Office Associate

Job Title

Perform a variety of basic to complex office support and/or secretarial duties for the MS Child Care Resource and Referral, which require a range of skills and knowledge of organizational policies and procedures.

Salary Grade: 09

Department Profile:
Throughout its history, Mississippi State University-Extension Service (MSU-ES) has demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to programs that directly impact young children and their families. In the past decade, MSU-ES has distinguished itself as Mississippi's premier infrastructural support of high-quality early childhood education.

Anticipated Appointment Date:
January 2026.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Performs a wide variety of clerical duties which could be confidential in nature; operates personal computer to perform basic to complex typing assignments to include: enter data, draft, edit, revise, and print letters, tables, reports, and other materials.
• May greet and direct visitors, when appropriate; resolve routine administrative problems and answer inquiries concerning activities and operations of department/division.
• May answer telephone, route calls, take messages, and provide general information.
• Organize, catalog, and maintain the educational learning materials and resources.
• Responsible for keeping resource library and all materials neat and clean.
• Performs a range of staff and/or operational support activities; may serve as liaison with other departments on basic administrative and/or operational matters.
• May establish, maintain, and update files, databases, records, and/or other documents; develops and maintains data, and performs routine analyses and calculations in the processing of data for recurring internal reports.
• May sort, screen, and distribute incoming and outgoing mail; drafts or prepares responses to routine inquiries; prepares photocopies and facsimiles, and operates a variety of office equipment.
• May arrange meetings and conferences, schedules interviews and appointments, and perform other duties related to maintaining one or more individual schedules; makes travel and lodging arrangements, either directly or through travel agencies.
• May order, stock, and distribute office supplies.
• Performs basic, routine bookkeeping functions which may involve simple billing and cash receipt activities.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Responsible to:
Director, Project Director, Project Manager, Area Coordinator

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education:
  
  High school diploma or GED.
• Experience:
  
  Two (2) years' experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
• Substitution:
  An equivalent combination of related education and related experience may be considered for this position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Organizing and coordinating skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of records and information.
• Ability to perform simple accounting procedures.
• Ability to understand and follow specific instructions and procedures.
• Receptionist skills.
• Ability to maintain calendars and schedule appointments.
• Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials.
• Knowledge of supplies, equipment, and/or services ordering and inventory control.
• Skill in the use of operating basic office equipment.
• Records maintenance skills.
• Word processing and/or data entry skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort:

• Irregular hours can be anticipated, including nights and weekends.
• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• Frequent – Externally imposed deadlines set and revised beyond one's control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature and volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position.
• Job frequently requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 20 pounds.
• Vision requirements:
  Ability to see information in print and/or electronically.

Instructions for Applying:

All applicants MUST apply online to be considered for this position. The following documents and information are required for application:
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