Senior Administrative Assistant

Spelman College Portal•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Senior Administrative Assistant provides advanced administrative support within the Division of Student Affairs, reporting directly to the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs with a dotted line to the Dean of Students. This position plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation of the division by managing a broad range of complex, confidential, and time-sensitive tasks. The Senior Administrative Assistant will coordinate daily office functions, support divisional initiatives, and serve as a key liaison across departments. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and skilled at navigating a fast-paced, student-centered environment.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will possess a high school diploma and at least five years of relevant administrative experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
This position requires a strong customer service focus, along with excellent communication and time management skills.
A professional demeanor and the ability to interact with students, families, faculty, staff, and external partners with diplomacy and tact are essential.
The successful candidate must be able to exercise independent judgment to plan, prioritize, and manage a diverse workload with close attention to detail.
They should be comfortable performing multiple tasks simultaneously, often with limited supervision.
Strong oral and written communication skills are required.
The candidate must be capable of effectively conveying information and responding to inquiries in both individual and group settings.
They should also be able to draft business correspondence, compose memos and emails, and read, interpret, and apply information from a variety of documents such as safety rules, operating instructions, and procedural manuals.
Excellent proofreading skills are critical.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is required, including the ability to create mail merges, fliers, forms, and spreadsheets using formulas.

Nice To Haves

Completion of some college coursework is preferred.
Familiarity with Microsoft Outlook, internet research tools, and the Banner Financial Module is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide advanced administrative support for core departmental functions, including: Processing sensitive and confidential information such as student payroll, evaluations, registration, and insurance records.
Manage databases (generate standard and ad hoc reports as needed).
Conduct internet-based research for departmental projects and initiatives.
Oversee and facilitate departmental budgets within Student Life.
Serve as the initial point of contact for the department by welcoming students, faculty, staff, and visitors, addressing their inquiries and directing calls.
Coordinate travel arrangements for faculty, staff, and students.
Process purchases and check requests while maintaining thorough documentation and electronic files of this task.
Support inventory management by ordering and tracking office supplies, instructional materials, and equipment.
Assist with the preparation and tracking of proposals and budgets, including obtaining necessary signatures and routing documents for approval.
Perform general clerical duties such as photocopying, data entry, and drafting correspondence (e.g., letters, reports, proposals, and forms).
Make arrangements for visitors to the department (for example, reserve local hotel rooms, parking arrangements)
Prepare information for the department and/or supervisor(s) as requested
Prepare periodic newsletters and/or flyers for distribution in the department
Provide comprehensive administrative assistance and support to the AVP in the department
Reserve facilities for meetings and coordinate meals and/or refreshments
Monitor the status of the facilities (classrooms, laboratories, office area) and make arrangements for needed repairs ( e.g., notify Facilities Management if something is not functioning properly)
Schedule appointments for the director and manage the department calendar
Coordinate mail and express shipping receipt and delivery, including collecting and distributing faculty mail on a daily and timely basis.
Process faxes, e-mails, and web-based applications and materials
May provide general instructions to general college students.