Operations Administrative Specialist: Natalie L Haslam College of Music - UTK

This position reports to the Director of Finance and Administration and serves as the operational coordinator and primary administrative hub for the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music. Located in the Dean’s Suite, this role simultaneously manages three core operational areas: front-facing reception and visitor engagement, functional oversight and training of student employees assigned to the Dean’s Suite, and continuity support for Finance & Administration workflows. The position applies independent judgment to triage complex inquiries, route sensitive HR and financial matters, and ensure uninterrupted administrative operations across the college.

The role functions as the college’s institutional knowledge resource for daily administrative operations — proactively identifying workflow issues, developing and implementing student worker training programs, maintaining Finance & Administration continuity in the absence of coordinators, and serving as a knowledgeable bridge between the Dean’s Suite, academic departments, and external stakeholders. The complexity and breadth of these simultaneous operational responsibilities require substantial independent action and professional expertise across administrative, supervisory, and financial process domains. This position will also be cross trained in Academic and Faculty Affairs as well as Admissions and Student Engagement operations in order to maintain comprehensive understanding of the full student and faculty lifecycle and ensure continuity of administrative support across the college.

Because this position serves as the college’s primary public-facing service point, consistent on-site presence is required Monday through Friday during standard university business hours. Remote work is not available for this role.

40% Reception Operations & Visitor Engagement

• Assessing, triaging, and resolving complex inquiries from students, faculty, staff, visitors, and external partners, applying knowledge of college programs, academic structures, university systems, and administrative policies to provide accurate and complete information.

• Serving as the college’s primary information resource for multi-department navigation, independently directing individuals to appropriate departments, programs, or personnel.

• Managing all reception communications including phone calls, emails, and walk-in inquiries; independently resolving ambiguous or escalated visitor situations using institutional knowledge and professional judgment.

• Proactively monitoring reception workflows and visitor traffic patterns to identify operational gaps and implement process improvements that ensure timely responses and a professional, welcoming environment.

• Coordinating high-level visitor interactions with college leadership and administrative offices, exercising discretion and professional judgment in managing sensitive or confidential communications. 

• Maintaining comprehensive awareness of college programs, facilities, events, and services to ensure accurate and current information is provided to all stakeholders.

25% Student Worker Coordination & Front Office Coverage

• Recruiting, onboarding, and developing comprehensive training curricula for student employees assigned to the front reception area, ensuring they are equipped to accurately represent the college and assist visitors effectively.

• Independently developing and maintaining student worker schedules to ensure consistent front desk coverage; adjusting coverage in response to operational needs with minimal supervisory input.

• Monitoring service quality on an ongoing basis, providing direct performance feedback and guidance to student workers, and implementing corrective measures as needed to maintain professional standards. 

• Independently evaluating student worker performance against established service expectations and initiating appropriate follow-up action, including escalation to the Director when necessary.

• Assigning, monitoring, and reviewing quality of administrative tasks completed by student assistants across multiple operational areas.

• Collaborating with the Director of Admissions and Student Engagement to align student worker knowledge with current academic programs, facilities, events, and services.

• Developing and maintaining onboarding materials, training guides, and informational resources that enable student workers to confidently assist guests and support college operations independently.