Operations Assistant (PCAH)

The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage seeks an Operations Assistant to support day-to-day operations in our Philadelphia office. You will handle front-desk reception, facilities coordination, IT/AV setup, and vendor relations, reporting to the Manager for Administration.

You will assist with onboarding/offboarding, staff communications, and event support, contributing to efficient office operations in a fast-paced nonprofit arts environment.

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree or equivalent with at least three years of administrative/clerical experience.
• Comfort with IT and AV systems; experience managing technology is a plus.
• Not-for-profit experience preferred; interest in and understanding of the arts and culture sector.

Responsibilities

• Greet visitors, answer calls, route inquiries, and manage general emails.
• Coordinate facilities issues and serve as main point of contact for vendors and IT/AV.
• Assist with IT/AV setup for meetings and events and manage staff room readiness.
• Maintain office supplies, mail, pantry areas, and daily housekeeping tasks.
• Support onboarding/offboarding and maintain staff records and access.
• Assist in scheduling, planning, and supporting weekly staff meetings and events.

Skills

Reception skills

Facilities management

IT/AV support

Vendor relations

Communication

Education

Associate’s Degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) employs a staff of talented, motivated individuals with experience and interest in the nonprofit and/or arts and culture sectors. We are currently seeking candidates for the open, full-time position of Operations Assistant, reporting directly to the Center’s Manager for Administration.

Position Description

This position supports the Center’s day-to-day operations. You must be comfortable quickly switching between areas of assistance in guest reception, administration, facilities, vendor relations, AV equipment, and IT. You’ll provide primary assistance to the Center’s Manager for Administration and work in close cooperation with staff from across the Center to assure effective and efficient operations in the following areas:

Reception

• Answer all incoming calls to the Center’s main phone number and receive general inquiry emails, directing them to the appropriate person; take accurate messages and forward them as appropriate.
• Maintain sufficient knowledge of the procedures, programs and meetings held at the Center to properly route calls and answer basic questions accurately and thoughtfully.
• Greet visitors in a polite and professional manner, and inform staff of their arrival; direct visitors to restrooms, coat closet, and meeting locations as necessary.
• Maintain an orderly and clean reception area and desk. Accept all deliveries, including food and equipment for on-site events. Inform staff to pick up packages.

Facilities upkeep and vendor relations

• Keep the Manager for Administration apprised of any facilities issues promptly. Keep a running task list of all needs to be addressed by building maintenance or external technicians.
• Serve as the main point of contact for all facilities, technical vendors and consultants for IT/AV, phone, mail, copiers, office building and maintenance, security and office access, off-site storage and shredding, and office and pantry supplies.
• Troubleshoot all office equipment (copiers, printers, postage machine, etc.) and place service calls when necessary. Serve as backup contact with building staff for maintenance and facility needs.
• Maintain/straighten all communal and public areas of the office, including pantry, conference rooms, and work room. Conduct a daily quality check of all meeting rooms to attend to housekeeping needs.
• Follow the master operations calendar to schedule maintenance and cleaning of appliances and facilities. Coordinate stocking and maintenance of kitchen and office areas with Meeting and Events Planner, preparing for regular use as well as for special events.
• Load and unload the dishwashers daily. Straighten and clear pantry counters throughout the day.
• Collect, sort and distribute internal mail. Handle outgoing letters and packages. Manage the Center’s postal accounts, equipment, and supplies, providing assistance to staff when needed.
• Maintain the organization of the Center’s server room, workroom, and file storage room.

Meetings & Events

• Oversee staff use of the Center-wide operations and meetings calendar; request missing calendar information and make updates as needed.
• Assist with meeting planning logistics as needed. Assist with room preparation including IT and AV needs. Meet as needed with the Manager for Administration and Meeting and Events Planner to facilitate preparations and plan accordingly for upcoming meetings and special events.
• If needed, at the close of meetings and events, work with Meeting and Events Planner and support staff to handle the breakdown and straightening of communal-use rooms.

Employee Relations

• Work closely with the Manager for Administration to coordinate the onboarding and off boarding of employees. Arrange the creation of new IT user accounts, phone extensions, work areas, office access, and training schedules. Train new employees on facility policies and office equipment.
• Keep signage, staff contact information, and phone extension list current.

IT, A/V and Telecommunications

• Serve as first point of contact for issues with computers, phones, software, Internet connectivity, storage network, and mobile devices. Notify the IT help desk of advanced issues and see they are addressed in a timely manner. Take responsibility for tracking and implementing software and hardware upgrades, services, and repairs.
• Manage phone system and mobile devices. Provide basic instruction on devices as needed.
• Serve as first point of contact for A/V issues in meeting rooms. Manage staff requests for shared laptops and AV equipment. Keep inventory and oversee maintenance of the Center’s A/V assets.
• Set up and coordinate IT and A/V equipment for the Center’s annual adjudication panel meetings.

Other Core Services

• Work with the Manager for Administration to establish best practices and policies for day-to-day Center operations. Update master operations handbook and calendar to reflect newest information.
• Schedule and run weekly meetings with Manager for Administration and support staff to provide updates on key issues and needs.
• Provide general logistical support to all Center staff, answering questions about events, facilities, and equipment.
• Work with the Meeting and Events Planner to coordinate and prepare for special events.
• Issue reminders and general announcements to Center staff.
• Assist Manager for Administration with reconciling core credit card purchases on a monthly basis.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications

Education/experience

The ideal candidate will hold an Associate’s Degree or its equivalent, with at least three years of administrative or clerical work experience (preferred). Being comfortable with IT and AV systems and experience managing technology is a plus. Not-for-profit experiences are preferred, along with an interest in and understanding of the nature of artist and cultural practice.

Baseline Knowledge & Skills

Must have knowledge of general office practices and procedures and be a systematic thinker with proven success in creating and maintaining efficient operations processes. The job requires strong organizational skills and an aptitude and a liking for administrative work. Proficiency in the use of software and technology is expected, including familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, and Word).
Good word processing skills are important. Excellent written and oral communication skills are vital, including meticulous message-taking; solid composition and proofreading skills; grammatical correctness; style appropriateness; formatting consistency; and attention to overall completeness of documents and correspondence.

Abilities

You must have the ability to ascertain caller/visitor needs and expectations in a pleasant and respectful manner, with proper sense of urgency. You’ll need the ability to understand the impact of your actions on the caller/visitor, and identify ways to accommodate them. You must be able to work independently and as a team-member. You’ll need to prioritize multiple projects in a busy environment accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail, balancing and satisfying competing deadlines and personalities, maintaining professionalism under pressure and in sensitive and difficult situations.

You must have the ability to exercise a HIGH LEVEL OF DISCRETION AND CONFIDENTIALITY in interactions with both internal and external people concerning all work-related information, and with understanding of the Center’s unique relationship to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The job requires an ability to maintain detailed records in computerized and paper record keeping and filing systems. You must be able to tolerate paperwork and respect administrative procedures while remaining flexible and resilient. And you must have the ability to know when to ask questions and when to take initiative, learn quickly and assume tasks as needed.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who are practicing artists should note that in order to prevent conflict of interest or the appearance thereof, the Center has a Code of Ethics that limits artistic and cultural practice by its staff within our grantmaking region, and when collaborating outside the region with Center grantees.

About the Pew Center For Arts & Heritage

The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative projects that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. The Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER