Administrative Assistant

Furman University•Lexington, MA

About The Position

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman University provides courses, social opportunities, travel, and other enrichment programs for senior adults in the Greenville area. The small staff is supported by a large group of volunteers. OLLI@Furman is one of the largest programs of its kind in the US. The Department Assistant is responsible for providing general administrative support to all operations and staff members of OLLI and reports to the Director of OLLI. Work includes but is not limited to: keeping the OLLI office and Herring Center running smoothly; working with a large population of retired people; managing volunteers; working with an online course registration system; updating lists and Excel sheets; receiving visitors and callers; ordering office supplies; creating documents and correspondence; and hiring and managing student workers.

Requirements

High school graduate with 3-5 years related experience required.
Excellent customer service skills including active listening, empathy, and proactive problem solving.
Strong organizational and communications skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
Experience in, or ability to learn, Noodle registration software.
Must be flexible and able to work through frequent interruptions.

Nice To Haves

Some college or technical school preferred. College graduate a plus.
Experience in a nonprofit setting, managing volunteers, and/or working with senior adults a plus.

Responsibilities

Foster a culture of excellent customer service to all who call, write, and visit the OLLI office.
Train and Manage office volunteers.
Work with Program Coordinator for Enrichment to identify new volunteers and plan appreciation events.
Train new volunteers and provide additional training and information to returning volunteers.
Develop volunteer schedule to cover busy times.
Hire, train, and manage student workers.
Coordinate with Student Employment office to identify appropriate student workers in accordance with Furman policy; complete all required onboarding; manage their setup in Workday software as OLLI employees.
Train student office workers in administrative work, including nametags, registration and payment process, parking stickers, telephone etiquette, coffee bar protocols, etc.
Identify areas for improvement and counsel appropriately.
Assist in presenting a full calendar of Friday Bonus Events for each of 4 OLLI terms.
Coordinate with volunteer leader of Bonus Event committee and Program Coordinator for Instruction to develop event calendar.
Reserve space for events.
Edit event descriptions as needed and enter in Noodle registration software.
Assist Director in overseeing building operations of the Herring Center for Continuing Education.
Represent the Herring Center at monthly campus events meetings.
Maintain building schedule in 25Live software for OLLI classes and events.
Act as liaison with Conference and Event Services in renting space to outside groups.
Manage maintenance work orders using Asset Essentials software.
Monitor custodial work, sharing any concerns with custodial manager.
Manage parking permit distribution process.
Coordinate with Furman University Police to order and process OLLI parking permits.
Develop process to gather required information from members.
Supervise student workers entering member information into parking system.
Create document outlining OLLI member parking options on campus.
Address member parking questions and concerns.
Develop distribution system for Furman Wi-Fi passwords to OLLI instructors.
Coordinate with IT department to receive passwords and turn in completed forms.
Plan for distribution of passwords to instructors at the beginning of each term.
Assist in production of Straight Talk Summer Lecture Series.
Develop and manage ticket sales process.
Maintain list of ticket purchasers and special guests.
Maintain inventory of office supplies, considering budget and anticipating needs.
Ensure general OLLI member satisfaction.
Oversee coffee bar operations, utilizing student workers and volunteers.
Respond appropriately to member questions and concerns.
Send cards as appropriate to members who are sick, grieving, or experiencing other important events.
Become certified to drive van and assist with OLLI travel events when needed.
Complete performance review process with supervisor to understand job performance expectations and how they fit into department and university goals.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of OLLI in support of the goals and objectives of the Department.