Operations Assistant

This position is an on-campus, full-time, 12-month appointment based in Champaign, Illinois covered by the Professional Support Staff (PSS) Union with an annual salary of $40,787.70.

Application Close Date/Time: Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7 PM CT

The Operations Assistant is responsible for greeting and assisting all customers and guests, guiding students through all aspects of course registration and completion, and consistently providing superior customer service, while sustaining and developing internal and external relationships for Parkland College Community Education. The Operations Assistant attends to all aspects of daily operations and is responsible for a wide range of tasks in support of other Operations Assistants and the entire department.

The Operations Assistant is on a schedule established by the Associate Director of Community Education. The Operations Assistant must listen and communicate effectively, professionally perform tasks with a high level of accuracy, prioritize multiple assignments simultaneously, and work independently and as a contributing team member. The Operations Assistant serves as the department’s primary contact and acts as liaison with other college departments, as well as businesses, organizations, governmental units, and the community. The position involves frequent handling of confidential information and records. Internal and external events occasionally necessitate an altered work schedule.

Applicants Must Submit

• An online employment application
• Cover letter
• Resume or CV
  
  

Essential Job Functions

• Continuously provide superior customer service and maintain a friendly and professional demeanor.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills (listening, speaking, and writing) in-person, over the phone, or via any electronic or written correspondence.
• Greet, assist, and direct individuals with frequent and varied inquiries, concerns, and requests.
• Guide students and employers through the registration process for a variety of courses and programs; provide advice on course selection and certificate requirements.
• Exhibit excellent problem-solving skills and work proactively to predict, prevent, stabilize and solve conflicts or problems; research and respond to vender problems and issues.
• Make decisions in a fast-paced environment with little supervision.
• Establish and maintain internal and external collaborative relationships with Parkland personnel, applicants, vendors, businesses, organizations, governmental entities, and the community; serve as liaison to circuit courts, community entities, and businesses.
• Demonstrate exemplary time management and organizational skills to ensure deadlines are met and all operations run smoothly.
• Produce, revise, and edit written materials; create and maintain necessary course materials; assist in the marketing of Community Education.
• Manage course related inventory; procure all necessary office supplies, books, materials, snacks and beverages.
• Schedule, setup, refresh, and clean training rooms.
• Provide support for instructors and students during courses, including troubleshooting software, providing guidance with various Parkland online systems, and accommodating last-minute requests.
• Provide daily support to the Director, Associate Director, and Program Managers and serve as back up to other Operations Assistants.
• Manage and maintain confidential and accurate records and information and prepare a variety of reports.
• Provide recommendations and innovative ideas for departmental improvements and strategies.
• Actively participate in various departmental meetings, professional development trainings, and serve on departmental or college committees.
• Accept, document, and securely process various payments; set up and maintain payment plans for students; prepare invoices; and process requisitions, calculate payroll, and invoices accurately and on time.
• Answer questions regarding account balances, payment arrangements, refunds and other student/company related financial matters.
• Analyze past due student/company accounts and declined payments; follow-up with relevant parties to rectify accounts.
• Collect, enter, and summarize class evaluations and record student grades.
• Assist with the hiring, training, and scheduling of part-time and student workers.
• Call companies, organizations, and individuals to schedule appointments for the
• Director, Associate Director, and Program Managers.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• Associate degree or three (3) years’ experience providing customer service/working with the public and in a professional setting or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Ability to pass a criminal background check with fingerprinting.
• Proven superior customer service skills; a friendly and professional demeanor; and ability to work with a diverse community.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the proper use of English grammar. Must be able to clearly and concisely explain and promote Community
• Education courses and programs and produce professional business correspondences.
• Ability to organize and prioritize multiple assignments simultaneously, work independently and as part of a team, respond professionally to challenging customer situations, be a self-starter and solve problems.
• Must produce and sustain highly accurate, detail-oriented work in a fast-paced environment with frequent distractions.
• Math skills sufficient to calculate payroll, financial reports, and course prices.
• Proficient at using desktop applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word, Access, Acrobat
• Adobe, and Publisher to create or modify professional documents.
• Ability to learn the Ellucian/Colleague system, Lumens, CRM software for client tracking and new technologies as they emerge.
• Ability to set-up and clean training rooms, including troubleshooting and working audio-visual and multimedia equipment.
• In an effort to comply with SURS return-to-work restrictions for employers (40 ILCS 5/15-139.5), candidates for employment at Parkland College must either not be a SURS annuitant or must be willing to suspend his/her SURS annuity upon employment.This applies to all SURS annuitants except those receiving their annuity under either the Self-Managed Plan (SMP) or by lump sum payment.
  
  

Robust benefits, including medical insurance with no monthly premiums, dental, life, disability, retirement plans, flexible spending, dependent care, EAP, work/life balance with generous paid time off, and tuition waiver. More information on the benefits package may be found online at our Benefits page .

Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://www.parkland.edu/careers will not be considered.

Please monitor your email, including spam or junk mail folders, for future correspondence from Parkland College Human Resources.

For further information on the application process, please contact Parkland College Human Resources at 217-351-2220.

Applicants with disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process.

Requests may be submitted by contacting Human Resources at 217-351-2220 or by emailing hr@parkland.edu.

Equal Opportunity Employer