Executive Assistant and Finance Operations Specialist

Beloit College•Beloit, WI

About The Position

The Executive Assistant and Finance Operations Specialist provides executive support to Beloit College's Vice President for Finance, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer and coordinates the daily operations of the Financial Services office. The role maintains organized processes and records for contracts, institutional risk management, and insurance; tracks deadlines and follow-up; and helps campus colleagues obtain timely guidance from appropriate decision makers. It supports the College's educational mission through careful administration, responsive service, and sound stewardship of information and resources. The position serves as a key point of contact for the Vice President and the College community, supports correspondence and communications, prepares materials for Board of Trustees committees, maintains office and committee records, and manages the Vice President's calendar and meetings. It also handles purchasing operations, including processing requisitions and purchase orders, researching suppliers, supporting procurement decisions, maintaining purchasing records and systems, coordinating with Accounts Payable, and administering the Corporate Card Program.

Requirements

Five or more years of experience providing administrative support, including two or more years supporting an executive.
Experience working with purchasing software.
Exceptional organizational skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, specifically Excel and Word.
Ability to understand and appreciate the mission of a residential, liberal arts college and work well in a fast-paced office with people from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to contribute to welcoming learning and work environments for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Ability to negotiate persuasively and successfully.
Knowledge of common business practices relating to purchasing, pricing, terms, and payment of goods and services.
Ability to explain complex policies and processes to College employees and vendors.
Ability to negotiate and analyze pricing and quality.
Working knowledge of evaluating specifications, contracts, and proposals and making independent purchasing decisions.
Ability to work independently and prioritize varied tasks.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and proofreading.
Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing activities, expectations, and responsibilities.
Excellent problem-solving skills, including critical thinking and the ability to prioritize, plan, organize multiple tasks and projects, and meet deadlines without constant supervision.
Knowledge of customer service standards and ability to communicate effectively with faculty, administrators, staff, students, students' families, prospective students and their families, and the general public.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and safeguard confidential records.
Willingness to identify improvements in personal and office performance and initiate proposals to enhance office work.

Nice To Haves

Experience preparing official minutes and taking notes is strongly preferred.
An associate or bachelor's degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for the Vice President and, at times, act as their proxy with a high level of professionalism.
Manage projects and workload independently and communicate effectively in writing and verbally.
Respond to inquiries from faculty, staff, students, Board of Trustees members, and others about the Vice President and areas of responsibility.
Prepare and respond to correspondence, and draft letters and memoranda with the Vice President.
Create, produce, and distribute reports, documents, and presentations with the Vice President.
Assist in drafting agendas and supporting documents for the Board of Trustees Finance, Audit & Risk Management, and Physical Asset Management committees.
Prepare accurate minutes for assigned Board committee meetings and help ensure important issues and actions are executed.
Create and maintain records and files for the Vice President's office, trustee committees, bond issues, and powerhouse tax credits.
Assist with compliance documents and ensure timely submissions to creditors.
Manage the Vice President's calendar; coordinate schedules; make appointments; arrange meetings and events; prepare agendas; and reserve and prepare facilities.
Learn and independently apply the College's purchasing procedures and policies for ongoing operations and projects.
Serve as the initial contact for the College community regarding electronic processing of purchase requisitions and purchase orders.
Work with the Finance team to determine procurement methods, including competitive bids, sole-source acquisitions, requests for bid proposals, and direct negotiations.
Research supply sources and locate and contact vendors and suppliers.
Conduct market analysis and customer needs assessments to identify contracting possibilities.
Review purchase requisitions and verify that required documentation and approvals have been submitted.
Administer purchase orders, including obtaining vendor quotes, generating and distributing purchase orders, and reconciling outstanding orders.
Maintain the accuracy of the purchasing module, process new vendors, and update existing vendor records.
Develop, administer, and communicate procurement systems policies and procedures to the campus community.
Work with Accounts Payable to ensure purchase-order documentation is accurate for payment.
Serve as liaison between vendors and customers.
Administer the Corporate Card Program.