Executive Administrative Assistant for the the offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & HR

About Augustana College:

Augustana College is a private, selective, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences with enrollment of 2500 students. Our beautiful 115-acre campus is located in Rock Island, Illinois, part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area along the Mississippi River, 165 miles west of Chicago. Augustana awards the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in about 100 majors and related academic programs and a Master of Science in Speech and Language Pathology. Our diverse student body includes 22 percent first generation college students, 22 percent Pell Grant students, 23 percent students of color, and 17 percent international students.

Strengthening our diverse and inclusive community is central to the college's mission and strategic plan. We seek applicants with an interest in fostering rigorous, inclusive, and high-impact learning environments for a diverse student body.

Employees at Augustana enjoy an excellent benefits package including medical, retirement, generous paid time off, tuition benefits for employees and their family members, and much more. 

Job Description:

Status:  Full-time, Non-Exempt 12 month work schedule

Reports to: Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and the Director of Human Resources

Wage Grade:  730

Overview:  

The Executive Administrative Assistant is a pivotal role responsible for delivering exceptional administrative support to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (VPDEI) and the Director of Human Resources (HR). This individual will play a crucial part in facilitating seamless operations within the department, ensuring the needs of students, employees, and all campus constituents are met efficiently and effectively.

Key Duties:

• Provides administrative support to the VP of DEI and the Director of Human Resources. As a front line ambassador creates a welcoming environment by greeting students, employees and visitors. Assesses urgency of requests and ensures that those in need are put in touch with appropriate resources in a timely manner. 
• Receives and refers telephone calls from students, parents, employees, other offices and community members and either responds to the need or makes the appropriate referral.
• Provides clerical support including but not limited to; writing letters and emails, preparing responses to correspondence, and creating meeting agendas and maintaining minutes. Manages the DEI and HR departmental email inboxes.
• Oversees the maintenance of office physical files. Adds, organizes, and updates information as needed or requested. 
• Provides technical support including but not limited to; managing the google calendar for the VP of DEI, scheduling meetings and room reservations for the departments.
• Creates reports and spreadsheets to track departmental  data and handles sensitive and confidential information accurately and appropriately. 
• Maintain and update employee or student information in appropriate systems. 
• Manages the launch and tracking of online training for students and employees in partnership with our online training vendor.
• Assists with travel arrangements as necessary. Maintains/orders office supply inventory and distributes mail. 
• Assists with a variety of employee and student events.
• Prioritizes the office workload and works collaboratively with colleagues to meet assigned deadlines. 
• Handles the invoice management, budget tracking and purchase card reconciliation for all department members.
• Assists with special projects by serving as the project manager, setting goals, monitoring progress, staying within budget and meeting assigned deliverables. 
• Maintains and updates the DEI department social media and partners with the communication and marketing department to update information on DEI and HR departmental websites.
• Collaborates with other divisional staff as well as other offices throughout the campus.
• Contributes to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the departments by identifying process improvements and implementing best practices.
• Other administrative support duties as assigned.

Specific Duties for the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion

• Provides assistance and support during OISSS pre-orientations, orientations, welcome weeks and summer programs.
• Recruits, trains and supervises assigned student workers, ensuring adequate work projects and provides feedback on work outcomes.

Specific Duties for the Human Resources Office

• Assists with on-boarding of new employees entering necessary information into the HR system, scheduling orientation sessions, meeting with new employees to complete paperwork and assisting with transition issues.  
• Works with exiting employees to ensure benefits are ended or transitioned and all exit activities have occurred.
• Assists current and incoming Augustana students with the collection of materials for student employment and/or payroll.

Requirements:

Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or GED required. Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven experience in providing high-level administrative support, preferably in an academic or human resources environment. 
• Familiarity working with HR management software.

Skills & Abilities: 

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with individuals at all levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and other relevant software applications.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion and maintain confidentiality protocols.
• Detail-oriented, with a high degree of accuracy in work output.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion in working in a diverse community of students and colleagues. 

Working Conditions:

• This position is primarily office-based, with occasional requirements for off-site meetings or events.
• May be required to work occasional evenings or weekends to accommodate departmental activities or events.

Physical Requirements:  This position is located on campus, works in a traditional office environment, and requires significant presence out in the community to build and sustain relationships.  The below requirements are expected:

• Must be able to lift 25 pounds on a frequent basis. 
• Able to frequently move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Consistently operates a computer and other office machinery such as printer, copy machine, calculator, and other equipment.
• Must be able to listen, hear, speak, read, write, and concentrate.
• Must be able to climb stairs, bend, stoop, and stand for intermittently long periods of time.
• Must be able to exchange accurate information in person, or by video or phone.

Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time position with a 40 hour work week. Standard days and hours of work are Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On rare occasions, and with supervisory approval, overtime may be required. This position may occasionally be required to work outside of these standard hours to meet needs of employee groups. 

Special Requirements:  As key personnel representing the College to the campus this position requires excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to relate to a diverse campus population, and the ability and willingness to model the mission and high standard of behavior of Augustana College.  The successful candidate must pass a criminal background check. 

Additional Information:

Augustana College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Augustana College provides equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Note:  This job description is subject to change and is not designed to be a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by the employee.

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume along with contact information for three professional references.