
Provides advising to students regarding Institute policies and procedures, particularly related to finances.
Coordinates a comprehensive on-line and office-based resource library of vendors and services available to support student organization programs and initiatives.
Responds to inquiries requiring a broad understanding of work-area policies and procedures. In particular, comprehensive understanding of Student Activities Finance Office, Graduate Student Council Funding Board, and Undergraduate Association Finance Board procedures are critical, as well as general understanding of other processes such as Event Registration. Ensures inquiries are addressed and resolved. Provides explanations and instructions, triages clients and visitors.
Responsible for reviewing requests from over 300 student organizations for financial reimbursement from UA and GSC. Reviews to ensure all policies and procedures have been met. Communicates issues to students and assists them in resolving these issues with the funding boards to enable reimbursement in a timely manner.
Provides final review of and signs all Student Activities Finance checks, ensuring that checks are correct and Institute financial policies are being enforced. May identify up to 10% for closer review by Assistant Dean and/or his/her designee.
Resolves more complex problems in a thorough and timely manner; uses discretion and knows who to go to in order to resolve issues and complete tasks. Often these issues are generated by the diverse and varied inquiries received by our office. This may include basic computer problems experienced by staff. Requires analysis and interpretation of a variety of situations and determination of appropriate course of an action. Resolution requires developing approaches based on understanding of precedents and past practices.

Student Life Programs Office Management – 10%

Monitors and orders office supply inventory. Works within established supply budgets; selects vendors, uses signature and purchasing authorization. Responsible for staying within budget and following budgetary guidelines.
Ensures all office equipment and individual staff computers for Student Life Programs locations are maintained and functioning, including 4-104, W20-549, W51-040, the Latino Cultural Center, and the Rainbow Lounge. Provide liaison to vendors and Assistant Director for Information Technology.
Ensure the overall cleanliness and order of the W20-549 suite.
Distributes keys to staff. Maintains current lists of key authorizations.
Initiates changes and updates to SLP office management procedures.

General Administrative and Program Support to Student Activities Office – 30%

Initiates changes and updates to manuals and procedures, such as general student advising services and Student Activities Finance Office procedures.
Composes and edits internal correspondence and documents, mostly with a target audience of students and student groups.
Under general supervision, provides secretarial and administrative assistant support for Student Activities Office staff, primarily the Assistant Dean. Responsible for typing, editing, and proofing promotional content and other correspondence. Assists Assistant Dean in calendar maintenance and duplicating and distributing material.
Assists with the coordination of major Student Activities Office events, including student leadership programs and retreats. Reserves rooms, orders AV equipment, and coordinates catering. Schedules diverse and complex appointments and meetings for Assistant Dean.
Maintains budget accounting records for the Student Activities Office. Serves as a liaison between the Division of Student Life Financial Services Team and the Student Activities Office, ensuring that the Financial Services Team is delivering effective and efficient financial support to the Office.
Performs other related duties as required, including work performed at lower levels, when necessary.

Supervision Received
Receives minimal supervision from Assistant Dean for Student Activities, as well as informal supervision from Financial Administrator for Student Activities.

Supervision Exercised
Trains and coordinates work of student employees.

Qualifications/Technical Skills
Associate/Bachelors degree or a combination of equivalent education, and at least five years of secretarial, office, or related experience required. Requires general understanding of own work and how it impacts operations outside own work unit. Ability to recognize needs of unit and how it impacts other areas at MIT and understand own role relative to all areas. Advanced computer software skills required. Easily negotiates Internet; performs searches. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in order to represent the work area and the larger MIT community.

Descriptors

Collaboration:
Collaborates with team; shares relevant information with those who may be affected by decisions. Participates in formal or informal group problem solving for immediate issues. Identifies and resolves issues in own work group.

Communication Effectiveness:
Communicates and interprets policies, creates more efficient procedures within SLP, and recommends efficiencies to student leaders. Conveys complex information to others, particularly student organization leaders, and takes steps to ensure understanding. Shares information in a clear and concise manner. Tailors communication to different audiences.

Decision Making:
Decision-making guided by general instructions and practices requiring interpretation. Automatically makes decisions on routine issues. Makes recommendations to solve more complex problems.

Influencing and Leading:
Serves as a training resource to student staff and as an advisor to students. Provides guidance in non-routine tasks. Ensures that others comply with established standards. Takes advantage of professional development opportunities at MIT.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:
Through information gathering and analysis, identifies problems and develops solutions to complex problems. Prioritizes work, taking into account own work area and needs of larger work area.

Responsibility & Accountability:
Work affects all Student Life Programs units, as well as key partners such as the Graduate Student Council, Undergraduate Association, and over 300 student organizations. Follows departmental procedures and recommends changes to work-area processes. Work is reviewed at key stages by other staff. Accountable for the end product of own work as well as work of student staff.