Administrative Assistant - Center for Veteran, Military and Family Programs

The Center for Veteran, Miliary and Family Programs at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for an Administrative Associate/Program Specialist.

About the Opportunity

The Administrative Associate/Program Specialist serves as an Administrative Assistant and Veterans School Certifying Official at WVU, Potomac State and WV Tech. This position counsels students and parents on the VA process to apply for Education benefits, determine eligibility, and monitor enrollment status of students. The employee will possess knowledge in administrative tasks, budgets, planning events and knowledge of all VA, state, and federal education benefits to help WVU's current and future veteran, military and dependent population.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 15 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

Administrative Duties

• Provide administrative support to the Director and staff of the Center for Veteran, Military and Family Programs
• Independently manage calendars for the leadership and staff of the Center.
• Answer student inquiries about current benefits by accessing Enrollment Manager and certifying official databases.
• Assist students, WVU staff/faculty with inquiries related to students' benefits
• Compiles information for computing institutional and state reports concerning the number of veterans served, educational benefits received, and other necessary information for the end of year fiscal reports
• Prioritize and schedule meetings, events, conferences and ceremonies for the Center.
• Support certifying officials by educating and assisting students when starting the process of the various educational benefits.
• Reserves rooms as needed for meetings, tutoring and other events.
• Oversees vanity email accounts for general questions about benefits.
• Monitor and engage daily posting/management/engagement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram from CVMF
• Comfortable to take occasional videos and photos as needed
• Confirm websites and social media accounts follow WVU's policy and procedures.
• Ensure voicemails have been checked and calls returned or forwarded to the correct staff member.
• Provides directions and offers referrals to students for student support services/resources as needed (i.e.VA Education Hotline, Office of the Registrar, Office of Student Accounts, Financial Aid, Admissions, Accommodations, etc.)
• Assists with conflicts associated with disenfranchised students, parents, faculty and staff. Exercises sound and professional judgement to minimize conflicts in the support of operational leadership.
• Assists certifying officials with sensitive, confidential and complicated cases.
• Ascertains the students' concerns and determines whether the student needs to meet with a certifying official.
• Hire, train, supervise, process pay and evaluates the performance of tutors and work-study students.
• Assigns responsibilities and daily tasks to student workers and reviews completed work for accuracy.
• Audits student files periodically for accuracy and completeness
• Responsible for coordinating and distributing a monthly newsletter.
• Onboarding new employees
• Coordinates list for student graduation and ensures veteran cords are given to all eligible students

School Certifying Official Duties

• Helps certify GI Bill benefits
• Makes changes or updates in Enrollment Manager (VA system)
• Ensures third party contracts are accurate and placed for SFS to apply to students' account
• Serves as a point of contact for potential students who inquire about VA Benefits
• Support and educate other departments on campus about VA benefits policies and guidelines
• Independently investigates and resolves problems students encounter regarding timely processing of claims and payment of benefits
• Liaise with Student Financial Services (SFS) and the VA to ensure accurate and timely delivery of Veterans Educational Benefits
• Monitors change in enrollment and student status to report to VA.
• Maintain records of VA students and make all records available for inspection/audits.
• Assists potential VA students in applying and obtaining education benefits.
• Provides financial and debt management counseling to students.
• Ensures VA students are fully aware of their responsibilities to maintain their benefit.
• Attends all VA training opportunities
• Coordinates and participates with audit visits with VA federal and state representatives
• Represents the University at recruitment functions, informational seminars and public relations activities
• Addresses general questions on enrollment processes such as admissions, scheduling and payment of invoices
• Maintains current knowledge of changes in federal and state legislation affecting Veteran Educational Benefits programs
• Counsel students regarding cost of attendance, methods of payment and management of financial responsibilities
• Inform SFS of the amount of VA benefits a student has to apply to balance of account
• Interpret, implement, and maintain up-to-date knowledge of Federal and State guidelines governing VA benefits

Budgetary Duties

• Provides Director with current balances, past expenditures and recommended courses of action on budget transactions.
• Keeps up to date on budget policies, procedures, processes and regulations at WVU.
• Prepares and maintains fiscal records.
• Processes all purchasing requests, including identification of needs, placement of orders and completion of paperwork.
• Maintains operating budgetary spreadsheets.
• Prepares budget summaries for VA grants.
• Develops and maintains Excel spreadsheets to record and track monthly expenditures.
• Serves as designee in My Expenses/Marketplace for purchases and receipts for all employees in office.
• Create purchase orders for equipment, computers, software until complete.
• Makes travel arrangements and handles reimbursements in Marketplace.

Other Duties as Needed/Assigned

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education/experience.
• A minimum of one (1) year of experience involving each of the following:
  • Customer service/counseling/advising
  • University/College setting
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to balance a variety of tasks and demands.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Experience with serving special populations on a college campus.
• Excellent communication skills- both oral and written - are required, as is the ability to understand complex instructions and follow multifaceted directions.
• Judgement and discretion skills on when to act, and when to consult others.
• Experience working in high pressure environments while maintaining a high level of attention to detail.
• Ability for independent decision making by an appropriate awareness of risk management factors.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to establish priorities are needed.
• Ability to work with deadlines to achieve office goals.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision.
• Research skills are required to acquire information in order to reach optimum solutions to student concerns.
• Exceptional customer service skills are essential.
• Must always exhibit professionalism and courtesy with faculty, staff, students, parents and external offices.
• Strong decision making and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with campus and community resources.
• Ability to utilize WVU STAR database, and other technology to gather data.
• Knowledge and experience with WVU ORACLE system.
• Knowledge of WVU policies and procedures related to purchasing, travel, personnel, and budget matters.
• Knowledge of CleanSlate, Microsoft Office, Banner, DegreeWorks, and Navigate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Military background/connection and previous experience working with benefits

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.