Academic Coordinator, Chemistry

Job Posting Location:

Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title:

Academic Coordinator, Chemistry

Job Description:

ABOUT POMONA COLLEGE: Located near Los Angeles, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona College is known for small classes, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, and a range of student research and leadership opportunities. Pomona is a member of The Claremont Colleges.

JOB PURPOSE: The Academic Coordinator works independently, performing a broad range of highly skilled administrative and clerical functions for the department and serving as a resource for faculty, students, and other staff members. This position ensures the overall smooth functioning of the office and provides or coordinates student and faculty assistance as needed. This position answers phones, receives/sorts mail, maintains office supply inventory, coordinates correspondence related to faculty searches and reviews, assists faculty with expense reports and reimbursements, helps prepare and photocopy documents, arranges departmental events (e.g., seminars, workshops, dinners, receptions), coordinates travel for faculty and students, assists with preparing departmental reports, and helps the Chair coordinate scheduling of courses.  The Academic Coordinator is responsible for hiring, processing personnel paperwork for, and in some cases directly overseeing one or more student employees in the department.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Reporting directly to the Department Chair, the Academic Coordinator performs the following essential duties and responsibilities:

1. Provide a broad range of administrative and secretarial support for the department.

• Maintain student database and create templates for using the data for the program documents and the distribution of information.  Produce final documents formatted with correct spelling, syllabication, punctuation, and grammar with materials that may be of a technical or confidential nature and/or contain non-English language.
• Attend department meetings and take notes.
• Monitor and assist in drafting department budgets and process budget documentation.
• Provide support for department labs and lab supply ordering as necessary.
• Collect, compile, and analyze information.  Prepare agendas and support materials for conferences, committees, and meetings.  Coordinate special projects.
• Respond independently to inquiries requiring knowledge of policies and guidelines.
• Ensure that requests for action and/or information are relayed to the appropriate staff or faculty as needed.  Interpret requests and help implement action; make sure that information is furnished in a timely manner; decide whether faculty or administrators should be notified of important or emergency matters.
• Coordinate program schedules, room assignments, student registration, and other programmatic processes.
• Support faculty teaching and research, including internal and external grants.
• Support faculty, staff, and students with travel grant tracking and reimbursements.
• Support faculty personnel reviews, faculty recruiting, annual reports, and program reviews.  Coordinate correspondences related to faculty searches and reviews.
• Assists faculty with expense reports and reimbursements.
• Arrange special departmental events (e.g., seminars, workshops, dinners, receptions).
• Assist the Chair in coordinating scheduling of courses.
• Maintains departmental physical and electronic information kiosks.
• Assists the Chair with P-Card reconciliation.

2. Perform clerical tasks for the department, such as:

• Schedule appointments and maintain calendars.
• Maintain office supply inventory and organize office purchases and supplies based on program needs.
• Maintain departmental and confidential files and records.
• Answer department phones, respond to inquiries, and route callers to the appropriate faculty or staff member.
• Duplicate (photocopy, scan, etc.) materials.
• Welcome visitors to the department.
• Receive and sort incoming mail.

3. Hire, process personnel paperwork for, and in some cases, directly oversee one or more student employees in the department.  Must complete the bi-annual AB 1825 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training as required by the State of California.

• Oversee payroll for students.

4. Coordinate special projects/tasks and provide assistance as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education/Licenses/Certificates: High School Diploma or GED is required, or equivalent combination of education and experience.  Two or more years of college or business school in office administration is preferred.

• Experience: A minimum of 5 years of general office experience with increasing responsibility in administrative, grant administration, and clerical assignments is required.  Word processing experience is required.  Experience working independently, taking initiative, and managing office functions is required, preferably at an academic institution.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND CRITICAL SKILLS: This position must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using other skills and abilities not listed below.

1. Deploy professional skills in managing an office and grant administration, in collaboration with colleagues, to best promote the College’s strategic interests.

• Make independent decisions occasionally.
• Know and understand how to supervise student employees.
• Know and understand the organization, policies, and procedures of the academic institution, and sometimes of a technical specialty.

2. Demonstrate effective, accurate, and clear communication with excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, reading, phone, customer service, and leadership skills to supervise, facilitate, motivate and inspire a highly diverse group of student employees. Follow all written and verbal instructions, asking questions as needed for clarification of projects/tasks/duties/assignments.

3. Operate computers proficiently with basic Microsoft Office software (such as Word, Excel, Outlook) and associated professional software (such as Workday, CourseDog, Drupal, Internet research, menu-driven databases).  Use assigned technology/devices/equipment to achieve annual goals and maintain confidentiality.

4. Handle all activities and highly confidential information with patience, discretion, good judgment, courtesy and tact while working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

5. Prioritize and perform multiple projects/tasks, meet deadlines/timelines, respond to others in a timely manner, and work both independently and as a collaborative member of the College with a high standard of integrity and ethics, in support of the College’s strategic vision and the division’s/department’s annual goals.

6. Use strong organizational and time management skills to complete work with accuracy and a keen attention to detail.

REQUIRED HOURS: The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, except during the designated summer period when office hours end at 4:30 pm.  Overtime, holiday, weekend, and evening work hours may be required. Regular hours may vary due to the needs of the College or division.

ADDITIONAL POSITION DETAILS: This is a regular, full-time, non-exempt position. The hourly rate for this role is between $25.00 to $33.00 per hour. The specific factors that the College will consider when offering a salary to an individual will include, but not be limited to education, training, relevant prior experience, and performance in prior roles. All staff positions are ineligible for visa or permanent resident card sponsorship. As a California employer, Pomona College requires all employees to be residents of California.

ADA/OSHA: This job description defines the essential job duties of this position.  The College expects that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others.  It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

DISCLAIMER: This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position.  When duties and responsibilities change and develop, the College will review this job description and make changes of business necessity.