Guest Experience Coordinator and Operations Assistant

August 6, 2024
Title: Guest Experience Coordinator and Operations Assistant

Description: Under the supervision of the Director of Enrollment Management, the Guest Experience Coordinator and Operations Assistant is responsible for providing an outstanding experience for all guests who visit the Welcome Center (prospective students and their families, Hartwick community members, vendors, other visitors), administrative support for Admissions, and management of the College switchboard. The role has responsibility for coordinating and overseeing the work performed by Admissions Office student employees, ensuring that guest expectations are met or exceeded, and providing support to ensure efficient office operations. This role will be responsible for ensuring the highest quality experience for anyone visiting Hartwick College for any reason, making the Welcome Center a best-in-class environment for all guests.

Responsibilities:
Guest Experience

• Create a warm and welcoming environment for guests; ensure a tidy and professional appearance of the Welcome Center space.
• Ensure current day prospective student personalized tour greetings are displayed and necessary visit details are gathered in advance of guest appointments.
• Greet and direct guests to the appropriate area for assistance; ensure Enrollment Management staff and student employees are made aware of guest arrival.
• Coordinate with other campus offices on scheduling of guest visits with staff and / or faculty.
• Answer the main Welcome Center telephone and direct calls as appropriate.
• Manage the College switchboard.
• Provide oversight of check-in for on-campus Admissions Office events.
• Respond to inquiries for assistance in a positive, professional manner; respond to information requests with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality.
• Develop and maintain knowledge necessary to respond to guest inquiries and connect guests with appropriate resources where necessary.
• Direct guests on how to locate buildings and departments on campus.
• Issue parking passes to guests.
• Communicate with other departments and / or campus community to ensure awareness of Admissions events and necessary adjustments to parking availability, need for department assistance, etc.

Student Employee Coordination

• Oversee and schedule student employees, including oversight of student receptionists.
• Approve timecards for student employees in a timely manner.
• Coordinate the day-to-day work of the Admissions Office student employees; working with the Director of Enrollment Management and Assistant Director of Business Systems and Operations to understand resource needs.
• Communicate assigned projects and tasks to student employees; provide direction and guidance for projects and tasks (i.e., instructions, completion timeframe expectations).
• Act as the main point of contact for student employee questions.
• Provide feedback to student employees on work performed.
• Develop the weekly staffing schedule for student employees; act as the main point of contact for student employees for absences (illness, time off, etc.).
• Perform bi-monthly student employee time approval.
• Lead the interview and hiring process for student employees, when necessary.

Operational Support

• Manage and maintain the interview and campus tour schedule; coordinate with the Business Systems and Operations team members regarding needs for interviews and events in CRM.
• Work closely with the Assistant Director of Business Systems to ensure the timely and accurate processing of print mailings (i.e., decision letters, communication plan materials, ad hoc mailings) and to understand student employee resource needs for operations tasks and projects; ensure proper scheduling of student employees to support these efforts.
• Assist with college mailings to prospective students and community members.
• Ensure necessary level of prepped folders for Admissions Office (i.e., Admit Packets, Open House Folders).
• Maintain inventory of Admissions Office print materials and promotional materials; work with the Director of Enrollment Management and Director of Business Systems and Operations to purchase materials when necessary.

Executive Support

• Perform general administrative and executive support-related tasks for the Vice President of Enrollment Management, as necessary (i.e., tracking and follow up of meetings and projects, schedule meetings, printing and mailing needs)
• Serve as the communication link between the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Trustees; assist in gathering and developing materials for Trustees meetings.

General Functions

• Demonstrate understanding of Enrollment Management objectives, goals, and business practices.
• Participate in signature college wide events such as Commencement Weekend, WickWeek, and True Blue Weekend.
• Serve on institutional committees as appointed to or by expectation of position.
• As a representative of the College, the Guest Experience Coordinator and Operations Assistant is expected to always comport themselves in a professional manner, both on and off campus.
• Comply with all applicable College, Federal, State, local, and associational laws, rules and regulations.
• Perform other projects as necessary.

Qualifications: Minimum requirements for this position are a high school diploma/GED, and one to three years of experience in an office setting.

• Administrative Assistant or hospitality / guest services experience
• Experience working with CRMs
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point, Google Mail, Google Docs, Google Sheets
• Clean driving record and a valid driver’s license.
• Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to change in the workplace.
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word. Ability to communicate in a professional manner, including working with challenging visitors.
• Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.
• Decision Making - Ability to make decisions based upon College procedures.
• Judgment - The ability to formulate a sound decision using the available information.
• Independence - The ability to perform responsibilities efficiently and effectively with moderate supervision.
• Relationship Building - Ability to effectively build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Tolerance - Ability to work successfully with a variety of people without making judgments.
• Tactful - Ability to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others.
• High attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational skills and time management skills.
• Superior data entry skills

The College strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (full course of primary vaccination plus at least one dose of a booster). 

Salary range: $17.00 - $20.00

An independent, residential liberal arts college enrolling approximately 1,200 full-time undergraduates, Hartwick embraces the teacher-scholar model, with teaching excellence as the first priority, and seeks to recruit, retain and promote a diverse workforce. The College features a Liberal Arts in Practice general education curriculum and aspires to “be the best at melding liberal arts education with experiential learning.” 

Hartwick operates as a community of learners where there is a very real sense of belonging and connection. By joining Hartwick, you become part of a group of people who work together, share in our successes, and a celebrate our accomplishments. All positions at Hartwick contribute to the education and development of students with the opportunity to see the impact on future leaders—what you do at Hartwick really matters.

Our beautiful 425-acre campus is located in the scenic Susquehanna River valley in Oneonta, New York—a charming town near the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Hartwick offers health benefits to domestic partners of employees, flexible scheduling, opportunities to engage in athletic and cultural events (concerts, exhibits, and lectures) and tuition benefits for eligible employees and their dependents.

Hartwick College prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation/preference and gender identity/expression and is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to broadening “the understanding, awareness, and appreciation of diversity among all members of the Hartwick community.” Women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. 

Hartwick College is committed to providing a safe and secure educational and employment environment. Employment at Hartwick College is therefore contingent upon a successful background check on every new employee. Candidates to whom an offer of employment is made will be required to sign a Release of Information Form authorizing the College to conduct a thorough background check.

Hartwick College is committed to a diverse candidate pool, values an inclusive workforce and workplace environment, and wishes to minimize or eliminate the impact of implicit bias during the search and hiring process. 

All applicants are asked to submit the following materials with their online applications:

• A cover letter;
• A resume; 
• A Diversity Statement that addresses how your past and/or potential contributions to diversity will support Hartwick College’s Diversity Statement (https://www.hartwick.edu/campus-life/intercultural-affairs/diversity-at-hartwick/); and
• The names and contact information for three references, with annotation regarding how the reference is related to you and your work (at least one of your references must be from a current and/or previous supervisor).

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.