Operations Coordinator

Syracuse; City of Syracuse (NY); On-site; USD 33,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

Syracuse University is seeking an Operations Coordinator for the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) on campus. The role focuses on welcoming veterans and military-connected students, providing executive support, and keeping administrative operations running smoothly.

You will supervise front-desk staff, manage executive calendars, coordinate events, and assist with procurement, budgeting, and onboarding while upholding discretion with sensitive information.

Qualifications

• Two or more years of administrative, office management, or executive support experience required.
• Experience supervising, scheduling, or training student staff preferred.
• Higher education administrative setting experience preferred.
• Experience with event coordination and basic bookkeeping preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as first point of contact at NVRC, triaging inquiries and directing to the right office.
• Supervise front-desk student employees, recruit, train, and schedule.
• Manage executive calendars, prepare briefing materials, and maintain records.
• Coordinate logistics for events and staff engagement programs.
• Support procurement, financial reconciliation, and onboarding tasks.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Microsoft Teams

AI tools

Reception duties

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Discretion

Tools

MySlice

eProcurement

Maximo

Job description

Department D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)

Job Title

Job Title Operations Coordinator

Location

Campus

Commitment to On-Campus Experience

Syracuse University is committed to delivering an exceptional student experience through vibrant, engaged campus communities. This position is based at the above campus location and requires regular in-person presence to support our students, collaborate with colleagues, and contribute to our thriving academic environment. Syracuse University values the collaboration, mentorship, and spontaneous connections that happen when our community works together on campus. Remote work arrangements are limited in accordance with University policy.

Pay Range

Pay Range $24.00 - $26.95

Pay rates at Syracuse University are based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, the job responsibilities; the candidate’s education, training, work experience and key competencies; the university’s strategic priorities; internal peer equity; applicable federal, state, local laws, grant funding and contractual requisites; and external market analyses.

Staff Level S4

FLSA Status

FLSA Status Non-exempt

Hours

Standard University business hours

• 8:30am – 5:00pm (academic year)
• 8:00am – 4:30pm (summer)

Hours may vary based on operational needs.

Job Type

Job Type Full-time

Unionized Position Code Not Applicable

Job Description

The Operations Coordinator serves as the front line of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families ( IVMF ) at Syracuse University, ensuring that veterans, military-connected students, staff, and guests at the National Veterans Resource Center ( NVRC ) receive a welcoming, well-informed experience and are connected to the right resources. The position also provides executive support to IVMF leadership and keeps the institute’s day-to-day administrative operations running smoothly.

Working with a high degree of independence, the Operations Coordinator supervises front-desk student employees, manages executive scheduling and confidential records, coordinates staff programs and events, and supports procurement, financial reconciliation, and onboarding. Success in this role depends on attention to detail, discretion with sensitive information, and the ability to manage multiple recurring deadlines.

Education and Experience

• Two or more years of administrative, office management, or executive support experience required.
• Experience supervising, scheduling, or training student or entry-level staff required.
• Prior experience in a higher education administrative setting preferred.
• Experience supporting event or program coordination preferred.
• Experience with basic bookkeeping, expense reconciliation, or procurement processes preferred.
• Experience serving veteran and military-connected populations preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Outlook, including group email lists, shared calendars, and Microsoft Teams meeting scheduling.
• Familiarity with AI tools, such as Claude.
• Ability to operate a multi-line phone system and manage front-desk reception duties.
• Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment in triaging inquiries and referring individuals to the appropriate internal or external resource.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to work independently and manage multiple recurring tasks, processes, and deadlines without close oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information, including financial, personnel, and donor data, with discretion.
• Strong attention to detail in financial reconciliation, data entry, and recordkeeping.
• Familiarity with Syracuse University systems, such as MySlice, eProcurement, and Maximo, preferred.
• Familiarity with military and veteran culture preferred.

Responsibilities

Reception and Student Supervision

• Serves as the first point of contact at the NVRC , managing incoming calls, visitors, mail, and deliveries and using sound judgment to triage inquiries and refer individuals to the appropriate University office or community and national veteran service organization.
• Sorts and distributes mail daily, receives and routes courier and vendor deliveries, scans and routes incoming documents for on-site and remote staff, and follows established procedures for logging and routing checks and donations.
• Maintains front-desk resources, referral contacts, and phone and voicemail systems.
• Directly supervises front-desk student employees, including recruitment, hiring, scheduling, training, and day-to-day performance oversight, and coordinates the annual hiring and onboarding of VA work-study students in partnership with the Office of Veteran Success.
• Develops and administers the Front Desk Student Employee Handbook, builds semester schedules, submits new-hire onboarding requests, and serves as the daily contact for attendance and shift coverage.
• Coordinates access, parking, and logistics for visiting student groups.

