Operations Coordinator

Syracuse University

The Operations Coordinator serves as the front line of the D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, ensuring that veterans, military-connected students, staff, and guests at the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) receive a welcoming, well-informed experience and are connected to the right resources. The position also provides executive support to IVMF leadership and keeps the institute’s day-to-day administrative operations running smoothly.

Working with a high degree of independence, the Operations Coordinator supervises front-desk student employees, manages executive scheduling and confidential records, coordinates staff programs and events, and supports procurement, financial reconciliation, and onboarding. Success in this role depends on attention to detail, discretion with sensitive information, and the ability to manage multiple recurring deadlines.

Education and Experience

• Associate’s degree required.
• Two or more years of administrative, office management, or executive support experience required.
• Experience supervising, scheduling, or training student or entry-level staff required.
• Prior experience in a higher education administrative setting preferred.
• Experience supporting event or program coordination preferred.
• Experience with basic bookkeeping, expense reconciliation, or procurement processes preferred.
• Experience serving veteran and military-connected populations preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Outlook, including group email lists, shared calendars, and Microsoft Teams meeting scheduling.
• Familiarity with AI tools, such as Claude.
• Ability to operate a multi-line phone system and manage front-desk reception duties.
• Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment in triaging inquiries and referring individuals to the appropriate internal or external resource.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to work independently and manage multiple recurring tasks, processes, and deadlines without close oversight.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential and sensitive information, including financial, personnel, and donor data, with discretion.
• Strong attention to detail in financial reconciliation, data entry, and recordkeeping.
• Familiarity with Syracuse University systems, such as MySlice, eProcurement, and Maximo, preferred.
• Familiarity with military and veteran culture preferred.

Responsibilities

• Reception and Student Supervision

• Serves as the first point of contact at the NVRC, managing incoming calls, visitors, mail, and deliveries and using sound judgment to triage inquiries and refer individuals to the appropriate University office or community and national veteran service organization.

• Sorts and distributes mail daily, receives and routes courier and vendor deliveries, scans and routes incoming documents for on-site and remote staff, and follows established procedures for logging and routing checks and donations.

• Maintains front-desk resources, referral contacts, and phone and voicemail systems.

• Directly supervises front-desk student employees, including recruitment, hiring, scheduling, training, and day-to-day performance oversight, and coordinates the annual hiring and onboarding of VA work-study students in partnership with the Office of Veteran Success.

• Develops and administers the Front Desk Student Employee Handbook, builds semester schedules, submits new-hire onboarding requests, and serves as the daily contact for attendance and shift coverage.

• Coordinates access, parking, and logistics for visiting student groups.

• Executive and Records Support

• Manages executive calendars to protect work blocks, proposal deadlines, external engagements, and University leadership priorities, anticipating and resolving scheduling conflicts and resource needs weeks in advance.

• For the Executive Director, triages inbound requests and correspondence, determining what requires direct attention and what can be delegated, deferred, or handled independently, and prepares briefing materials, talking points, and pre-reads.

• Schedules recurring all-staff Microsoft Teams meetings in coordination with leadership, including recording and transcription settings.

• Prepares interview and travel itineraries for candidates and guests, and maintains department group email lists and shared Outlook calendars.

• Maintains organized digital and physical filing systems, including confidential personnel and departmental records, and coordinates with University Records Management and Archives on the inventory, packing, and transfer of historical records.

• Events and Staff Engagement

• Coordinates logistics for the annual Holiday Families Program, including liaising with the VA Vet Center, managing staff sign-ups, tracking gift collection, and ensuring timely delivery.

• Supports planning and logistics for the annual All Hands meeting, including years-of-service recognition, certificates and gifts, hotel arrangements for remote staff, and event materials.

• Plans, coordinates, and executes staff morale and recognition events, including day-of setup, and coordinates quarterly recognition programs such as Teammate of the Quarter, including ordering awards and submitting design and print requests through the University’s job-ticketing system.

• Provides administrative assistance to IVMF and Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) staff and departments for events, programs, and special projects.

• Procurement and Financial Support

• Prepares and processes inbound and outbound FedEx shipments, including shipping labels, and coordinates warehouse pick-up requests through Maximo.

• Reviews and processes FedEx invoices and coordinates payment to the appropriate chartstring and account code.

• Orders office and copy room supplies through Amazon and eProcurement (WB Mason), maintains and audits supply room inventory, and submits supply and travel related tax refund requests and supporting documentation as needed.

• Supports monthly credit card reconciliation by reviewing receipts, verifying mileage and travel expenses, resolving missing-receipt issues, and coordinating with the Budget team.

• Onboarding and Office Coordination

• Supports onboarding of new employees, including data entry, workstation and office preparation, key assignment, building access, and SU ID card issuance for new and remote staff, and facilitates introductions to staff, remote team members, and leadership.

• Sets up and maintains staff access to department listservs and email groups.

• Assists supervisors with TimeClock Plus and MySlice timekeeping tasks, including correcting missed punches and editing time segments.

• Coordinates access requests and training scheduling for the Citrus donor database in accordance with confidentiality requirements.

• In collaboration with the Building and Facilities Coordinator, coordinates guest parking reservations and submits the annual guest parking standing ID renewal by the fiscal-year deadline.

• Serves as an administrative liaison across IVMF programs, routing inquiries and coordinating tasks.

• Physical Requirements

• Some tasks require lifting and moving boxes (e.g., records transfers, supply shipments) up to 25 lbs.

• Tools/Equipment

• Not Applicable