This position is fully in-person (not remote or
hybrid).
GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
Reporting to the Director of The Smith Institute, the
Administrative Assistant II provides comprehensive administrative,
operational, financial, and program support for the Institute’s
student success, career readiness, experiential learning,
leadership development, employer engagement, and postgraduate
readiness initiatives. The position serves as a central point of
coordination for students, faculty, staff, employers, alumni,
community partners, and other external constituents and helps
ensure that Institute programs and services are delivered with a
high level of professionalism, responsiveness, accuracy, and
student-centered service.
The Administrative Assistant II supports the Institute’s evolving
model of connecting students to purposeful career exploration,
leadership development, internships and other experiential learning
opportunities, professional development, employer engagement, and
pathways to employment and graduate or professional education. The
position also provides administrative support for Title III-funded
activities and is responsible for maintaining appropriate
documentation, records, purchasing materials, and other evidence
necessary to support institutional and grant-related
accountability.
This position is fully supported by Title III
grant funds and is contingent upon the availability and
continuation of grant funding. Duties may include grant-related
administrative support, expenditure tracking, documentation, data
collection, activity records, and assistance with required
reporting consistent with University and applicable grant
requirements.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provides high-level administrative support to the Director of
The Smith Institute and supports the day-to-day operations,
priorities, programs, and initiatives of the Institute.
Serves as a welcoming first point of contact for students,
employers, alumni, faculty, staff, community partners, and
visitors; responds to routine inquiries and appropriately routes
matters requiring professional or leadership attention.
Coordinates the Director’s calendar and assists with scheduling
meetings, appointments, partner engagements, student programs,
employer visits, and Institute events.
Supports the planning and execution of career readiness,
experiential learning, leadership development, employer engagement,
internship, postgraduate readiness, and student professional
development activities.
Provides logistical and administrative support for signature
Institute initiatives, including Career and Leadership Expo,
Leadership Institute, Undergraduate Research Institute,
employer-facing events, workshops, student engagement activities,
and other special programs.
Supports student engagement and follow-up by assisting with
communications, appointment coordination, event registration,
attendance records, participant rosters, surveys, and related
documentation.
Assists with the administration and routine use of career and
student-success technology platforms, including Handshake and other
University-approved systems, to support appointments, events,
employer engagement, student participation, and program
records.
Maintains accurate electronic and physical records for
Institute operations, student participation, employer and partner
engagement, experiential learning activities, events, expenditures,
and grant-supported activities in accordance with University
policies.
Supports data collection and routine reporting by compiling
participation, engagement, program, event, and service-delivery
information for the Director and other authorized
stakeholders.
Assists with Title III grant administration by organizing
supporting documentation, maintaining activity and expenditure
records, monitoring deadlines, and preparing materials needed for
internal and external reporting.
Supports departmental budget administration; tracks
expenditures and commitments, prepares and processes purchase
requisitions, invoices, reimbursements, and related documentation,
and assists the Director in monitoring budget activity.
Coordinates travel arrangements, meeting logistics, catering,
facilities, supplies, technology, and other resources needed for
Institute operations and programs.
Maintains employer, alumni, community, and campus partner
contact information and supports professional correspondence,
invitations, follow-up communications, and stewardship
activities.
Assists with communications and promotional coordination for
Institute programs, opportunities, deadlines, events, and student
resources in collaboration with appropriate University
offices.
Supports the coordination of internship, experiential learning,
leadership, and career-readiness opportunities by maintaining
records, tracking participation, and helping connect students with
the appropriate Institute staff member or campus resource.
Handles student and institutional information with discretion
and maintains confidentiality in accordance with FERPA, University
policy, and applicable grant requirements.
Provides administrative support for assessment and continuous
improvement efforts, including survey administration, collection of
participation data, documentation of outcomes, and maintenance of
evidence files.
Coordinates multiple concurrent projects and deadlines in a
fast-paced, student-facing environment and proactively identifies
administrative needs that support the effectiveness of the
Institute.
Provides administrative coverage and operational support for
the Institute as needed, including coordination with student
employees and front-desk coverage.
Participates in University and divisional meetings, trainings,
events, and professional development as assigned.
Performs other duties as assigned to support the mission,
goals, and evolving priorities of The Smith Institute and Johnson
C. Smith University.
Maintain accurate and secure records of all Title IX reports,
investigations, and outcomes.
Prepare reports and documentation for internal leadership,
audits, and accreditation purposes.
Support institutional readiness for external reviews, including
compliance audits and accreditation processes.
Collaborate with campus partners, including Human Resources,
Campus Safety, Athletics, Academic Affairs, and other relevant
University units.
Provide regular updates and escalate high-risk matters to the
Senior Vice President for Strategic Enrollment and Retention
Management and other senior leadership, as appropriate.
Promote a campus environment that supports equity, safety, and
compliance.
MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Demonstrated commitment to student success, career readiness,
experiential learning, leadership development, and high-quality
constituent service. Must possess excellent organizational,
time-management, and project-coordination skills, with the ability
to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively. Strong
written, oral, interpersonal, and professional communication skills
are required, along with the ability to interact effectively with
students, faculty, staff, senior leaders, employers, alumni, and
community partners. Requires a high level of accuracy, attention to
detail, follow-through, discretion, and sound judgment, including
the ability to maintain confidential student, personnel, financial,
and grant-related information. Proficiency with Microsoft 365
applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and
Teams, as well as Canva or similar graphic design platforms, is
required, along with the ability to learn and effectively utilize
University technology systems. Must be able to work with
spreadsheets, rosters, budgets, participation data, and routine
reports. Familiarity with Handshake, student success platforms, CRM
systems, event-management tools, or similar technologies is
preferred, as is knowledge of purchasing, budget tracking, grant
documentation, and higher education administrative processes. Must
demonstrate the ability to work independently, exercise initiative,
collaborate effectively as part of a team, adapt to changing
priorities, and support occasional evening or special-event
responsibilities as program needs require.
