Administrative Assistant

Location : Berea
Job Type: Full-Time
Division: Strategic Initiatives
Department: Appalachian Fund Endowment Income
Opening Date: 04/29/2025
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Salary Grade: 6

Please note that references provided at the time of application for staff positions will not be contacted until the applicant has been offered the position.
Description:

Reporting to the Director of the Berea College Appalachian Fund (BCAF), the Administrative Assistant provides clerical and general office support for Sponsored Programs and Outreach, the Appalachian Fund, and Government Grant Services. The employee uses standard office facilities, equipment, and other resources to perform a variety of administrative duties. Responsibilities include reception, word processing, data entry, filing, calendar management, relaying information, maintaining records, managing supplies, assisting with meetings and events, and performing other office functions.
Your Key Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Support for Sponsored Programs and Outreach (20% of time)
Duties include providing high-level administrative support, including managing the Senior Executive Director's calendar, scheduling meetings, and coordinating travel arrangements. They manage correspondence, prepare reports, and assist in the preparation of presentations and documents for meetings and other events. The role also serves as a liaison between the Senior Executive Director and internal or external stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and efficient workflow. Additionally, the role maintains electronic filing systems, manages confidential information, and performs other office tasks as needed to ensure smooth operations within the office.

Support for the Berea College Appalachian Fund (60% of time)
Duties include providing support for the Fund's grant application and reporting processes, such as tracking the receipt of applications and reports, checking to ensure that applications and reports are complete, corresponding with applicants/grantees as needed, and preparing materials for review by Advisory Council. This position supports all aspects of semi-annual Advisory Council meetings - such as planning and preparation, reserving meeting space, distributing materials, placing catering orders, room set-up, and taking minutes. This individual assists with preparing grant agreements, processing and tracking grant payments, and maintaining documentation and records. The position supports all aspects of the annual Affiliates Gathering - such as planning and preparation, reserving event space, distributing materials, arranging meals, setting up rooms, reserving participant lodging, advance registration and on-site check-in, purchasing supplies, obtaining parking permits, and collecting evaluations. This individual assists with drafting correspondence and other written documents, as well as proofreading materials and routing documents for signature. This position helps maintain the Fund's webpages and social media communications and other electronic platforms. This individual also assists staff with calendar management, travel arrangements, expense reporting activities, maintaining supplies, checking mail, running errands, general office activities, and other duties as needed.

Support for Government Grant Services (20% of time)
Duties include helping to monitor timely submission of performance reports by grant principal investigators and program directors (and conducting follow-up as needed) and assisting with maintaining grant documentation and records, as required for audit and monitoring purposes. This position also assists with maintaining the office's webpages, maintaining supplies, calendar management, making travel arrangements, completing expense reports, checking mail, running errands, general office activities, and other duties as needed.

Occasional travel and weekend work may be required.

Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist the College in the attainment of the goals set forth and the enhancement of a positive, respectful learning environment for all staff, faculty and students.
What You'll Bring:

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• High school diploma or equivalent; associate or bachelor's degree a plus

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• At least three years of experience with administrative support duties.

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Excellent interpersonal relationship and customer service skills for assisting internal and external clients.
• Experience maintaining programmatic and financial records, including grant applications and reports, event registration, evaluations, invoicing, and payments.
• General knowledge of developing, using, and tracking budgets
• Knowledge of effective webpage and social media management for distributing information about programs
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including taking minutes, correspondence, proofreading for accurate information, grammar, punctuation, and form.
• Working knowledge of office practices and procedures, including reception; calendar management; assistance with planning, preparing for, and conducting meetings; making travel arrangements; purchasing supplies; event logistics
• Strong computer hardware skills (using computers, projectors, etc.) and software skills (such as Microsoft Office Suite-Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams; Zoom; Smartsheet; Qualtrics; DocuSign; Box; web engines; cloud-based platforms)
• Ability to learn and use office systems, such as expense reporting, financial transactions, programmatic report tracking, time and effort tracking, record retention.
• Working knowledge of data entry, database management, electronic file management
• Ability to manage and protect confidential information.
• Ability to follow policies, procedures, and governmental regulations.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as required by various projects.
• Capacity to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines and expectations.
• Extremely strong organizational skills
• Knowledge of the Appalachian region

License, certification, or registration necessary:

• Valid Driver's License

Physical requirements:

• Ability to navigate campus buildings and grounds.
• Ability to lift and carry items such as boxes of supplies up to twenty-five pounds.
• Ability to hear meeting participants and take notes during meetings.
• Ability to travel, primarily in central Appalachia, on occasion.

Environmental conditions:

• Professional office environment with interruptions due to phone calls, visitors, and meetings
• Infrequent travel

Ability to operate the following vehicles or equipment:

• Vehicle
• Standard office equipment - computer, printer, telephone, photocopier
• Projectors, audio equipment at workshop venues

Founded in 1855, Berea College is nationally recognized as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. Berea has a longstanding commitment to interracial education and is one of the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. With an emphasis on service to Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls more than 1,500 students from 46 states and U.S. territories and more than 70 countries. Berea College admits students who are unable to afford tuition and provides all of them with a no-tuition promise, valued at more than $204,000. Berea's students excel in the College's supportive yet demanding academic environment, and most are the first in their families to attend college. As one of only nine federally recognized Work Colleges, all Berea students are expected to work 10-12 hours weekly in various positions across campus. Berea College is listed in overall ranking in the U.S. by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse college rankings, 2023. The Washington Monthly ranks Berea College Best Liberal Arts College and in Social Mobility, 2023. Money Magazine ranks Berea Best Overall College and for Best in the South, 2023. Berea College is also the only institution in Kentucky to receive the 5-Star Rating from Money Magazine, 2023.

Located where the Bluegrass Region meets the Cumberland Mountains, the town of Berea (pop. 16,000) lies forty miles south of Lexington and is approximately two hours from Cincinnati, Louisville, and Knoxville. More information about Berea College is available at

Berea College, in light of its mission in the tradition of impartial love and social equality, welcomes all people of the earth to learn and work here.
Berea College is always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team. If you think you are ready to be a part of an exciting team, then we encourage you to continue with this applicant friendly, online job application.
Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.
Our Benefits: . click apply for full job details