Operations Assistant

Position: Operations Assistant, Full Time, Non-Exempt
Department: The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

SUMMARY
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grantmaker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center, through its grantmaking, invests in ambitious, imaginative projects and artists that showcase the region’s cultural vitality and enhance public life. The Center also engages in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. The Center is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia.

This is a full-time office assistant position that supports the Center’s day-to-day operations and administration. This position flexes to accommodate our hybrid remote-work model that requires staff to work in the Center’s offices Tuesdays–Thursdays and remotely each Monday and Friday. Successful candidates will be comfortable quickly switching between duties in the following areas:

  • Guest reception and hospitality.

  • “Stage management” of communal office areas to assure they are set-up, stocked, and tidied.

  • Organization and care of office technology, shared-use equipment, accessories, and supplies.

  • Support of staff with basic AV equipment and office technology troubleshooting.

  • Correspondence/scheduling with vendors, housekeeping, and building staff.

  • Routine upkeep of CRM records and web page text (primarily performed remotely on Mondays and Fridays).

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the Center’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and in close cooperation with the Executive Coordinator, you’ll provide primary operational support as follows:

Guest Reception (the following duties are primarily performed on Tuesdays–Thursdays): 

  • Greet visitors warmly, in a polite and professional manner. Direct visitors to restrooms, coat closet, and meeting locations. Inform appropriate staff that visitors have arrived.

  • Oversee schedule of visitors to know when to be prepared for guests; request missing calendar information and make updates as needed.

  • Maintain sufficient knowledge of the Center’s procedures and programs to properly route calls and general inquiry emails, take messages and answer basic questions accurately.

  • Coordinate all pickups and deliveries. Inform staff to pick up packages. Collect, sort, and distribute incoming mail. Handle outgoing letters and packages.

  • Assure front desk is covered during lunch breaks or while stepping away from reception area.

Facilities 

  • Promptly inform CAO of any facilities issues. Arrange weekly meetings with CAO to share status updates on current issues and projects.

  • Serve as first contact with external technicians/consultants, building staff, and housekeeping to have facilities issues resolved (e.g. for office printers, building maintenance, security system, document shredding services.)

  • Tidy all communal areas of the office including pantry and conference rooms. Conduct daily quality checks of all common spaces to keep them neat and presentable (e.g. restock supplies, adjust chairs and blinds, wipe-down/clear surfaces, load and unload dishwashers.)

  • Assist the Executive Coordinator with stocking and organization of the Center’s pantry, supply closets, file room, and media storage.

  • Keep signage current and post notices.

Office Technology

  • Learn enough about Center’s office technology to troubleshoot basic issues and provide instruction on their use to staff (e.g. copiers, printers, postage machine, appliances, and phone system). Place service calls as needed.

  • Serve as first point of contact for staff to answer basic questions about computers, phones, software, and Internet connectivity. Notify external IT consultants of advanced issues and see they are addressed in a timely manner.

  • Manage access and account information for the Center’s online vendors, software, and services. Keep master vendor spreadsheet up to date.

  • Manage staff requests for shared laptops and AV equipment; help with their setup. Keep inventory of AV equipment, accessories, and computers up to date.

  • Assist CAO with creation of digital accounts and workstation setup for new employees. Provide new staff with basic training on office technology.

Special Meetings and Events

  • Work with the Executive Coordinator and CAO to prepare for special events and meetings.

  • Support staff with the setup and breakdown of rooms, including IT and AV.

  • In collaboration with the CAO, coordinate IT and A/V equipment set up for the Center’s annual adjudication panel meetings.

Data Entry and Web Assistance (primarily performed remotely on Mondays and Fridays):

Work with Center Communications staff and CAO to

  • Update contact information in the Center’s Salesforce database

  • Periodically log information into the Center’s Media Tracking database

  • Periodically perform basic updates on webpages

Other 

  • Update operations documentation/guides to reflect newest information.

  • Assist CAO in collection of invoices and receipts. Apply accounting code categories to monthly credit card transactions.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the incumbent; they do not purport to describe all functions. Incumbent may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may change from time to time as necessary.


EDUCATION

  • An associate degree or its equivalent is required. Two years of experience comparable to the job’s core functions is required.

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS & ABILITIES

  • Understands the importance of hospitality in alignment with the Center’s core value of providing a welcoming environment for all its constituents and visitors. Must have the ability to ascertain caller/visitor needs and expectations in a pleasant and respectful manner, with proper sense of urgency.

  • Effective interpersonal skills to successfully interact with the Center’s diverse constituency, fellow staff, and external consultants/vendors. You need to be appropriately thoughtful, respectful, and effective when communicating at work. A sense of humility and humor are needed.

  • Strong organizational skills and affinity for organizing spaces, equipment, and supplies.

  • Familiarity and comfort with basic office technology and AV equipment (e.g. laptops, printers, projectors, Internet, computer cables and adaptors).

  • An aptitude for looking up solutions online, reading manuals/instructions, and troubleshooting basic office issues quickly.

  • Proficiency with Microsoft Windows operating system to manage computer files and with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, and Word).

  • Is happy to work independently or as part of a team. Can prioritize multiple projects in a busy environment accurately and with a high level of attention to detail, while maintaining professionalism.

  • Can identify tasks and suggest projects which need to be performed, without being explicitly asked, while also knowing when to ask questions and when to take initiative.

  • Ability to exercise a high level of discretion and confidentiality in interactions with both internal and external people concerning all work-related information, and with understanding of the Center’s unique relationship to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

  • Awareness of the unique needs and nature of not-for-profit work as well as an understanding of artistic and cultural practice is a benefit.

Supervisory Responsibility:

  • No supervisory role

Note: Applicants who are practicing artists should note that in order to prevent conflict of interest or the appearance thereof, the Center has a Code of Ethics that may limit artistic and cultural practice within our grant making region, and when collaborating outside the region with Center grantees.

LOCATION, HOURS, REMOTE WORK
The Center’s offices are located at 1608 Walnut St., Suite 18, Philadelphia PA
The Center operates each Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m.
Center staff have the option to work remotely each Monday and Friday only, but may be asked to work at the office on these days for occasional special assignments, deadlines, or activities. 

ABOUT THE PEW CENTER FOR ARTS & HERITAGE
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (the Center) is a multidisciplinary grant maker and hub for knowledge-sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant and diverse cultural community in Greater Philadelphia. The Center invests in ambitious, imaginative, and catalytic work that showcases the region’s cultural vitality and enhances public life, and we engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning artistic and interpretive practice with a broad network of cultural practitioners and leaders. Center funding has made possible thousands of performing arts events, history and visual arts exhibitions, and other public programs for audiences in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.
Visit https://www.pewcenterarts.org/about for more information.
 

TO APPLY: Interested, qualified applicants should submit letters of application and resumes to the Human Resources Department via email to jobs@uarts.edu. Please ensure job title is in the Subject line.
 

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, The University of the Arts publishes its Annual Safety Report at the following link for your reference:

http://www.uarts.edu/about/campus-crime-fire-reports

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Title IX Statement: The University of the Arts prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities, including admission and employment, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The Director for Title IX, Equity, & Compliance is responsible for overseeing compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations. To contact the Director for Title IX, Equity, & Compliance, e-mail titleix@uarts.edu, visit The University of the Arts, 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102, or call 215-717-6362. To learn more about the University's Title IX policy and response to sex discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, please visit www.uarts.edu/titleix. Inquiries may also be directed to the Federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

 

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