Assistant Program Coordinator

Bennington College seeks a highly engaged and detail-oriented professional to provide part-time administrative support to faculty, staff, and students in a number of dynamic academic disciplines. Using a team-oriented approach, this position will report to and partner with two Senior Program Coordinators to handle day-to-day administrative program operations and ensure the effective and efficient coordination of duties and coverage of the offices during the academic terms. 

Serving as a point of contact for each of the disciplines, the assistant will engage and work closely with a range of individuals from within and outside of the College. The assistant will perform a wide range of administrative functions including assisting with faculty support; organizing events and workshops, including programming logistics and events promotion; copying/scanning and preparing documents; placing orders for classroom and office supplies; coordinating teaching materials; preparing faculty correspondence; and distributing mail. The assistant will also work in partnership with the staff in the Provost’s Office to oversee faculty searches. This involves working closely with faculty search committees to track applicants, schedule interviews, arrange itineraries for campus visits, coordinate events for final candidates, and close out the search.

The position will work 35 hours per week during the fall and spring academic terms only, plus two weeks before and one week after each term for a total of 34 weeks per year.

Of critical importance is the ability to anticipate the needs of the offices to effectively support all aspects of the shared work at hand. Candidates must be effective oral and written communicators and agile multi-taskers. The ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion, diplomacy and tact is critical to this work. Candidates must be able to flex to meet changing priorities and competing work/deadlines - while producing high quality and highly accurate work. The capacity for drafting/editing effective written communication pieces, creating/maintaining efficient data tracking spreadsheets, and attention to detail are crucial. The position requires the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations as well as the ability to work with good humor and grace under pressure and tight deadlines.

Bennington serves a diverse student population inclusive of members of ethnically/racially minoritized, international, LGBTQIA+, and disability communities as well as diverse gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and political beliefs. Our staff and faculty also reflect diverse and intersecting backgrounds and identities. All employees are expected to be respectful and responsive to these differences in the service of building community that promotes student and employee success and community cohesiveness. Each individual (faculty, staff and students) will be accountable for upholding these values.  The College’s approach to pluralism and inclusivity—both as fields of inquiry and practice—is to prioritize flexible thought, and to invite the examination of access, value, power, and privilege through its institutional policies and areas of study. We encourage applicants from diverse realms of interest, backgrounds, experience, and accomplishment to apply. 

The position requires 2-3 years of relevant administrative experience working in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment; Bachelor's degree preferred. Experience in event planning is a plus. Candidates must be exceptionally organized, have the ability to problem-solve and manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously. A positive can-do attitude to support the needs of faculty is a must, as is the willingness to support other disciplines when needed. Strong communication skills are required as is the ability to work independently and handle confidential information. The successful candidate must possess computer proficiency (Google Suite). 

Bennington College requires the successful completion and acceptable results of a background check. 

The College

Bennington College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and tuition benefits including Tuition Exchange scholarships. The College also offers an on-site fitness center as well as generous time off benefits.

Bennington College is a laboratory for innovation in higher education. At Bennington, learning and making—on campus and in the field—are inseparable, and its graduates are noted for their outsized impact on the world’s stage. This campus celebrates the ongoing making of work—shared on walls, in shows and performances, in lectures and readings, and in conversations—and believes that equity, diversity, and inclusivity are vital to a collaborative community. This position captures, contributes to, and reflects the ethos of this creative community.

Nestled at the foot of the Green Mountains in Vermont, the campus consists of approximately 370 acres. The College was named one of ten with the best architecture by Architectural Digest.  From campus, it is a short drive to the cultural offerings of the northern Berkshires in Massachusetts, Albany, New York, and many of Vermont’s top recreational centers. New York City, Boston, and Burlington, Vermont are all within three and a half hours by car.

Last updated on Sep 26, 2023