Reporting to the Assistant Director of Administration, the Staff Assistant III serves as the receptionist for the busy administrative offices of the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
Position Description
The Staff Assistant III is the first point of contact for all general inquiries and is responsible for triaging phone calls, welcoming and assisting all visitors, and answering any inquiries received by the general Harvard Griffin GSAS email account. The Staff Assistant III stays current on all Harvard Griffin GSAS programs and events in order to provide excellent customer service to all Harvard Griffin GSAS students, staff, and faculty.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Answers the main Harvard Griffin GSAS phoneline, refers calls to other departments both internal within and external to Harvard Griffin GSAS.
Provides guidance to prospective and current students regarding dates and deadlines and general Harvard Griffin GSAS and University policies and procedures.
Welcomes and assists visitors to the Harvard Griffin GSAS administrative offices located at Smith Campus Center.
May provide administrative support to the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid and Dean of Administration and Finance, which includes calendar management, drafting email correspondence, preparing mail-merges for bulk mailing, preparing materials for meetings, tracking follow-up action items from meetings, tracking and preparing for upcoming events/deadlines/milestones.
Responds to email inquiries received by the general Harvard Griffin GSAS email account and serves as the backup for the financial aid general email account.
Drafts safety and security protocols as a member of the Front Desk team.
Creates, updates, and maintains all Front Desk documentation, including information related to the phone system, emails, mail, and safety and security.
Creates and maintains the Front Desk Daily Log, which documents all the current and upcoming Harvard Griffin GSAS events and happenings including protocols.
Sorts and distributes mail for the Harvard Griffin GSAS staff.
Monitors all incoming and outgoing packages and notifies staff of packages to be picked up at the front desk.
Trains new Harvard Griffin GSAS employees on the alarm system and trains new staff on how to provide front desk coverage.
Assists the Administrative team with building requests for maintenance, event planning for Harvard Griffin GSAS staff events and outings, and manages the lunch coverage schedule.
May perform other duties as assigned.
Basic Qualifications
Minimum two years' experience in high volume customer service area with diverse populations.
Additional Qualifications and Skills
Punctuality and reliability are essential.
Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to respond to a variety of constituents in a highly professional manner.
Prior office and customer service experience, including phone support, preferably in a university environment.
Strong organizational skills and ability to handle details with accuracy in a fast-paced setting.
Self-motivated and ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
Additional Information
A cover letter is highly encouraged to be considered.
We are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
All formal offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.
About Us
Harvard Griffin GSAS is where scholarship and innovation meet, where ideas are challenged and theories developed, where new knowledge is created, and where scholars emerge. The mission of Harvard Griffin GSAS is to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community, and to shape them into visionary scholars, innovative educators, and creative leaders
Benefits
We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:
Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.
LinkedIn Recruiter Tag (for internal use only)
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Department Office Location: USA - MA - Cambridge
Job Code: 403033 Staff Assistant III
Job Function: General Administration
Work Format: On-Site
Sub Unit: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Salary Grade: 053
Department: Harvard Griffin GSAS
Union: 55 - Hvd Union Cler & Tech Workers
Time Status: Full-time
Pre-Employment Screening: Identity
Commitment to Equity Diversity Inclusion and Belonging: Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
EOE Statement: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.
