Executive Assistant and Finance Operations Specialist

Executive Assistant and Financial Services SpecialistThe Executive Assistant and Financial Services Specialist provides executive support to Beloit College's Vice President for Finance, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer and coordinates the daily operations of the Financial Services office. The position maintains organized processes and records for contracts, institutional risk management, and insurance; tracks deadlines and follow-up; and helps campus colleagues obtain timely guidance from the appropriate decision makers. The role supports the College's educational mission through careful administration, responsive service, and sound stewardship of information and resources.Characteristic Duties and ResponsibilitiesExecutive AssistantServe as the primary point of contact for the VP and at times as their proxy, demonstrating a high level of professionalism.Manage projects and workload independently, demonstrates a high level of competence and excellent written and verbal communication skills.Serves as key contact for inquiries from faculty, staff, students, board of trustees, and others relating to the Vice President for Finance, Operations & Strategy and their areas of responsibility.Prepares and responds to correspondence as appropriate; drafts letters and memoranda with the VP.Creates, produces, and distributes reports, documents, and presentations with VP.Assists VP with drafting agendas and supporting documents for three Board of Trustees committees: Finance, Audit & Risk Management, and Physical Asset Management.Responsible for the preparation of Board of Trustee committee meeting minutes for assigned committees to accurately reflect the actions and intentions of the committee(s) and ensure all-important issues are executed.Creates and maintains records and files for VP's office and trustee committees.Creates and maintains records and files relating to bond issues and powerhouse tax credits. Assists with the preparing compliance documents and ensuring timely submission to various creditors.Manages VP's calendar, coordinates schedules, makes appointments, arranges meetings and events, prepares agendas, reserves and prepares facilities.Purchasing Specialist:Develop understanding of and the ability to independently apply the college's purchasing procedures and policies for ongoing operations and projects.Act as the initial contact for the college community regarding the electronic processing of purchase requisitions and purchase orders.Work with the Finance team to determine appropriate course of action and procurement methodology, including but not limited to competitive bids, sole source acquisitions, request for bid proposals, or direct negotiations.Conduct research for new sources of supply; locate and contact vendors and suppliers.Perform market analysis and customer needs assessment studies to identify new contracting possibilities.Review purchase requisitions, verifying that the appropriate documentation and approvals have been submitted.Administer purchase orders to include obtaining vendor quotes, purchase order generation, distribution, and the reconciliation of outstanding purchase orders.Maintain accuracy of the purchasing module and update as necessary, including processing new and updating current vendors.Develop, administer, and communicate to the campus community on procurement systems policies and procedures.Work with Accounts Payable to ensure accurate documentation on purchase orders for payment.Serve as liaison between vendors and customers.Administers Corporate Card Program.Credentials and ExperienceFive plus years experience providing administrative support, with two or more years providing support at an executive level.Experience in preparation of official minutes and note taking is strongly preferred.Associate or Bachelor degree preferred.Experience working with purchasing software.Exceptional organizational skillsProficiency in the use of Microsoft Office products, specifically Excel and Word.Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesAbility to understand and appreciate the mission of a residential, liberal arts college and to work well, in a fast-paced office, with diverse faculty, staff, students, alums, and the general public in a variety of situations.Ability to develop, and to contribute to, learning and work environments welcoming to people from a diverse variety of backgrounds and experiences.Ability to be a persuasive, influential, and successful negotiator.Knowledge of common business practices relating to the purchase, pricing, terms, and payment of goods and services.Ability to communicate effectively, both verbal and written ability to explain complex policies/processes to college employees and vendors.Ability to negotiate and analyze pricing and quality.Working knowledge of evaluating specifications, contracts, and proposals and make independent decisions on purchases.Must be able to work independently and have the ability to prioritize various tasks.Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including grammar, punctuation, spelling and proofreading.Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing activities, expectations, and responsibilities.Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to think critically, effectively prioritize, plan, and organize multiple tasks and projects and meet set deadlines without immediate and constant supervision.Knowledge of customer service standards and the ability to communicate effectively with faculty, administrators, staff, students, families of students, prospective students and their families and the general public.Ability to maintain confidentiality and to safeguard the confidentiality of records.Willingness to look for improvements in personal and office performance and initiate proposals which enhance the work of the office.The intent of this job description is to provide the general nature and level of work required of employees who are assigned to this classification and shall not be constructed as an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities. Employees may be instructed to perform job-related duties and responsibilities other than those specifically presented in this description.