CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1 - (Provisional) CUNY Beyond

City University of New York; New York, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 37,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

City University of New York—Queensborough Community College seeks a CUNY Office Assistant to support the CUNY Beyond Hub and front desk operations. You will welcome students, handle intake, assist staff, and maintain organized records while providing information on career services and related programs.

The role requires strong communication, organization, and computer skills, with duties spanning reception, scheduling, documentation, and coordination with multiple departments within a busy

Qualifications

• Four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.
• Two years of general office work experience, or the approved alternatives.
• Passage of a qualifying Work Experience Test.
• English language proficiency required.

Responsibilities

• Welcome students and visitors; answer inquiries in person, over the phone, and via email.
• Conduct initial intake, record visit reasons, and route to appropriate staff.
• Schedule and manage appointments; maintain front desk coverage.
• Provide information on Hub services, workshops, and resources.
• Maintain files and assist with purchasing, reimbursement, and clerical tasks.

Skills

Office support

Customer service

Organization

Communication

MS Word

MS Excel

MS Outlook

MS Teams

Data entry

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

One year of full-time work + 30 college credits

Associate degree or 60 credits

Tools

CUNYfirst

EAB Navigate

Handshake

Job description

CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1 - (Provisional) CUNY Beyond

GENERAL DUTIES

Assignment Level 1, 2 and 3 - Under supervision, performs office or secretarial work in various units, following relevant departmental, College, and University procedures. Typical duties are outlined below:

• Types and prints materials such as letters, memoranda, forms, purchase orders and vouchers, using typewriter/word processor/personal computers and all peripheral equipment.

• Proofreads typed material for accuracy, correcting errors as necessary.

• Uses commercial office software packages in typing, data entry, filing, updating files, and preparing various reports.

• Collects information or data from various sources; files and retrieves books, documents and/or data as needed. Updates existing files.

• Creates filing systems.

• Maintains departmental records; keeps separate confidential records when instructed.

• Retrieves and formats computerized data.

• With proper training, may take dictation and transcribe notes (written or recorded).

• Prepares and proposes various forms, e.g., financial aid applications, personnel papers and other college forms.

Communications and Customer Service

• Provides information, as directed, to faculty, students, employees, and the general public.

• Responds to routine inquires regarding departmental affairs.

• Answers telephone calls; screens incoming calls and forwards/refers calls; assists in maintaining up-to-date mailing and telephone directories.

• Provides receptionist services; sets up appointments; keeps calendars; refers students, faculty, other CUNY employees and general public to proper areas or persons.

• Furnishes information on the department’s rules and regulations, when authorized.

• Assists with arrangements for special events (e.g., conferences, reservations of rooms, travel arrangements, catering services, informing the relevant departments/units, etc.)

• Interviews and supervises College Assistants, College Work Study Students, Student Aides, Summer Interns, Volunteers, etc.

• Assists in training new employees in various office duties/use of office machines.

• Communicates with other academic or administrative departments or outside agencies to expedite the processing of work.

Transaction Processing

• Prepares routine reports, including drafts, using information received from various sources.

• Receives and processes financial transactions following prescribed procedures (e.g., tuition payments, library fines).

• Processes purchase orders and supply orders; verifies deliveries.

• Verifies inventory and supplies reports on request.

• Completes Time & Leave calculations and keeps up-to-date records.

• Assists supervisors in specialized office functions, e.g., fingerprinting, I-9, reference and background checking, unemployment insurance.

• Calculates payroll figures; verifies amounts on financial forms; prepares deposit records; refunds authorizations, and similar documents; keeps related records.

• Makes routine petty cash purchases and disbursements, and maintains petty cash account; keeps necessary records.

• Receives mail for the unit/department/college and distributes it among the proper persons; may sort mail per instructions.

• Prepare the department/unit/college mailings within or outside CUNY, arranging special mail services when authorized.

• Duplicates, collates and distributes materials. Coordinates the work of others to produce and distribute materials; confers with printing department and mailroom personnel as needed.

• Assists in preparing and distributing materials such as recruitment documents.

• Assists in registration activities within the department or as assigned; when authorized, processes drop/add and over tally requests for course registration.

Other

• Performs routine upkeep of office machines, e.g., photocopier, typewriter, computer terminals, printers, fax machines.

• May serve on committees when authorized.

Assignment Level 4 - Under supervision, performs moderately complex office or secretarial work in various units of CUNY. Perform tasks at assignment Level I, at a more complex or responsibility level or with significant expertise and masterly performance.

______________________________

Levels 1, 2 and 3 are contractual pay steps based on length of employment. Employees are not given additional responsibilities when moving from Level 1 to Level 2 or from Level 2 to Level 3. However, Assignment Level 4 is an assignment level based on duties performed and is discretionary.

