Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are: 

As a residential college with over 96% of its students living in campus-owned housing, the Office of Student Engagement supports the mission of Swarthmore College by fostering living environments that value shared responsibility, consensus decision making, and personal accountability. The Office of Student Engagement aspires to create and support an engaged, evolving, and inclusive campus community by fostering holistic student development and success. Combining the Office of Residential Life with the Student Activities & Leadership office in 2014, the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) aims to link learning inside the classroom with learning outside of the classroom. The OSE expects that students will actively participate in their residential co-curricular experience and will take ownership for creating the communities in which they want to live.

The opportunity: 

The Administrative Coordinator for the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) is a full-time, non-exempt position reporting to the Associate Dean and Director of Student Engagement. The Administrative Coordinator provides high-level administrative support to the following: Associate Dean and Director of Student Engagement, Director for Residential Life, Director of Student Activities & Leadership, and the Office of Student Engagement. 

Among other responsibilities, the Administrative Coordinator handles queries from students, staff, parents, and members of the public related to Residential Life, Student Activities, the Office of Student Engagement, and the Division of Student Affairs.  The Administrative Coordinator maintains a high level of confidentiality, professionalism, and attention to detail. 

Essential Responsibilities:

Financial Processing & Budget Oversight

• Responsible for reconciling and processing all bills, invoices, and receipts for the Office of Student Engagement in a timely manner through the internal expense management system. 
• Oversees the purchasing process, student payroll process, and reconciliation for internal Office of Student Activities budgets totaling more than $800,000
• Supports the Student Budget Committee in purchasing, student employment approvals, reimbursement, and reconciliation of the Student Activities fee totaling nearly $700,000.
• Provide purchasing support to more than 150 student organizations. 
• Completes, distributes, and monitors a variety of accounting documents, such as travel forms, internal requisitions, vouchers, receipts, and purchase orders in order to ensure appropriate billing, payment, and budget reconciliation.   
• Identify inconsistencies in purchasing processes and work to streamline inefficient systems for student organizations. 
• In coordination with the Director of Student Activities and Leadership, serve as a liaison with campus partners regarding the administration of the Student Activities Fee and is responsible for running queries, monthly spending reports, and requesting budget transfers between the Office of Student Engagement and the Student Budget Committee.
• Maintain the student life equipment purchase log for items valued at more than $100, and ensure that proper check-in and check-out procedures are followed for item lending both to students and other College departments.  
• Responsible for the organization and maintenance of the OSE supply closet and student organization resource closet.  

Program Management and Execution

• Organize and execute logistics for student life events, which may include but is not limited to reserving space, managing catering, budgeting awareness, entertainment, hosting guests, assessment support, and promotional materials. 
• Advise Divisional staff, campus departments, and students on proper procedures and policies, in order to ensure appropriate requirements are met for event registration. Serves as a liaison with the College Events Office and manages student social space reservations. Responsible for granting and removing individual student access via the OneCard portal.
• Assist in scheduling, communication and setup of the New Student Orientation moodle site for students, including data entry for the Orientation Guidebook application. 

Administrative Oversight and Student Employment Administration

• Provide administrative support for the OSE, including the management of the general OSE email account, manage the OSE master calendar, and oversee all office spaces, materials, and supplies to ensure a welcoming and organized space.  
• Manage relationships and archives all interactions with all pertinent vendors and businesses, coordinates facilities, work order and maintenance requests as needed.  
• Manage the Associate Dean & Directors calendar.  When appropriate, provides scheduling assistance to the Director for Residential Communities and Director of Student Activities & Leadership
• Responsible for the termly hiring of more than 200 student employees, including but not limited to the following programs: Resident Assistants, Housing Assistants, Swaudio, the Crumb Cafe, Orientation Leaders, and Senior Week workers.
• Ensure compliance with College hiring policies and procedures, including correct administration of stipend positions. Reconcile timesheets of student employees and student supervisors to ensure budget compliance in multi-tiered student employment positions.
• Maintain appropriate inventory and is responsible for the ordering of general office supplies and other items as needed. 

Who you are: 

• Must be able to work independently, with minimal oversight, on projects from conception to completion and must be able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. 
• Must have demonstrated ability to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion and good judgment. 
• Ability to organize work set priorities, and follow through on projects requiring meticulous attention to accuracy and detail.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and communication skills; ability to represent the Office of Student Engagement, Department of Student Life,and the Division of Student Affairs effectively to a wide variety of constituencies and audiences.
• Ability to exhibit emotional maturity, reliability, composure, and stability under pressure in order to handle on-the-job challenges.

What you bring: 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 1-3 years of job-related experience or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Basic accounting/financial management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with 25 Live, Job X, Banner, Chrome River, Maxient, and other data management systems. 

Working Conditions

During all campus, large-scale events (Move-in, Orientation, Halloween, Winter Formal, Worthstock, Move-Out, etc.), the administrative coordinator will support these programs by working non-traditional hours and/or assisting directly with program execution at the events.

Physical Demands

This position requires the ability to focus in a stationary position for extended periods, including at a desk in front of a computer.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume, including a cover letter, by March 1, 2025. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

PA Criminal Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.