Executive and Records Support

• Manages executive calendars to protect work blocks, proposal deadlines, external engagements, and University leadership priorities, anticipating and resolving scheduling conflicts and resource needs weeks in advance.
• For the Executive Director, triages inbound requests and correspondence, determining what requires direct attention and what can be delegated, deferred, or handled independently, and prepares briefing materials, talking points, and pre-reads.
• Schedules recurring all-staff Microsoft Teams meetings in coordination with leadership, including recording and transcription settings.
• Prepares interview and travel itineraries for candidates and guests, and maintains department group email lists and shared Outlook calendars.
• Maintains organized digital and physical filing systems, including confidential personnel and departmental records, and coordinates with University Records Management and Archives on the inventory, packing, and transfer of historical records.

Events and Staff Engagement

• Coordinates logistics for the annual Holiday Families Program, including liaising with the VA Vet Center, managing staff sign-ups, tracking gift collection, and ensuring timely delivery.
• Supports planning and logistics for the annual All Hands meeting, including years-of-service recognition, certificates and gifts, hotel arrangements for remote staff, and event materials.
• Plans, coordinates, and executes staff morale and recognition events, including day-of setup, and coordinates quarterly recognition programs such as Teammate of the Quarter, including ordering awards and submitting design and print requests through the University’s job-ticketing system.
• Provides administrative assistance to IVMF and Office of Veteran and Military Affairs ( OVMA ) staff and departments for events, programs, and special projects.

Procurement and Financial Support

• Prepares and processes inbound and outbound FedEx shipments, including shipping labels, and coordinates warehouse pick-up requests through Maximo.
• Reviews and processes FedEx invoices and coordinates payment to the appropriate chartstring and account code.
• Orders office and copy room supplies through Amazon and eProcurement (WB Mason), maintains and audits supply room inventory, and submits supply and travel related tax refund requests and supporting documentation as needed.
• Supports monthly credit card reconciliation by reviewing receipts, verifying mileage and travel expenses, resolving missing-receipt issues, and coordinating with the Budget team.

Onboarding and Office Coordination

• Supports onboarding of new employees, including data entry, workstation and office preparation, key assignment, building access, and SU ID card issuance for new and remote staff, and facilitates introductions to staff, remote team members, and leadership.
• Sets up and maintains staff access to department listservs and email groups.
• Assists supervisors with TimeClock Plus and MySlice timekeeping tasks, including correcting missed punches and editing time segments.
• Coordinates access requests and training scheduling for the Citrus donor database in accordance with confidentiality requirements.
• In collaboration with the Building and Facilities Coordinator, coordinates guest parking reservations and submits the annual guest parking standing ID renewal by the fiscal-year deadline.
• Serves as an administrative liaison across IVMF programs, routing inquiries and coordinating tasks.

Physical Requirements

Some tasks require lifting and moving boxes (e.g., records transfers, supply shipments) up to 25 lbs.

Tools/Equipment

Not Applicable

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and over 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience.

The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors, 100 minors, and 200 advanced degree programs offered across the University’s 13 schools and colleges; over 15,000 undergraduates and over 6,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.syracuse.edu.

About the Syracuse area

Syracuse is a medium-sized city situated in the geographic center of New York State approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City. The metro-area population totals approximately 500,000. The area offers a low cost of living and provides many social, cultural, and recreational options, including parks, museums, festivals, professional regional theater, and premier shopping venues. Syracuse and Central New York present a wide range of seasonal recreation and attractions ranging from water skiing and snow skiing, hiking in the Adirondacks, touring the historic sites, visiting wineries along the Finger Lakes, and biking on trails along the Erie Canal.

EEO Statement

Syracuse University is an equal-opportunity institution. The University prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law to the extent prohibited by law. This nondiscrimination policy covers admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in University programs, services, and activities.

Commitment to Supporting and Hiring Veterans

Syracuse University has a long history of engaging veterans and the military-connected community through its educational programs, community outreach, and employment programs. After World War II, Syracuse University welcomed more than 10,000 returning veterans to our campus, and those veterans literally transformed Syracuse University into the national research institution it is today. The University’s contemporary commitment to veterans builds on this historical legacy, and extends to both class-leading initiatives focused on making an SU degree accessible and affordable to the post-9/11 generation of veterans, and also programs designed to position Syracuse University as the employer of choice for military veterans, members of the Guard and Reserve, and military family members.

Commitment to a Respectful and Welcoming Community

Syracuse University fosters a welcoming learning environment where students, faculty, administrators, staff, curriculum, social activities, governance, and all aspects of campus life reflect a broad range of perspectives and experiences. The University community values the many similarities and differences among individuals and groups. At Syracuse, we are committed to preparing students to engage with and appreciate the richness of backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences that shape our society. To achieve this, we strive to cultivate a community that respects and encourages open dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect.