Office and Finance Coordinator

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY

Housed within the Sanford School of Public Policy, the Hart Leadership Program prepares and inspires undergraduate students to practice the art of ethical leadership in public life. In addition to academic classes, program offerings include internships, fellowships, and co-curricular leadership projects at Duke, in Durham, and in communities across North Carolina and around the world. The mission of the Hart Leadership Program (HLP) is to teach Duke undergraduates how to practice ethical leadership by fostering community-based action, research with a civic mission, and collaborative practices that build genuinely public goods.

The HLP Office and Finance Coordinator reports to the director and is responsible for the financial management of the program, coordinating the daily multi-faceted functions of the HLP office, and for providing administrative support to the staff and faculty of the program. The Office and Finance Coordinator also provides support for special projects assigned by the director. The Office and Finance Coordinator must be comfortable working both independently and as part of a fast-paced, tightly-coordinated team. We seek candidates who are dependable, hardworking, energetic and creative, have excellent people skills, and are thorough and careful in their attention to detail.  

WORK PERFORMED

Financial Management

• Manage the financial planning, bookkeeping, accounting, budgeting, and reporting for the Hart Leadership Program. Specific tasks include a range of accounting functions, tracking and reconciling expenditures, preparing monthly financial reports, monitoring fund codes, processing reimbursements, issuing payments and processing internal transfers, and preparing periodic endowment reports.
• Work closely with the director to create the annual unit budget and with program staff to prepare and track program budgets.
• Coordinate with Sanford School Development office regarding donations and donor stewardship.
• Support faculty and students on financial reporting and expense reconciliation.
• Contract and maintain relationships with a range of vendors for catering, equipment rentals, printing, and other services as needed.

Office Coordination

• Maintain the smooth functioning of the Hart Leadership Program office, including providing unfailingly reliable front-desk services, ordering supplies and materials, answering phone and email queries, drafting correspondence, coordinating mailings, and keeping the office organized and welcoming.
• Serve as assistant to the HLP director and provide general support to the Program Coordinator and HLP faculty on an as-needed basis.
• Manage HLP’s databases, lists, shared program files, and leadership library. Specific tasks include ensuring accurate record keeping for student and alumni information, generating and updating contact lists, maintaining donor records, collecting and organizing course syllabi and other academic materials, ordering and cataloging books for the leadership library, maintaining an orderly and user-friendly library infrastructure, and tracking library lending.
• Liaise with the Sanford IT and Facilities departments on technology and building needs.
• Oversee the Hart Leadership hallway gallery and bulletin board displays.

Program and Academic Support

• Provide academic support for faculty and the program, including updating course descriptions, maintaining teaching records, assisting the director in academic planning, and assisting faculty with academic support tasks as needed.
• Work with HR Manager and HR Assistant to hire student program assistants, coordinate offer letters for adjunct faculty, and coordinate logistics and onboarding for new staff hires.
• Assist the director and Program Coordinator in various aspects of administering HLP’s experiential learning programs, including making travel arrangements for Hart Fellows, orienting Hart Fellows to financial reporting procedures, tracking and processing stipend disbursement, and coordinating local travel for community engagement activities.
• Coordinate logistics (travel, parking passes, itineraries, honoraria) for visiting speakers, adjunct faculty, and other guests of HLP. Reserve rooms for meetings and events, and welcome visitors.

Event Planning and Logistics

• Coordinate planning and logistics for all Hart Leadership Program events in tandem with the Program Coordinator and student workers, including program information sessions and orientations, graduation breakfasts, program symposia and conferences, receptions and dinners with visiting dignitaries, and other occasional events.
• Manage catering, facilities setup, materials preparation, invitations/promotion, travel, vendors, and day-of preparation and cleanup for all HLP-sponsored events.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified.

DEPARTMENTAL PREFERENCES

Education/Training

Work requires a broad knowledge of academic services, accounting principles and practices, and administrative skills normally acquired from a four-year college degree, though comparable training without a degree will be considered.

Experience

Work generally requires four years of related experience to acquire the skills necessary to administer complex office functions related to office management, programmatic support, and budgetary/ accounting activities. 

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATON AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

In addition, the successful candidate will possess the following qualities/attributes:

• Excellent organizational, planning, and project management and implementation skills
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Proficiency with Excel, Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, WordPress, Canva, and Google suite
• Ability to interact well with undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, visiting dignitaries, prospective donors, and other (internal and external) partners
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, conforming to the highest standards of professionalism
• Ability to work efficiently and independently, while knowing when to consult key collaborators and when to prioritize consultation over expediency
• Candidates should be highly motivated, have the ability to work under pressure against multiple deadlines, and be able to coordinate multiple simultaneous projects efficiently and effectively
• An eagerness to find solutions, collaborate with a team, and share both work and credit
• Knowledge of Duke SAS accounting system, Concur, SAP, and payroll practices, or comparable systems and software.
• Abiding interest in the work of the Hart Leadership Program and ability to describe the mission, scope, and values of our work

• Experience and knowledge of the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Duke community a plus, though not required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Work requires a broad knowledge of clerical and accounting principles and practices normally acquired through two years of post-secondary education in secretarial science or a related business field.

Experience

Work generally requires four years of related secretarial/clerical experience to acquire skills necessary to administer complex office functions related to office management, communications, and budgetary/accounting activities.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.