CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1 (Provisional) - Payroll and Time & Leave - Office of Human Resources

CUNY Graduate Center; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 36,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dynamic team at a renowned educational institution as a CUNY Office Assistant! This role involves a variety of administrative tasks including maintaining filing systems, providing excellent customer service, and processing payroll documents. You'll be part of a vibrant community that values diversity and inclusion, contributing to the mission of supporting students and faculty. With opportunities for professional growth and a commitment to fair treatment, this position is ideal for those looking to make a meaningful impact in an academic environment. If you thrive in a collaborative setting and are detail-oriented, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

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

• Maintain filing systems and provide customer service.
• Process payroll documents and assist with timesheet reviews.

Skills

Microsoft Office 365

Customer Service

Attention to Detail

Data Entry

Organization

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Associate's Degree or 60 College Credits

Tools

HRIS

Payroll Systems

Job description

CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1 (Provisional) - Payroll and Time & Leave - Office of Human Resources

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

The Graduate Center (GC) is the focal point for advanced teaching and research at the City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university. With over 35 doctoral and master's programs of the highest caliber, the Graduate Center fosters pioneering research and scholarship in the arts and sciences and prepares students for careers in universities and the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. The Graduate Center's commitment to research and scholarship for the public good is exemplified by its more than 30 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including ASRC.

The Graduate Center benefits from highly ambitious and diverse students and alumni-who in tum teach hundreds of thousands of undergraduates every year. Through its public programs, the Graduate Center enhances New York City's intellectual and cultural life.

The Office of Human Resources supports the Graduate Center?s mission, vision, values, and goals by engaging and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce, and sustaining a work environment that promotes fair treatment of all employees, open communications, personal accountability, trust, mutual respect and professional growth.

The Office of Human Resources supports a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive employee community at the Graduate Center and at its affiliated CUNY colleges and professional schools, which include Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, Macaulay Honors College and School of Labor and Urban Studies.

The Office of Human Resources seeks a CUNY Office Assistant, Level 1, who will support departmental operations by performing various administrative tasks including but not limited to:

• Maintain filing systems for hourly staff.
• Provide customer service to faculty, students, and employees; collect and review forms from various sources and respond to routine inquiries via phone, email, and in-person; timely research and respond to issues/concerns, etc.
• Review and process payroll documents, such as hourly timesheets sheets and leave requests, to ensure accuracy and timely updates.
• Generate ad hoc CUNYFirst and Payserv reports to identify and correct errors; cross-check Personnel Action Reports (PARs) with CUNYFirst data to confirm accuracy; collaborate with appropriate personnel to resolve discrepancies.
• Assist with drafting correspondence such as employment verifications; notification to employees of leave and work-hour balances.
• Track hourly employees' leave time and accruals and balances; download, organize, and submit Tumbleweed Security personnel time sheets to central payroll for processing.
• Assist Time and Leave Unit with timesheet review and processing, responding to email inquiries; provide additional support services as needed, etc.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

This position reports to the HR Manager of Payroll and Time and Leave.In order to be eligible for a permanent position in the CUNY Office Assistant title, applicants are encouraged to take and pass the CUNY Office Assistant exam when it becomes available.

All full-time and part-time CUNY staff are expected to work in-person at their campus office 70% of their work time. For full-time staff, this is equivalent to 7 out of 10 days of in-person work in a two-week period (e.g., 7 days in-person, 3 days remote). This hybrid work schedule is subject to change.

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

A preferred candidate should have:

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), payroll systems and processing protocols.
• Strong customer service and proven attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a production environment with strict deadlines.
• Team player with the proven ability to multi-task and pivot as needs change.

COMPENSATION

New Hire Rate: $36,700/year (as of 6/1/25)

Incumbent Rate: $41,472/year* (as of 6/1/25)

*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

Please click on "Apply Now" which will bring you to the registration screen. If you are a new user, you must register to apply. If you already have a user ID, please use your existing ID to apply. Please submit a resume and a cover letter in Word or PDF format.

CLOSING DATE

Open until filled with review of applications to begin on May 21, 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

30252

Location

Graduate Center