Job Description

The Deans Office Operations Manager serves as a key operational and administrative partner within the Hobart and William Smith Office of the Deans, providing high-level support to the Deans while helping identify efficiencies, organizational improvement, and continuous adaptation to new College initiatives across office functions. This role oversees administrative operations, coordinates major institutional events and processes, and contributes to the enhancement of workflow.

The Manager plays a critical role in managing high-volume, detail-oriented work—particularly during peak academic cycles—while identifying opportunities to improve overall effectiveness. This individual is expected to be proactive, tech-savvy, and solutions-oriented with the ability to take initiative, implement improvements, and elevate the operational impact of the office. The Manager must also be unquestionably reliable and discreet, as befits the position of a front-facing, student-serving office that interfaces with all other campus stakeholders, including faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and administrators.

Essential Responsibilities at the Office of the Deans:

• Serve as the primary point of contact in the Office of the Deans, greets students, faculty, staff, and other visitors to the office ensuring a professional, responsive and student-centered environment.
• Serve as a liaison between the Office of the Deans and students, faculty, staff, parents, and external partners, ensuring clear and consistent communication which includes scheduling meetings, Zoom meetings, and directing calls and walk-ins to the appropriate Dean.
• Supervise, train, and schedule a team of 5–10 student employees while fostering accountability and high-level service for all who interact with the Office.
• Proactively identify inefficiencies in existing workflows—particularly those related to manual or paper-based systems—and recommend and implement solutions.
• Lead the planning and execution for office-sponsored events and processes like Blackwell-Hale Academic Achievement celebration, Moving Up Day, and honor society applications & inductions.
• Manage, maintain, and secure confidential information about all students and alumni.
• Coordinate and support all aspects of the Academic Review process, including preparation of materials, communication with students and families, and collaboration with the Committee on Standards.
• Provides support and communication for student honor societies.
• Oversee daily office operations including ordering supplies and processing purchase requisitions, invoices, and work orders to keep the office functioning smoothly.
• Serves as the first point of contact for answering and assisting with lower-order concerns (including but not limited to filling out forms, directing students to on-campus resources, and managing basic questions) for students’ first inquiries at the Office of the Deans.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Senior Associate Dean.

Other Information:

This is a full-time, 12-month, benefits-eligible position. This position description is not all-inclusive as other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned. Work hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the academic year, with a possible shortened workweek during the scheduled summer hours’ time period.

About HWS

A liberal arts and sciences institution, Hobart and William Smith is known for consistent success in preparing students for meaningful lives and fulfilling careers through an outcomes-based focus on their futures. Our nationally ranked faculty are accessible teachers and scholars known for the impact of their research and distinguished by the depth of their mentorship. World challenges are studied in the classroom where critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills are honed. In the field, knowledge turns into discovery. In office hours, plans are carefully crafted to tie interests and talents to an academic path that motivates beyond graduation.

Our location in the heart of the Finger Lakes allows faculty, staff and students to live and work collaboratively on the banks of a resource-rich lake. Student-athletes play for 30 varsity teams boasting 24 national titles, including the 2023, 2024, and 2025 NCAA DIII Men’s Ice Hockey Championships. With three graduate programs, students can build on their undergraduate degree with a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership, Master of Arts in Teaching, or a Master of Science in Management. Together, the experiences and mentorship at HWS prepare students to lead lives of consequence.

Qualifications

• An associate’s degree with relevant work experience is the minimum qualification for this position; a bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred with relevant work experience.
• Experience in higher education, database management, and records retention is strongly desired for this position.
• Experience assisting staff in high stress situations, and the ability to maintain calm and stable atmosphere when working with individuals in distress.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a large group of faculty, staff, and students on a daily basis is also expected.
• Strong customer service orientation; positive, helpful, and resourceful.
• Highly reliable, flexible, and adaptable; this position serves as the front-facing point of contact for students, parents, faculty, and staff on a number of critical and highly sensitive issues, so dependability is absolutely essential.
• Discretion, sound judgment and strong interpersonal skills are vital in dealing with students, faculty, administrators, parents, handling confidential information, and communicating with all campus constituencies.
• Superior attention to detail, problem-solving skills, organizational skills, and electronic, verbal, and written communication skills are a must,
• Computer literacy and knowledge of various office practices & procedures, and competency in Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, and Outlook. Knowledge of Slate is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple, on-going, and complex student matters. Multitasking abilities are expected.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Colleges are an equal employment opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment in their programs and activities against employees or applicants based on race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, caregiver status, military status, including past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, social class, or any other category or characteristic protected by applicable law.