Administrative Staff Assistant Legal

Job Summary

The Office of General Counsel ("OGC") provides legal services and support to the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor and senior officers in System Administration at Albany, New York, and the presidents and administrators of the campuses within the System. Under the leadership of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and the General Counsel, the SUNY Office of General Counsel is responsible for providing legal services to the System and the 29 state operated campuses. The OGC consists of 47 experienced higher education attorneys, paralegals and support staff located in Albany at the System Administration headquarters and in campus-based offices at the four University Centers, Health Science Centers, and various SUNY colleges.

The legal practice of the OGC involves a substantial array of topics, including public procurement, governance and ethics, legislation, health care, capital construction, public finance, labor grievances and arbitration, litigation oversight (the State's Attorney General defends litigation brought against the University), student affairs, and the use of real property. The OGC represents SUNY in interactions with State officials who may regulate the affairs of SUNY, including the Attorney General, State Comptroller, the Governor and staff, and members of the State Legislature and staff as well as other state and local agencies and entities.

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To

State University of New York Upstate Medical University (SUNY Upstate), located in Syracuse, New York, invites applications for the position of Administrative Staff Assistant Legal in the Syracuse N.Y., SUNY Upstate OGC office.

• Handle other administrative responsibilities as assigned.
• Work collaboratively with other staff in the SUNY Upstate OGC, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and SUNY OGC offices;
• Manage calendars and daily priorities of assigned attorneys and provide professional assistance with their day-to-day administrative needs, including creating, reviewing, revising correspondence, memos, presentations, and reports;
• Serve as the primary receptionist in the Upstate OGC Office, including providing courteous and professional phone coverage and greeting of visitors to the office;
• Arrange for travel and process expense reports;
• Timely order office supplies and schedule office equipment repairs;
• Assist with filing and organization in electronic and paper format;
• Learn additional areas of responsibility to effectively support other staff within the SUNY Upstate OGC office;
• Timely process and route mail to recipients within the office;
• Maintain confidentiality of information;

The SUNY Upstate OGC provides legal services and support to the President of the University, the Chief Executive Officer of Upstate University Hospital, and other senior officers of SUNY Upstate and SUNY Upstate University Hospital. Starting salary is dependent upon prior experience working as an administrative assistant, the type of office setting, and/or skills previously learned and proficiently maintained. Position comes with excellent benefits.

Minimum Qualifications

• Working knowledge of modern office standard practices and procedures.
• Familiarity with Internet applications and ability to learn other office technology and databases.
• Maintaining a professional and positive attitude while effectively meeting deadlines.
• Ability to work as part of a team and willing to back-up others;
• Effective oral and writing skills, including knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation, tact, diplomacy and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to work well under pressure.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to handle variety of projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively while paying attention to details.
• Ability to interact effectively with all levels of leadership, administrators and other visitors to the office, must be able to work proactively and communicate effectively;
• Bachelors and two years of relevant and progressively responsible administrative experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience in a legal setting.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information learned while working at SUNY Upstate OGC and demonstrated ability to use discretion when interacting with others to avoid inadvertent sharing of confidential information.
• Active listening, judgment and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency in using various Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Access, Power Point and Outlook.

Preferred Qualifications

• Notary Licensure

Work Days

Monday-Friday

Message to Applicants

Recruitment Office: Human Resources

Executive Order

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at [email protected].