Sr. Administrative Assistant of the Agricultural Program, Riverhead, NY

The Senior Administrative Assistant will be responsible for office management, correspondence, reports, tracking program budgets, purchasing, and program registration. Provide a wide variety of complex clerical and administrative support for the Agriculture Program. Provide highly complex, technical word processing/spreadsheet/database/publisher expertise requiring a thorough knowledge of various methods, procedures, and complex software. Initiate and compose correspondence requiring subject matter familiarity and discretion.
Relieve supervisors of handling numerous personal contacts; answer inquiries; gather information requiring discretion and a wide variety/depth of knowledge of office operations and procedures. Assist educators in the scheduling and coordinating of meetings and program activities. Plan and schedule travel arrangements. Counsel staff on departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines. Work closely with the agriculture industry, including establishing inter-agency partnerships with other agricultural organizations.

Accountable to and under the direct supervision of the Agriculture Program Director and the Resource Educators of the Agriculture Program.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate's Degree or Equivalent Education or equivalent with secretarial coursework. Four or more years as an Administrative Assistant with experience in administrative work and computer skills, including databases, Word, Excel, and other relevant software.
• Thorough knowledge of office procedures, computers, and complex software.
• Must possess strong oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of the use and maintenance of office equipment, including copiers, fax machines, and printers.
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks.
• Ability to design and create simple program brochures and materials.
• Ability to work independently and to use problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with various individuals within Cooperative Extension and various agriculture-related entities.
• Interest and the ability to work in an extremely busy, challenging atmosphere where juggling multiple projects simultaneously is required.
• Must possess superior telephone/people skills.
• Willingness to work as a team member and work with CCE staff, cooperating agencies, and the public.
• Ability to meet travel requirements.
• Ability to work a flexible work schedule based on the program's demands and the needs of staff.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to update websites and manage social media platforms.
• Ability to understand basic scientific information.
• Editorial and proofreading skills.

Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

Administrative Responsibilities:

Direction - 5%

• May assist with planning for the administrative functions for the Agriculture Program.
• May assist with anticipating or planning for Agriculture Program expenses.
• May assist with planning the Agriculture Program's marketing and mass media efforts.
• May assist with planning for the staffing needs of the Agriculture Program.

Management - 5%

• May assist with guiding the administrative functions for the Agriculture Program.
• May assist with guiding Agriculture Program expenses.
• May assist with guiding the Agriculture Program's marketing and mass media efforts.
• May assist with guiding the Agriculture Programs staffing needs.

Coordination/Operation - 85%

Agriculture Administrative Support

• Responsible for ordering and maintenance of appropriate equipment and supply inventory and completing purchase orders.
• Submitting program fees, purchase orders, etc., to the Finance Department and adhering to their procedures.
• Provide expertise utilizing complex software.
• In cooperation with supervisors and educators, they will record expenditures and income for program budgets and maintain program budgets on excel spreadsheets.
• Gather information requiring discretion and a wide variety and depth of knowledge of office operations and procedures.
• Maintain office files, including confidential documents.
• Manage the Agriculture Program office's day-to-day operation, including but not limited to providing clerical support for staff, answering telephones, and responding to questions from the public regarding the various aspects of the Agriculture program.
• When necessary, initiate and compose complex correspondence requiring discretion, seeking supervisors' and educators' input and approval.
• Responsible for maintaining the database for Agriculture program subscriptions and programs. This includes generating subscription renewals and doing deletions.
• Maintain program data for Federal, State, and local reporting.
• Participate in agriculture program staff meetings and CCE association staff meetings as needed. Maintain good working relationships with CCE staff and Program Advisory Committees.

Direct Program Support

• Greet volunteers and clientele and explain educational programs.
• Assist with retrieval and sending of emails. Conduct Worldwide Web searches as directed. Provide information for the website.
• Assist with meeting and conference preparations to include: the preparation of agendas; meeting notices/flyers; minutes; processing conference forms (county forms, professional credits), taking registrations and maintaining files for program registration; acting as a liaison and contracting with locations for out of the office meetings and the purchase and serving of refreshments. Sit on appropriate committees when necessary to facilitate such meetings (e.g., Ag Forum).
• Responsible for proofing Agricultural News and soliciting and coordinating the advertising for this publication, also responsible for assisting with the solicitation of written content.
• Also responsible for the typing, layout, proofing, creating PDF files, faxing, and emailing the LI Fruit & Vegetable Update.
• Promote subscriptions for Agricultural News and other publications.
• Coordinate and monitor work assignments with the graphic arts department and print shop.
• Respond to general requests for information about programs and activities or direct requests to the appropriate organization/agency

Professional Improvement - 5%

• Prepare for and actively participate in staff training and meetings.
• Participate in staff evaluation processes as instructed.
• Collaborate in activities that are in general support of Cornell Cooperative Extension and perform other duties as assigned.
• Health and Safety - Applied to all duties and functions.
• Support the Association to maintain a safe living and working environment.
• Be familiar with and strive to follow any applicable federal, state, local regulations, Association health and safety policy/procedure/requirement and standard.
• Act proactively to prevent accidents/injuries and communicate hazards to supervisors when identified.

EEO/EPO and Policy - Applied to all duties and functions.

• Appreciate and embrace diversity in all interactions with clientele, staff, volunteers, and the public.
• Assist the Cornell Cooperative Extension system in reaching out to diverse audiences.
• Aware of and adhered to the established Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Suffolk County policies, procedures, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Skills for Success.
• Contribute to the organization's overall success by performing all assigned duties professionally, timely, and accurate.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO,

Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.

POSITION DETAILS:

Salary: Non-exempt $19.24 - $22.00 per hour (based on experience)

Hour: Full-time 35 hours per week

Benefits: Full Benefits

Date Position Available: Approximately March 11, 2021

HOW TO APPLY:

Review of applications will begin immediately. The position will remain open until a qualified pool of candidates is obtained.

Applicants need to:

• Attach/upload a resume to the online application in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

• Attach/upload a cover letter to the online application in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

• Attach/upload contact info for three references to the online application in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

In the "Experience" section of your application, use the Paperclip icon to search for file(s) or use the "Drop Files Here" box to manually drag document(s) into your application. Once the application is submitted, you will not be able to change your submission or add attachments.

External Applicants: (including current employees of other Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations), please refer to the Applying for a Job (External Candidate) document for additional guidance.

Internal Applicants: Current employees of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Association indicated in this job posting are considered internal applicants; please refer to the Applying for a Job (Internal Candidate) document for additional guidance.

No relocation or VISA Sponsorship available.

The Association may make reasonable accommodations to enable applicants to participate in the hiring process and employees to perform their essential functions. If you require an accommodation to participate in the selection process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Cooperative Extension Administrative Systems at (607) 255-6120 or via email at cce.recruitment@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is a collaboration among Cornell University, the United States Department of Agriculture, the State of New York, and New York State residents. Per NYS Law, county and regional extension service associations are subordinate government agencies. This employment opportunity is with the entities listed and not with Cornell University.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension is a collaboration among Cornell University, the United States Department of Agriculture, the State of New York, and the residents of New York State. Per NYS Law, county and regional extension service associations are subordinate government agencies. This employment opportunity is with the entities listed and not with Cornell University.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities. Individuals who bring a diverse perspective and are supportive of diversity are strongly encouraged to apply.

Notice to Applicants: Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell Cooperative Extension as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.