The dual-focused role of Placement Coordinator and Office Administrator is vital to daily operations of the Teacher Education department and the successful preparation of future K-12 educators. The Placement Coordinator plans, organizes, and manages the critical logistical pipeline for student field experiences and student teaching placements. The position requires professional communications, effective organization, strategic planning, and use of office technologies. The Placement Coordinator must maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, as this position handles candidate evaluations, background checks, and state reporting, among other data. The Office Administrator position ensures efficient daily operation of the department. Program data collection and management helps to ensure the program meets state accreditation requirements. Colleagues are those who value interpersonal communications, reliability, and teamwork.
Essential Job Responsibilities
Placement Coordination
- Field Placements: Schedule and coordinate K-12 observations for foundational courses, Practicum, and Methods. Manage the end-to-end placement process for student teachers.
- School Partnerships: Serve as liaison with K-12 school districts to build and maintain collaborative departmental relationships with school administrators and teachers.
- Student Advisory: Act as a reliable resource for students, guiding them through field placement logistics, scheduling, and state endorsement/licensure requirements.
Data Management, Compliance & Reporting
- Compliance Reporting: Gather, organize, and compile department data and successfully complete reports as required annually by the Iowa Department of Education.
- Assessment Tracking: Track student progress by collecting and compiling evaluations at program checkpoints, ensuring documentation is accurately processed and filed.
- Information Security: Handle student records and program data with strict confidentiality and professional discretion.
Office Operations & Administrative Support
- Departmental Efficiency: Manage the daily office operations to ensure an efficient, welcoming, and professional environment for all visitors.
- Administrative Support: Provide administrative assistance to faculty and staff to streamline daily office needs and academic workflows.
- Event Coordination: Schedule and organize requests for campus visits from prospective students, as well as communicate department meetings throughout the year.
Examples of key tasks as Office Administrative Assistant:
- Maintain regular office hours to provide assistance for faculty and students
- Ensure the efficient daily operation of a professional office
- Assist faculty/team with daily office needs and secretarial support
- Collaborate with non-teaching unit roles such as Department Chair, Director of Assessment, Licensing official and Director of Student teaching
- Assist faculty/team to schedule and plan various program meetings
- Properly handle confidential information
- Create and update students’ program files
- Update the department’s central calendar
- Compile data for state and federal reports
- Maintain department records of decision-making
- Train and supervise the department work study student(s)
- Respond to Admissions requests to coordinate prospective students’ visits
- Update Prospective Student spreadsheet
Examples of key tasks as Placement Coordinator:
- Provide proactive outreach and maintain program relationships with K-12 schools
- Collaborate with K-12 districts to place students for observations and field experiences for courses:
- EDU 105 Foundations of Education
- EDU 187 Human Relations
- EDU 215 Practicum
- EDU 335 Elementary Math Methods
- EDU 355 Elementary Reading Methods
- All Secondary Methods
- Art, Music and PE Methods
- Student Teaching Placements
- Correspond with K-12 principals, cooperating teachers, human resource personnel
- Communicate with cooperating teachers for field experiences and placements
- Communicate with Advisory Board members
- Manage the process for pre-student teaching placements
- Manage the process for student teaching placements
- Gather and compile student data and evaluations at specified program checkpoints
- Assist in tracking the requirements for licensure/recommendation
- Collaborate with non-teaching unit roles such as Department Chair, Director of Assessment, Licensing official and Director of Student teaching
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Three or more years of professional experience
- Demonstrated experience as support for an office workplace, and/or as support within K-12 or higher education, and/or experience teaching in K-12 or higher education
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- Advanced proficiency in office technologies such as Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office
- Strong technical aptitude and willingness to learn new software or technologies
- Exceptional organizational and project coordination skills with attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing demands
- Strong understanding and practice of confidentiality to manage program data and student records
- Appreciation and respect for K-12 educators and school districts
- Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States as we are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time
- Successful completion of a driver and criminal background check in accordance with Coe College policy
Valued:
- Experience(s) working in K-12 systems or higher education
- Teaching licensure (present or expired)
- Advanced degree in K-12 education
Coe Competencies
- Dedication to the educational mission of a private, residential liberal arts college
- Consistent attendance and accountability necessary to meet position objectives
- Ability to maintain positive relationships in a collaborative team environment
- Professional attentiveness and concern for students in their pathways as future educators
- Demonstrated ethical and responsible decision making
Work Schedule
Hours: Weekly 35 hours Aug. 1-May 31
Weekly 12 hours June 1- July 31
(weekly, 35 hours) Aug. 1-May 31
Academic year: Weekdays, Monday through Friday, typically from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with occasional later afternoon/evening hours if needed for program events such as Student Teacher/Cooperating Teacher Workshop (fall semester) or Advisory Board (spring semester)
(weekly, 12 hours) June 1- July 31
Summer hours: Two days a week, typically from 9 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Days/times may have flexibility, as coordinated with the Department Chair, and Dean of Faculty
Months of Service per Year: 12 months
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
- Typical office setting
- Light and infrequent lifting, pushing, or pulling requirements (up to 30 lbs)
- Occasional late afternoon or evening work related to meetings such as (annual) Advisory Board or (each semester) Student Teacher/Cooperating Teacher Workshop
Coe College is an equal opportunity employer.