CONTRACT TITLE

CUNY Office Assistant

FLSA

Non-exempt

CAMPUS SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Queensborough Community College seeks a CUNY Office Assistant to support CUNY Beyond, the University's five-year career success strategy that integrates career preparation, work-based learning, and employer engagement across all undergraduate degrees. CUNY Beyond aims to connect 180,000 New Yorkers to careers by 2030, triple the number of students in paid internships, increase employer recruitment of CUNY graduates by 20%, and ensure that 80% of graduates secure at least a year of consistent employment at a living wage.

The CUNY Office Assistant provides administrative and clerical support to Queensborough Community College’s CUNY Beyond Hub, which houses Career Services, Transfer Services, RISE, and the CUNY Beyond team. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President and Chief Careers and Industry Partnerships Officer, the assistant supports daily Hub operations and the AVP’s office, serving at the front desk and on the student intake team.

As an initial point of contact, the assistant welcomes students and visitors, gathers basic information about their needs, and connects them with the appropriate staff, services, and opportunities. The position helps maintain an organized, responsive, and accessible Hub that supports students’ career preparation, transfer planning, and participation in career-connected learning.

Front Desk and Student Intake

• Welcome students, faculty, staff, employers, and other visitors; answer telephone calls and respond to routine inquiries in person and through shared email accounts.

• Conduct initial intake using established forms and procedures; record the reason for the visit, assist with check-in, and route students to Career Services, Transfer Services, CUNY Beyond staff, or other campus resources.

• Schedule, confirm, and reschedule appointments; communicate staff availability and assist with managing walk-in traffic and student wait times.

• Provide accurate information about Hub services, office hours, workshops, transfer activities, internship and employment resources, and upcoming programs using staff-approved materials.

• Help students access appointment systems, registration links, and basic service forms; refer advising questions, complex concerns, and sensitive matters to the appropriate professional staff.

• Maintain an orderly reception area with current handouts, signage, and resource materials; support consistent front desk coverage in coordination with the Hub team.

Administrative Support to the Hub and AVP

• Assist with the AVP’s calendar, meeting scheduling, room reservations, meeting invitations, and preparation of agendas and supporting materials.

• Prepare, format, proofread, and distribute routine correspondence, meeting notes, presentations, forms, and other documents as directed.

• Maintain electronic and paper files, contact lists, shared calendars, and administrative trackers; organize materials for timely retrieval and follow-up.

• Assist with purchasing and reimbursement paperwork, supply requests, invoice routing, and related clerical processes under established college procedures.

• Work collaboratively across the Hub to support shared procedures and timely service, and perform related duties consistent with the CUNY Office Assistant title and assigned level.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Proof of meeting requirements 1 – 4 is needed before the close of a Civil Service Examination filing period. You may be asked to provide proof of meeting these requirements at any time between your application and the close of the filing period.

1. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent

2. Two (2) years of experience performing general office work, which may be met by one of the following:

A) Two (2) years of satisfactory, full-time experience performing general office work; or

B) One (1) year of satisfactory, full-time experience performing general office work and 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university; or

C) An associate’s degree or 60 college credits from an accredited college or university.

1. Passage of a qualifying Work Experience Test.

2. English Language Proficiency. All candidates must be able to speak, read, write, and comprehend the English Language. English proficiency will be evaluated at the time of interview.

CUNY considers full-time work to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience of at least 20 hours per week may be prorated by half and credited instead of, but not in addition to, full-time experience during the same period (e.g., two month’s related work experience at 20-34 hours per week equate to one month’s full-time related work experience.) Part-time experience of fewer than 20 hours per week will NOT be credited at all.

The high school diploma or its educational equivalent must be approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization. The college or university must be accredited by regional, national, professional, or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing office support and customer service in a college, student services office, or other busy public-facing setting.

• Strong organization, attention to detail, written and verbal communication, and ability to manage competing tasks and follow through on requests.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams; experience with scheduling, data entry, and electronic records. Familiarity with CUNYfirst, EAB Navigate, or Handshake is an asset.

COMPENSATION

*New Hire Salary: $36,700

Incumbent Salary: $41,472

• This amount reflects a 13% salary suppression in effect for the first 24 months of employment only.

BENEFITS

CUNY offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and eligible dependents based on job title and classification. Employees are also offered pension and Tax-Deferred Savings Plans. Part-time employees must meet a weekly or semester work hour criteria to be eligible for health benefits. Health benefits are also extended to retirees who meet the eligibility criteria.

CLOSING DATE

Applications will be accepted through October 20, 2026.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Support Staff

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID: 32942

Location: Queensborough CC

Job Type: Full-Time