Student Affairs Administrative Assistant

Job Description

NORMAL WORK HOURS: 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Dean of Student Affairs

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Student Affairs and Resources (StAR) Administrative Assistant supports the Dean of Student Affairs and works collaboratively with colleagues across StAR to ensure seamless delivery of student services, resources, and opportunities. This key role encompasses a variety of responsibilities, including managing purchasing and financial processes, coordinating student services across campus offices, and providing administrative support for student activities, academic support, tutoring, and disability services.

As an integral member of the StAR team, the Administrative Assistant contributes to initiatives that enhance the out-of-class experience for students. StAR encompasses a wide range of student-facing functions, including residential life, health and wellness, equity and inclusion, international student support, study away programs, student activities, academic support, disability services, and post-graduate planning. This position is essential to fostering an environment where students can thrive academically, personally, and professionally.

This is an in-person/on-campus position based in Needham, MA.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Administrative Support:

• Provide general administrative assistance for the Dean of Student Affairs and StAR team, including scheduling, purchasing, financial processing, and event coordination.
• Serve as the on-campus point of contact for StAR, assisting students with questions and connecting them to appropriate resources.
• Coordinate meetings, track student employment, and collaborate on budget management and financial transactions.
• Administer co-curricular student opportunities.
• Assist with streamlining business processes.
• Support special projects and perform other duties as needed.

Academic Support and Disability Services:

• Assist with the administration of tutoring programs, academic resources, and disability accommodations.
• Manage the hiring and matching of tutors and peer academic support roles.
• Facilitate the distribution of accommodation letters.

Student Activities:

• Support logistics for student events and programs, including Orientation and student group activities.
• Maintain the student events calendar.
• Assist with administrative tasks for student groups, such as reimbursements, fundraising, and procurement.
• Provide occasional travel and supply coordination for student activities.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma required; Associate’s degree or higher preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of administrative experience, with prior experience in higher education or student services strongly preferred.
• Exceptional customer service skills, with the ability to build strong relationships and interact effectively with a diverse range of individuals.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including a welcoming and approachable demeanor, and a demonstrated ability to resolve concerns with professionalism and empathy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, Forms), internet research, and other relevant software tools.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate as part of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an emphasis on clarity, responsiveness, and approachability.
• Commitment to fostering equity, access, and belonging in a diverse community.

Company Description

Olin College of Engineering seeks employees who are passionate about working collaboratively within and outside of the Olin community to support the College’s mission and vision for the future. At Olin, we are educating the next generation of engineering innovators and shifting the definition of engineering. Not only do our students ask, “Who are we designing this for, and what are their values?” They also ask questions about the impact of their work on society.

As Olin evolves under the leadership of our president, Dr. Gilda Barabino, we seek to become a more diverse and aware community, a place where everyone is a learner and where everyone is an educator. Olin will become a place where experimentation—including making and learning from mistakes—will be embraced across the institution, not just in the classroom. Collaboration is key to Olin’s curriculum and culture, and we will work intentionally to reinforce the values and culture to which we aspire. We are a community that thrives on being together; we value trust. The College supports teams to collaboratively decide how they can best do their work, and display a commitment to the community, all while providing individuals with overall work-life flexibility.

Olin College is situated on 75 acres in Needham, Massachusetts. We are approximately ten miles from Boston, one mile from the MBTA Commuter Rail train station, and approximately four miles from the Woodland Station for the MBTA Green Line. We have plenty of free parking on campus. You can find more details on our Visiting Campus page.

• Take a Virtual Campus Tour: From the moment you step on campus at Olin, you feel a buzz of energy and activity—and once you experience it, you want to be a part of it.

Olin College is committed to supporting an innovative, integrated learning and working environment. As a small campus, the in-person experience and cross-team collaboration is what helps build a strong, dynamic community for our students, faculty and staff. Typically, most roles at Olin College are intended to be in-person and on-campus. Certain paid positions may be eligible for flexible working arrangements, at the College’s sole discretion. Any approved remote work arrangement for pay must be performed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where Olin is registered to do business. Individual flexible and remote work options can be discussed during the interview process.

Benefits

Olin College prides itself on offering to faculty and staff comprehensive benefits that provide both choice and value. These benefits are an important part of total compensation.

Full-time employees scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week may be eligible for the following benefits:

Core Benefits

• Medical (three different options)
• Dental
• Vision
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance (company paid)
• Paid Family Medical Leave
• Long Term Disability (company paid)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with company match
• Liberal sick and vacation time and paid holidays
• Free parking

Additional Benefits

• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Business Travel Insurance
• Supplemental 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Travel Assistance Services (company paid)
• Health Care Management Program
• Pet Insurance

Please note that benefits are subject to change at any time.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

At Olin College we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about a role and have relevant experience, but your work history doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we'd nevertheless encourage you to apply.

Olin College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We especially welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities. Employees of the College who have a disability are welcome to request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at HR@olin.edu.