CDO Operations Specialist

UR University of Richmond; United States; On-site; USD 29,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Richmond's Career Development Office seeks an Operations Specialist to oversee daily operations, greet visitors, manage spaces, and support career services for students and alumni.

In this role you will coordinate interdepartmental projects, manage events from logistics to budgets, maintain FERPA-compliant records, and ensure a professional, welcoming environment in a fast-paced law school setting. This position offers growth and exposure to legal recruitment operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3–5 years of administrative experience in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in a legal education or recruiting environment preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication and customer service skills.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion.
• Knowledge of budgeting, contracts and vendor management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee front-office operations: reception, calls, emails, and scheduling.
• Manage space, maintenance requests and inventory control.
• Coordinate interdepartmental projects and events with internal teams.
• Prepare and deliver custom budget reports and process contracts.
• Maintain FERPA-compliant records and confidential student information.
• Support SPSFP and other career programs with logistics and coordination.

Skills

Attention to detail

Oral and written communication

Organizational skills

Project management

Teamwork

Budgeting

Office software

12Twenty

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Banner

EMS

Cascade

MailChimp

Constant Contact

12Twenty

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Career Development Office (CDO) Operations Specialist oversees the strategic operations, complex coordination and professional execution of a diverse set of responsibilities integral to the creation and delivery of law student and alumni career and professional development services. The Operations Specialist manages the physical space within which the CDO is located, greets all visitors, ensures a professional and warm environment and works regularly with constituents including students, alumni, legal employers, and law school faculty and administration.

JOB DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Office Management (30%)

• Provides and ensures continuous in-person reception area and telephone coverage during business hours. Greets and directs visitors, answers and triages telephone calls, manages multiple email inboxes and calendars, and processes incoming mail.
• Oversees and maintains physical space and identifies and secures outside space as needed, to support the CDO’s mission
• Initiates and tracks office and equipment maintenance requests.
• Conducts environmental scanning to determine constituent pain points and frequently-asked-questions from visitors and shares that information with advising team to improve services.
• Develops and executes strategies to improve student engagement and the in-office experience for CDO visitors.
• Evaluates, purchases, and maintains career development resources.
• Selects, negotiates pricing, controls inventory and purchases supplies and promotional products (for employers and alumni) from vendors.
• Coordinates projects and priorities with other Law School departments and the University.
• Performs research, investigation, and coordination of special projects related to career and professional development as assigned by the Associate Dean.

Program and Event Management (30%)

• Designs, educates faculty and students, and manages the process for coordination and submission of judicial clerkship applications, including exercising independent judgment to customize confidential faculty letters of recommendation.
• Coordinates listings, applicants’ data, and documents between 12Twenty (LawQuest) and the Online System for Clerkship Applications and Review (OSCAR).
• Performs Law School’s annual OSCAR system maintenance.
• Maintains confidential student information and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) documentation.
• Develops process and application for annual Summer Public Service Fellowship Program (SPSFP) in coordination with internal and external partners.
• Interprets SPSFP requirements for students and employers using independent judgment.
• Manages faculty-led SPSFP discussion groups for all participants.
• Executes logistics for large-scale events for students, alumni and employers—including segments of new student orientation programs, small-group workshops, mock interviews, interviews, networking events, and receptions, in collaboration with the Associate Director for Career & Professional Development Programs.
• Tracks RSVPs, coordinates day-of logistics, and follows up with participants post-event.
• Collaborates with team to manage logistics for student advisory board meetings and projects.
• Communicates regularly with members and develops meeting agendas.
• Collaborates with the advising team to develop CDO policies and procedures while maintaining compliance with American Bar Association standards, National Association for Law Placement (NALP) principles and best practices.
• Schedules, assigns and communicates with students about 1L and 2L career advising required sessions.
• Supports law school staff and faculty in the use 12Twenty (LawQuest).
• Creates and delivers customized reports.

Communications (20%)

• Drafts, edits and maintains CDO signage, including flyers, posters, dedicated bulletin board and electronic message boards.
• Communicates with judges, law firm partners, corporate executives, government officials, alumni and other high-profile employer contacts regarding their recruiting needs.

Budget and Financial Management (20%)

• Collaborates with the Associate Dean on strategic planning for resource allocation and makes annual budget recommendations based on analysis of past spending.
• Manages all CDO budget accounts, including reviewing and reconciling expenses.
• Initiates, negotiates, and tracks departmental contracts.
• Enters new agreements into the University’s contract management system.
• Resolves invoice and payment issues directly with vendors.
• Develops and delivers custom budget reports.

CONTACTS

External Constituents: Law alumni and legal employers, including law firms, government and public interest organizations, corporations, and judges—to facilitate meeting their recruiting needs and/or to coordinate their participation in CDO professional development programs. Career development teams at other schools – to facilitate our participation in consortia programs, secure reciprocity for our students and/or share information regarding best practices. Law School faculty, administration and staff: Law school colleagues—to facilitate CDO events and operations, share information regarding students and alumni and learn more about law school initiatives of interest to current and prospective employers. Other University departments: Departments including Events, Communications, Facilities, Catering/Dining, Budget Office, Payroll, Student Accounts, Student Employment, Printing Services, Information Services, Parking Services, and Human Resources, among others – to facilitate CDO events and operations.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

The Operations Specialist will collaborate with the Assistant Director of Recruiting to train student employees. The Operations Specialist may supervise temporary administrative employees from time-to-time.

WORKING CONDITIONS / PHYSICAL EFFORT

The Operations Specialist will work in person in an office environment 100% of the time. They must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds. Standing for short periods also is required. Some night and weekend work, and some travel are required, particularly for career programs, special events, or external trainings.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Keen attention to detail and the ability to maintain accuracy while working through interruptions.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.
• Excellent organizational, project-management, problem-solving, interpersonal, and customer service skills.
• Strong judgment and the ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to perform well in a fast-paced professional setting.
• Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting and cost control procedures.
• Understanding of office maintenance principles and procedures, including services, equipment, supplies and inventory control.
• Flexibility and a sense of humor.
• Competency in Microsoft Office (especially Word, Outlook Excel, and PowerPoint); Banner; Banner Web; EMS; Cascade; MailChimp; Constant Contact; and 12Twenty software (or facility with web-based databases and contact management software generally).
• Education & Experience:
• Required: Bachelor's degree, plus 3 - 5 years of administrative experience in a fast-paced environment. Project management experience.
• Preferred: Experience in a legal environment to include law practice, legal education or legal recruiting/hiring.

PAY, HOURS & LOCATION

Pay Grade: 5 Hourly Full-time with Benefits, Non-exempt Rate $21.09 to $27.95

SCHEDULED Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm; 38.75 hours per week.

Located just minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND

The mission of the University of Richmond is to educate in an academically challenging, intellectually vibrant, and collaborative community dedicated to the holistic development of students and the production of scholarly and creative work. A Richmond education prepares students for lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership in a diverse world. Our strategic priorities are academic excellence, belonging and community, access and affordability, well-being, and experiential learning and community engagement. These priorities, coupled with strong benefits, makes the University of Richmond an employer of choice in the Richmond area.

UR is a private, highly selective, liberal arts university with a welcoming spirit that prizes diversity of experience and thought. With more than 60 undergraduate majors and an average undergraduate class size of 15 students, the University provides a collaborative learning and research environment unlike any other in higher education, offering students an extraordinary combination of the liberal arts with law, business, leadership studies, and continuing education. The University of Richmond ranks number 30 among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges by US News and World Report, one of many accolades that showcases Richmond as a premiere place to grow professionally and personally.