Program Assistant

State-of-South-Carolina; South Carolina; On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

State-of-South-Carolina is seeking a Program Assistant to provide administrative support to the TRiO McNair Scholars Program Director and the office. The role includes budget tracking, processing payments, and managing staff and participant travel requests.

The position requires strong organizational, communication, and data management skills, with experience supporting educational programs and handling confidential information. Telecommuting is not available during the probationary period.

Qualifications

• Requires strong organizational and communication abilities.
• Maintains accurate records and documentation.
• Experience supporting program operations or educational programs is helpful.

Responsibilities

• Track and document program expenditures.
• Process payment requests for supplies, travel, services and catering.
• Initiate and submit staff and participant travel forms.
• Reconcile procurement cards.
• Answer phone and respond to emails or forward to appropriate person.
• Prepare and format reports as requested.
• Schedule meetings and prepare materials.
• Assist Director with calendar and correspondence.
• Participate in, contribute to, and document staff meeting decisions.
• Initiate and monitor hiring paperwork for program personnel.
• Help interview and select graduate associates and undergraduate office assistants.
• Train and schedule undergraduate office assistants.
• Supervise office assistant work and greetings.
• Plan space reservations and catering for events.
• Solicit travel quotes, reserve vehicles, and train students on procedures.
• Facilitate setup and breakdown of events.
• Organize and maintain program data using appropriate software and filing systems.
• Maintain confidential records and audit student files.
• Assist in compiling program data for university and federal reporting.
• Document resource allocation and use of program supplies.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Customer service

Education

High School diploma

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Database software

Job description

Reporting to the Director of the TRiO McNair Scholars Program, the Program Assistant provides administrative support to the Director and the office.

Budget

• Tracks and documents program expenditures.
• Processes payment requests for supplies, equipment, travel, services and catering.
• Initiates and submits forms for staff and participant travel.
• Reconciles procurement cards.

Administrative Support

• Answers phone and responds to email inquiries or forwards them to the appropriate person.
• Makes copies/scans as needed.
• Prepares/formats reports as requested.
• Schedules meetings and prepares materials.
• Assists Director with calendar and correspondence.
• Participates in, contributes to, and documents decisions made during staff meetings.

Employment

• Initiates and monitors required paperwork for hiring program personnel.
• Helps interview and select graduate associate and undergraduate office assistants.
• Trains and schedules undergraduate office assistants.
• Supervises office assistant work (e.g., preparation of workshop materials, greeting office visitors, and telephone coverage).

Event Planning

• Makes space reservations and catering arrangements.
• Solicits quotes for travel, reserves vehicles and trains students on travel procedures.
• Facilitates setup and breakdown of program events.

Data Management

• Organizes, maintains and secures program/student data using appropriate software (e.g., Student Access) and hard copy (file) storage systems.
• Maintains confidential student and program records; regularly audits student files.
• Helps compile program data required by the university and the U.S. Department of Education.
• Ensures efficient process for recording and distributing copies of student presentations.

Resource Management

• Organizes, orders, distributes and lends research and other program supplies that support the program’s mission.
• Periodically inventories program supplies and makes purchase recommendations.
• Documents resource allocation and participant support.

High School diploma and five years of relevant experience; associate’s degree and three years of relevant experience; or bachelor’s degree and one year of relevant experience. Experience working with secondary or postsecondary educational programs that serve students from diverse backgrounds.

Knowledge of office management best practice. Exceptional organizational, customer service, and oral and written communication skills. Ability to successfully manage office operations, supervise student staff, follow program policies and procedures, coordinate a variety of tasks simultaneously and with accuracy, exercise discretion in working with confidential information, and establish and maintain effective working relationships with program, campus, vendor, and community constituents. Sufficient technical ability to master software required to perform job duties and sufficient bookkeeping skills to accurately document and monitor program finances.

Experience with federal TRiO programs, budget management, financial recordkeeping, website design, and program evaluation. Experience in higher education.

Telecommuting: Employees are not eligible for telecommuting/remote work during their 12-month probationary period. After that time, certain positions may be eligible for telecommuting/remote work at the discretion of the supervisor and in accordance with Winthrop policies.