CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1 (Provisional) - LaGuardia CARES

CUNY La Guardia Community College; New York (NY); On-site; USD 35,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

An established community college is seeking a dedicated Office Assistant to support daily operations and enhance service delivery for students. This role requires strong organizational and communication skills, as well as a commitment to student success. The ideal candidate will manage office schedules, assist with onboarding staff, and provide guidance to students on available services. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the educational mission of a diverse student body while working in a collaborative environment. Join a team committed to making a difference in the lives of students and the community.

Benefits

Comprehensive Benefits Package

Pension Plans

Tax-Deferred Savings Plans

Qualifications

• Two years of experience in general office work.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for daily operations.
• Assist with managing office schedules and maintaining calendars.
• Handle student inquiries and assist with food pantry operations.

Skills

Office Administration

Customer Service

Data Entry

Communication Skills

Organization

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Associate's Degree or 60 College Credits

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Typing/Word Processing Software

Job description

CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1 (Provisional) - LaGuardia CARES

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:

Documentation and Information

• 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.

• May serve as secretary to an executive or to a small group of professional, managerial, or technical personnel.
• Organizes, supervises and coordinates the workload of a moderately complex office, including the supervision of full and part-time office support staff.
• Initiates administrative procedures on behalf of the department.
• Administers a specialized area, requiring unique training and/or experience within a large office.
• Interviews and recommends full and part-time office support staff, including College Assistants and CUNY Office Assistants in Level 1.
• Prepares and compiles complex reports, including simple research and analysis.
• With approval, makes improvements to department forms.
• Develops record-keeping systems.
• Trains office employees and others (as directed) in routine office duties, rules, procedures, etc. and related matters.

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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

Founded in 1971 in Long Island City, Queens , LaGuardia Community College is one of seven community colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY). LaGuardia offers more than sixty associate degree programs and more than fifty workforce training, ESOL, GED, and pre-college programs. In 2023, LaGuardia served approximately 24,000 students. More than one-third of LaGuardia?s degree-seeking students are born outside the United States; they come from 136 countries and speak 43 heritage languages. Sixty percent are first-generation college students.

Virtually all LaGuardia students are ethnic minorities (89 percent), 58 percent are women, 27 percent are over the age of 25. Forty-six percent of associate degree students are Hispanic. Upon graduation most students transfer to four-year colleges, typically in CUNY, to complete their baccalaureate degrees. Graduates of career programs such as Nursing, Computer Technology, and Veterinary Technology enter the workforce. LaGuardia ranked fifth among U.S. community colleges in economic mobility - moving low-income students into the middle class and beyond - in studies by Stanford University (2017) and the Brookings Institution (2020). Please visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

LaGuardia CARES is seeking a dedicated and skilled CUNY Office Assistant to manage daily operations, support strategic initiatives, and enhance service delivery for students. This role requires working knowledge and experience in grant reporting, partnership development, and program coordination. The ideal candidate is an experienced administrative coordinator who excels in organization, communication, and leadership while contributing to the overall mission of student success. Reporting to the LaGuardia CARES Director, the CUNY Office Assistant will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

• Provide administrative support to ensure the smooth daily operations of the CARES office
• Assist with managing office schedules, coordinating meetings, and maintaining departmental calendars
• Support the implementation of office policies and procedures to improve workflow
• Assist with on boarding and training of office staff, volunteers, or student workers as needed
• Maintain organized records, documents, and compliance with institutional policies
• Track and order office supplies, ensuring cost-effective procurement
• Serve as a point of contact for student inquiries, offering guidance on available services
• Assist with food pantry operations, including inventory tracking and order processing
• Review and process emergency assistance applications while maintaining confidentiality
• Provide students with basic guidance on financial aid processes and public benefits applications (e.g., SNAP, childcare, transportation)

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).

COMPENSATION

New Hire: $35,588*

Incumbent: $40,215

*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.

HOW TO APPLY

Visit www.cuny.edu, access the employment page, log in or create a new user account, and search for this vacancy using the Job ID or Title. Select "Apply Now" and provide the requested information.

Candidates should provide a resume and cover letter.

CLOSING DATE

May 29th, 2025

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

30265

Location

LaGuardia Community College