Division/Department Assistant

Cuesta College; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 40,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits options

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Cuesta College seeks a Division/Department Assistant to support faculty and staff in budget monitoring, data assembly, and reporting. The role handles receptionist duties, meeting coordination, and document preparation while maintaining confidentiality.

Responsibilities include coordinating schedules, preparing reports, and providing administrative support across Cuesta College programs, with focus on accuracy and collaboration with division leadership.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent in secretarial/administrative fields.
• Two years of experience equivalent to Secretary I or II at Cuesta College; or three years of clerical/secretarial work.
• Two additional years of experience including keyboarding.

Responsibilities

• Monitor budget records, requisitions, and purchase orders; manage student/hourly wage budgets.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings; prepare materials and distribute minutes.
• Maintain confidential personnel and student records; assist in unit/college planning.

Skills

Budget management

Record keeping

Communication

Confidentiality

Education

Associate degree in secretarial science, office management, or related

Tools

Word processing

Spreadsheet

Database software

Job description

DEFINITION

Under general supervision of the cluster Dean and in collaboration with the location specific Division Chairs, implement processes that affect and involve faculty and students at various levels of College programs; perform difficult, complex, and responsible secretarial/clerical work requiring interpretation of written and/or financial documents, the ability to independently assemble data and information, and the ability to compile reports that require considerable independent judgment.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Positions in the Division/Department Assistant class are distinguished from other positions in the secretarial series by the requirement that incumbents perform duties related to particular instructional or service programs involving direct student contact and requiring a working knowledge of college organization, programs, college regulations and procedures. Incumbent must have the ability to work independently and to maintain confidentiality; may train and oversee the work of student and temporary assistants, and classified employees.

Incumbents in this position support student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness by serving as first contact and main support for students, staff, and faculty.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

Where You Will Work

Serving all of San Luis Obispo County, Cuesta College has provided comprehensive associate degree offerings, certificates, and community programs to the region since 1964. The main campus is located along scenic Highway 1, west of San Luis Obispo and east of the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Cuesta College has a North County Campus in Paso Robles, and South County Center, in Arroyo Grande.

Who We Are

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to our culture and the work we do. Cuesta College is proud to be a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) committed to racial and socio-economic diversity as it reflects our communities and student populations. We actively seek to attract candidates who share this commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. As part of the Cuesta College team, you can expect to be part of a collaborative community of faculty, classified professionals, administrators, students, and community partners advancing educational excellence with intentional support services leading to student success and completion.

• Additional information about the college can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/index.html
• The college planning documents can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/collegeplans/index.html
• Our Student Equity Action Plan can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/info/student-equity-initiatives/equity/index.html
• We offer comprehensive benefit options. Information about benefits can be found at https://www.cuesta.edu/about/human-resources/benefits/index.html

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Monitor budget records and expenditures, general requisitions and purchase orders; monitor budget for student/hourly wages; complete requisitions; order office and specialized classroom supplies;
• Advise chair/director of budget estimates and balances, identify and recommend areas for budget transfers;
• Independently assemble and organize financial and other data for reports and operating manuals;
• Compile reports for chair/director's review;
• Organize and oversee the day-to-day operation of the office; schedule, assign, and monitor completion of office projects; prioritize workload so that assignments are completed as needed;
• Serve as receptionist for one or more division/departments, including providing information, taking and delivering messages;
• Schedule appointments for Division Chair, Director, or faculty;
• Prepare for monthly and/or yearly activities, including development and duplication of forms and room reservations, and notify all concerned;
• Arrange meetings and notify persons to be present;
• Word process and/or compose materials such as correspondence, agendas, memoranda, minutes, reports, program reviews, unit plans, and evaluation forms;
• Record and transcribe notes and distribute minutes and agenda items for division/department meetings;
• Provide support materials and minutes for councils, committees, and faculty;
• Attend committee, division, and cluster meetings in the absence of the division chair or director;
• Collect and compile division/department input for unit plan and assist in the writing of the unit plan relating requests to the college plan and/or cluster plan;
• Interview, recommend for hire, train, schedule, and oversee the work of student and hourly workers, and classified staff; serve on hiring committees;
• Distribute and collect absence forms for academic personnel each month; prepare monthly time reports for substitute teachers, obtain necessary signatures and forward to Payroll;
• Verify, obtain signatures and submit time cards for hourly workers to Payroll each month;
• Provide information on policies and procedures for the division/department;
• Serve as liaison between instructor, chair, director, dean and others;
• Defuse angry students, faculty, and public, attempt to resolve the situation;
• Maintain a variety of records and files including materials for staff development activities, sabbatical leaves, faculty evaluations, new-faculty orientation:
• Maintain confidentiality of personnel and student matters, records, Banner information, and other sensitive files;
• Initiate, compile, and distribute instructors' daily class load on a grid for daily use throughout the semester; and schedules such as the college classroom schedules, office hour schedule for instructors, staff, and publisher representatives, and other divisional schedules;
• Post class cancellation for absent instructors;
• Assist chair/director with faculty hiring pools, semester course offerings spreadsheet, and notify instructors classes;
• Update division web content;
• Recognize and report facility problems;
• Assist with annual events;
• Assist in coordinating substitute teachers with appropriate Division Chair, in accordance with policy and procedure; and
• Perform other related duties as required.

Essential functions of particular positions within classifications may vary because job duties may vary by work location.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Preferred

• Associate degree, including or supplemented by secretarial science, office management, and public relations courses.

Experience: Required

• Two years of experience equivalent to a Secretary I or II level at Cuesta College; or
• Three years of increasingly responsible clerical/secretarial experience.
• Two additional years of experience, including keyboarding, are required.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge of:

• Record keeping;
• College organization, policies, and rules;
• Current technologies, personal computer, and associated office software such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and/or database software;
• Correct usage of English, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary; and
• District policies and procedures.

Ability to:

• Work independently and maintain confidentiality;
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing;
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the performance of duties; and
• Demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students and of staff and students with physical and learning disabilities.

Physical ability to:

• Read and comprehend printed matter and text and data on computer monitors;
• Communicate intelligibly and effectively via speech, telephone, written correspondence, and/or email;
• Sit or stand for extended periods of time;
• Lift and/or carry 25 pounds; and
• Exert manual dexterity sufficient for keyboard and other office equipment operation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Cuesta College will not sponsor any visa applications.

San Luis Obispo County Community College District ("Cuesta College") is an equal opportunity employer committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), age, disability (physical and mental), genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal and state law in admission and access to, or treatment in employment, educational programs or activities at any of its campuses. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. Cuesta College also prohibits harassment on any of these bases, including sexual harassment, as well as sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

In compliance with California law, all prospective staff and students are entitled to read the Annual Security Report, published each October by the Cuesta College Department of Public Safety. This report contains information about our emergency and crime reporting procedures, as well as crime statistics for the past 3 years. You may request a copy of this report at one of our two Public Safety Offices: on SLO campus at Building 6600A or on North County Campus at building N1021, during campus business hours. You may also access the complete text of this report at the following website address: https://www.cuesta.edu/community/publicsafety/crime-information/clery-act.html

Cuesta College uses E-Verify as part of the I-9 process to verify the work eligibility of all new hires. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9 to data from U.S Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records. For further information, visit: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/depts/humanresources/Job_Opportunities.html

Selected applicants will be invited to attend an in-person interview on Friday, December 18, 2026.