Staff Assistant - Essex County Sheriff's Department

POSITION: Full-Time Staff Assistant - Essex County Sheriff's Department (Staff Assistant): Essex County Sheriff's Department; 20 Manning Avenue, Middleton, MA; MCCC/MTA Unit Professional Position; 37.5 hours/week, Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm; Pay Grade 2; Grant Funded Position

SUMMARY: The Staff Assistant reports to the Education Director. The Staff Assistant will serve as the student records specialist, managing and maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of student records in and also provide administrative support to the Education Director, Assistant Directors, NECC staff, and education programming within the Essex County Sheriff's Department (ECSD) to include Middleton House of Corrections, Women in Transition, Essex County Pre-Release Program-Lawrence, Supporting Transition and Reentry (STAR) Lynn, and STAR Lawrence.

RESPONSIBILITES:

Specific duties for this position include:

• Support the Education Director and Assistant Education Directors with administrative responsibilities and duties as requested.
• Assist with Info Session preparation and scheduling.
• Assist with the coordination of recognition ceremonies, including the identification of individuals being recognized and the preparation of certificates.
• Ensure the accuracy and completeness of all student records.
• Promptly update student records to reflect any changes, including course completions, transfers, and releases.
• Conduct regular audits to verify the accuracy of records and identify any discrepancies.
• Locate and retrieve missing documents as needed.
• Communicate with students, educational staff, and correctional facility staff to resolve any record-related issues.
• Request and process transcripts and other educational records from external institutions.
• Maintain the secure storage and organization of all physical and digital records, ensuring compliance with facility regulations.
• Generate reports and provide data analysis to support educational programming and compliance reporting.
• Maintain a digital repository of all program-related documents, including curriculum materials, policies and procedures, and guidance documents, ensuring the repository is up-to-date and accessible to the NECC/ECSD team.
• Create guidance documents to support program processes and procedures.
• Adhere to all federal, state, and institutional policies regarding student records, including FERPA and correctional facility regulations.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of student information, ensuring records are accessible only to authorized personnel. Ensure all records management activities are conducted with a focus on security and safety. Follow all facility protocols and guidelines to maintain secure and compliant records management systems.
• Receive inmate request forms and respond to inquiries regarding enrollment and scheduling.
• Support the Data, Research, and Evaluation Specialist in maintaining program data.
• Identify opportunities for improving records management processes within the correctional education context. Implement new procedures to enhance efficiency and accuracy while adhering to facility protocols.
• Train program staff on records management policies and procedures. Provide ongoing support to ensure adherence to best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Utilize appropriate software and tools to manage student data effectively,
• Address any issues related to student records promptly and effectively, considering the unique challenges of the correctional environment. Troubleshoot and resolve discrepancies in records, collaborating with correctional and educational staff as needed.
• Other duties as assigned to support program operations
• The Classification Specification is available at: https://www.mass.edu/shared/classificationspecs/specsmccc/Staff Assistant - HB 1160.doc

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Psychology, Business Administration, Computer Science, or other field related to area of assignment; with 5 months experience and/or training involving area of assignment, which may include college registration, academic advisement, grant administration, budget development, event planning, administrative work in an academic environment, general office administration, or personal computer operations; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to handle deadline driven environment including multiple and simultaneous responsibilities
• Ability to adapt to constantly changing environments and priorities
• Strong attention to detail, ability to multi-task, work under pressure with interruptions, meet established deadlines, and work effectively on a team

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Highly developed customer service skills
• Ability to write concisely to express thoughts clearly and to develop ideas in logical sequence.
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting.
• Budget and Accounting experience
• Bilingual (Spanish/English)
• Experience working with and supporting a culturally diverse population

BACKGROUND CHECK: Candidates will be required to pass a CORI and SORI check as a condition of employment.

SALARY: Anticipated starting salary range is $50,262.00 - $55,515.00 (MCCC Pay Grade 2 with a Bachelor's degree) annually with complete fringe benefit package including competitive health insurance, dental insurance, basic life insurance, long-term disability insurance, paid sick, vacation and personal leave, educational benefits for employee/spouse/dependents, and excellent retirement benefits.

ANTICIPATED START DATE: ASAP