Reception, Service and Administration Officer

Manage enquiries, maintaining records and systems, assist with events and student-facing activities, and provide administrative support across the organisation.....

Overview of Sydney Missionary and Bible College

Sydney Missionary and Bible College’s (SMBC) vision is to see thousands of loving, skilled graduates bringing the light of Christ to a dark and needy world. For over one hundred years, it has pursued this vision by creating learning communities through which God prepares his people – theologically, spiritually, and practically – to serve Jesus in diverse contexts and cultures.

Located in Sydney's cosmopolitan Inner West, SMBC is a college of the Australian University of Theology, offering a variety of courses at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level. SMBC provides a flexible approach to learning, offering full-time and part-time, day and evening, intensive and semester-length options to meet the needs of Christians from a variety of backgrounds and with a range of ministry goals.

Position Profile: Reception, Service and Administration Officer

The primary objective of this position is to provide high-quality administrative and operational support to the Service Centre and wider College, while providing a warm, welcoming, professional and proactive first point of contact for students, prospective students, staff, visitors and the wider community.

The role supports the day-to-day operation of the College through managing enquiries, maintaining records and systems, assisting with events and student-facing activities, and providing administrative support across the organisation. The role requires someone who can quickly learn and apply College processes and systems so they can provide effective and timely support to other teams, particularly during periods of peak demand.

The person we are seeking will:

• Be warm, friendly, approachable and committed to providing high-quality service.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Be able to learn new processes and systems quickly and apply them accurately.
• Be able to manage competing priorities and remain calm and effective during busy periods.
• Be a self-starter who takes initiative, proactively identifies work that needs to be done, and looks for opportunities to improve processes and the customer experience.
• Be able to work independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.
• Demonstrate sound judgement, problem-solving ability, discretion and confidentiality.
• Be flexible and adaptable, with a willingness to assist across different areas of the College as required.
• Be committed to the vision, mission and values of SMBC and have a strong and growing relationship with the Lord.
• Be an enthusiastic ambassador for SMBC and contribute positively to the experience of those engaging with the College.

Primary Responsibilities

Front Desk and Customer Service

• Provide a warm, professional and responsive first point of contact for students, prospective students, staff, visitors and members of the wider community.
• Manage incoming telephone calls, emails and walk-in enquiries, providing assistance where appropriate and directing enquiries to the relevant person or team.
• Develop an ever-increasing expertise of the operations of the College so as to be able to provide solutions to the inquirer and creating a confidence in the service we provide.
• Welcome prospective students and visitors attending interviews, appointments and meetings and assist with their practical needs.

Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support to the Service Centre Team Leader, Service Centre team and other College teams as required.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the College CRM and other systems, including registrations, RSVPs and contact information.
• Assist with College communications, mail distribution, room bookings, calendar administration and the ordering of office and accommodation supplies.
• Learn and follow the processes of other teams sufficiently to provide effective and timely administrative support, particularly during peak periods.
• Identify opportunities to develop and improve administrative processes, systems and the customer experience.
• When routine responsibilities are completed or demand is lower, proactively seek out and initiate useful work, projects and improvements rather than waiting to be directed.

Events and Student Activities

• Assist with the preparation and delivery of orientation, graduation, conferences, Associates Program activities and other College events.
• Prepare event materials such as promotional packs, name tags and certificates, and assist with practical and logistical arrangements.
• Provide general administrative and practical support for student-facing activities as required.

Accommodation, Facilities and Transactions

• Coordinate short-term accommodation, including keys, room presentation, cleaning, facilities requirements and related arrangements, liaising with staff and contractors and escalating issues where necessary.
• Process approved payments, transactions and donations in accordance with College procedures, maintaining accurate records and referring funds to the Finance Officer as required.

Contribution to the College

• Work collaboratively with staff across the College and with external stakeholders, including churches, para-church organisations, suppliers and service providers.
• Participate in relevant team meetings, training and activities that contribute to the wider life of the College.
• Represent and actively promote SMBC within the wider Christian community.
• Undertake other reasonable tasks and project work as directed by the Service Centre Team Leader or other appropriate manager.
• Understand and comply with SMBC Codes of Conduct, Work Health & Safety, Safe Communities, Privacy and other College policies and procedures.
• Affirm the SMBC Doctrinal Statement.

Working Relationships

The position will work closely with:

• Service Centre Team and Service Centre Team Leader
• Chief Operating Officer
• Student Services Team
• Faculty and lecturers
• Community and Student Care Team
• Relationships and Communications Team
• Technology and AV Team
• Property and Facilities Manager
• Library Team
• The Bridge Team
• Current and prospective students
• SMBC Associates and alumni
• Visitors, contractors and suppliers
• External church, parachurch and mission organisations

Person Specification

The successful candidate will:

• Be a mature Christian and active member of a local church.
• Live a lifestyle consistent with Christian standards of holiness and provide an appropriate example to students.
• Be committed to the vision, mission and values of SMBC.
• Be warm, friendly, approachable and service-oriented.
• Delight in the possibilities that the role of front of house offers to the life and reputation of the College.
• Understand the needs of inquirers and confidently provide satisfying solutions to inquiries in a warm and friendly manner.
• Demonstrate initiative, reliability, sound judgement and a willingness to take responsibility.
• Have a keen eye for detail and take pride in the quality, presentation and beauty of their work, ensuring that tasks and materials are completed thoughtfully and to a high standard.
• Be able to learn quickly, manage competing priorities and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Work well independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrate discretion, confidentiality, tact and diplomacy.
• Possess a current valid Working with Children Check, or be willing to obtain one.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Previous experience in administration, customer service or a similar service-oriented role.
• Strong administrative, organisational and interpersonal skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• High level of computer literacy and an ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software, systems and processes.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and solve problems effectively.
• Experience working with databases, CRM systems or other information management systems.
• Experience handling payments or other transactional administration would be advantageous.
• Experience working in a Christian ministry, educational or not-for-profit environment would be advantageous.

Please download and view the full Position Description.

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