Senior Program Support Assistant

University of New Hampshire; Keene (NH); On-site; USD 24,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Keene State College is seeking a Senior Program Support Assistant for the Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The role includes coordinating events, managing budgets, and handling office communications while supporting students, faculty, donors, and community members.

Responsibilities cover event logistics, travel coordination, vendor relations, scheduling, and budget oversight, with duties spanning administrative tasks and campus collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with 2+ years relevant experience or equivalent.
• Experience managing budgets and procurement/purchasing.
• Proven time management and organizational abilities.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and Zoom.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute logistics for Cohen Institute events (rooms, catering, setup, volunteers, security).
• Create guest speaker itineraries and coordinate travel accommodations.
• Develop advertising materials with Marketing; distribute campus and community materials.
• Collaborate with partners to plan event aspects and manage spaces/class scheduling.
• Greet visitors, answer inquiries, route messages, and manage institute communications.

Skills

Time management

Organizational skills

Written and oral communication

Independence and teamwork

Microsoft 365

Zoom

Procurement

Budget management

Event planning

Confidentiality

SharePoint

Education

Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of relevant experience

Associate’s Degree and 4 years of relevant experience

High school graduation or equivalent and 6 years of relevant experience

Tools

Microsoft 365

SharePoint

Budgeting systems

Job description

The Senior Program Support Assistant provides programmatic, business, and office support to the Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. This position serves as the first point of contact in the Institute’s office by greeting visitors, responding to inquiries, and more. This staff member reports to the Institute’s Director and regularly interfaces with and supports students, faculty, members of the local community, and donors.

Job Description

1) Programmatic Support (45%)

• Plan and execute logistics for the Cohen Institute’s events/offerings. This includes responsibilities such as: booking rooms, arranging catering, setting up events (check-in table with registration lists, etc.), printing materials, coordinating event volunteers as needed, collaborating with Campus Safety to arrange security, and more. Includes offerings such as the summer institutes, invited lectures, workshops, and more. Maintain attendance rosters for events, adding details to the shared team spreadsheet within a timely fashion.

• Create schedules and/or itineraries for guest speakers, workshop attendees, and others. Serve as campus contact for visiting Scholars and other Institute guests during their time on campus. Coordinate travel arrangements such as airfare, ground transportation, and accommodations for guest speakers and other affiliates as needed.

• Coordinate creation of advertising materials for events with Marketing, local newspapers, and other partners. Distribute printed materials across campus and via email to campus and local community.

• Collaborate and plan additional aspects of events and programs with campus and system-wide partners.

• Manage use of Cohen Institute classrooms and spaces. This includes event/meeting scheduling and set up as well as class scheduling (in collaboration with Academic Affairs). Work with Academic Affairs and/or other partners to resolve any schedule changes or conflicts.

2) Business Functions (40%)

• Create and send letters of agreement and media release forms for guest speakers, research affiliates, and other paid associates. Set up external speakers and payees in the USNH system as vendors so that they can be compensated. This also involves following up with individuals who have completed forms incorrectly or who are missing forms.

• Process paperwork for honoraria, reimbursements, and other payments within a timely fashion after a commitment has concluded. Send timely written updates to payees and Institute Director regarding the status of payments.

• Work with Human Resources and other USNH and campus partners to create and deploy job postings for positions such as internships, fellowships, student scholars, visiting Scholar, and more. Direct applicants with questions to appropriate contacts or resources.

• Purchase supplies/equipment and process payments using a Purchasing Card and other College budgeting/payment systems. (Requires advance spending approval from Director.)

• Maintain, manage, and plan multiple Cohen Institute budgets in consultation with Director. Audit budget reports on a monthly basis to ensure that all expenses have been applied to the appropriate funds. Work with Finance team members to rectify any issues.

3) Office Support and Communications (15%)

• Greet visitors to the Cohen Institute during regular business hours and answer general inquiries via phone and email about the Institute in a timely fashion. This includes responding to messages from community members, students, and others.

• Route messages or contacts to Institute staff members, affiliates, and other colleagues on campus as appropriate.

• Maintain an organized and professional work environment in the Cohen Institute by keeping office spaces, supply closets, and classrooms tidy and presentable, resolving any maintenance issues, and more. This may involve work with Physical Plant, custodial services, and ET&S.

• Check Institute mailboxes on a daily basis and receive/deposit any mailed donations within a timely fashion. Coordinate closely with Office of Advancement.

• Manage correspondence such as appeals letters, brochures, and programs.

• Manage, organize, and maintain office supplies for the Institute.

• Organize and maintain the Institute’s files through SharePoint and other file management systems. This includes maintaining accurate contact lists of students, program participants, donors, and others.

• Attend regular Cohen Institute team meetings, one-on-one meetings with Director, and meetings with other Institute staff/affiliates as appropriate. Follow Cohen Institute protocols for team communications and task management each day.

• Serve on campus committees as interested or needed (with prior approval from Director).

• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 2 years of additional relevant experience OR Associate’s Degree and 4 years of additional relevant experience OR high school graduation or equivalent and 6 years of additional relevant experience

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Proven time management and organizational skills

• Previous success with managing multiple tasks/projects simultaneously and meeting deadlines

• Effective written and oral communication skills

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and also as part of a team

• Competency in current computer technologies (e.g., Microsoft 365, Zoom, etc.) and in working with computer applications and systems that could include procurement, scheduling, and budget management

• Ability to learn software systems quickly and efficiently

• Effective interpersonal skills

• Ability to maintain confidentiality

Other Requirements:

• Experience managing budgets

• Experience with procurement/purchasing supplies

• Demonstrated experience communicating with vendors and processing financials including Accounts Payable/Receivable

• Event planning and management experience

• Experience with tasks involving personal responsibility and requiring discretion and independent judgment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing travel arrangements

• Experience working with diverse groups and stakeholders

• Experience working in a higher educational setting

This position falls within the collective bargaining unit for the Keene State College Administrative Staff Association (KSCASA), an affiliate of the National Education Association of New Hampshire (NEA-NH).

Keene State College is located in the scenic Monadnock region of Southwest New Hampshire and is an affiliate of the University System of New Hampshire. Located approximately 2 hours from Boston or Hartford CT, and 4 hours from New York City, the region contains many opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreation, cultural events, and a strong sense of community. To learn more about Keene State College, the University System of New Hampshire, and the Keene community, please
visit: https://www.keene.edu, https://www.usnh.edu/ or https://www.ci.keene.nh.us.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

Compensation Pay Range:

$17.57 - $28.96

The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location:

Keene