Senior Administrative Assistant

Reporting to the Administrative Service Specialist, provide administrative support to the Dean of Students' areas. Serve as a front-line contact for concerns and direct inquiries from faculty, staff, and students as appropriate. Provide students with general information regarding an array of institutional policies and procedures. Triage questions and concerns that come to Student Life and the Dean of Students, in person, by phone, or by email. Manage multiple administrative processes within the Dean of Students, including daily academic support letters, health leaves and returns, Basic Needs Program requests, and supporting the Parents’ Council and Chaplains Association.

Duties/Responsibilities

Community Resource (25%)

Serve as front-line staff in the Student Life and the Dean of Student Office for questions and concerns. Utilize institutional knowledge to appropriately direct and refer students and their families who contact Student Life and the Dean of Students for concerns. Use customer service skills to calm and reassure frustrated constituents and de-escalate potentially challenging situations. Exercise discretion, sound judgement, and empathy when interacting with faculty, staff, parents, and students on sensitive issues ranging in nature from the death of a student, the death or illness of a family member or friend, students in crisis, medical issues, or financial issues.

Administrative Management (25%)

Provide administrative leadership for several complex processes within the Dean of Students area. This includes (1) managing the Student Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities revision process, (2) facilitating the distribution of academic intervention letters to faculty, (3) collecting and managing documentation related to student requests for Health Leaves, and (4) facilitating the disbursal of Basic Needs programs.

Administrative Support (20%)

Provide administrative support for day-to-day processes in Student Life, including calendar management, scheduling, reviewing copy, attending meetings, and recording the proceedings, supporting professional staff hiring processes, managing paperwork, updating the website, assisting with purchasing and budgeting, managing office supplies, and organizing digital documentation.

New Student and Family Programs (10%)

Provide more dedicated support to New Student Family Programs initiatives such as June Orientation, Wildcat Days, Family Weekend, and Parents’ Council during peak times of the year.

Student Employee Oversight (10%)

Provide supervision to student office assistants in Student Life and the Dean of Students area. Perform evaluations as appropriate, assist with hiring, and provide ongoing oversight and management to ensure that student employees are completing their tasks successfully.

Committee Work and Other (10%)

Serve as a member of UNH committees on behalf of Student Life and the Dean of Students as requested—other duties as assigned.

Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience:

• High School diploma or equivalent and two years of experience in clerical/office support work.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong MS Office skills

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students, as well as the general public

• Ability to work with sensitive information

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree

• Experience working with college students or working in a college setting

• Knowledge of various standard software systems

Applicant Instructions

Applicants should be prepared to upload the following documents when applying online within the Resume/Cover Letter section of your application:

• Resume/CV 

• Cover Letter 

• Contact Information for 3 Professional References 

Applications that are missing any of the required items may not move forward for consideration.  Additional uploaded documents not requested in the position announcement will not be reviewed.  

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshi