FT Program Assistant II

Salary : $65,169.24 - $78,316.92 Annually

Location : Norwalk, CA

Job Type : Full time

Job Number : FT Program Assistant II - 25

Division : Continuing Education

Departments : Adult Ed / Diversity Programs

Opening Date : 11 / 17 / 2025

Closing Date : 1 / 30 / 2026 11 : 59 PM Pacific

Max Number of Applicants : 163

Description

Equity and Diversity The District is strongly committed to achieving staff diversity and the principles of equal opportunity employment. The District encourages a diverse pool of applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, procedures or practices. In fact, the college encourages applications from all segments of qualified people.

Closing Date This position will close on January 30th, 2025 at 11 : 59 PM (or when 150 applications are received, whichever occurs sooner)

College Profile

Cerritos College is ranked 14th among the top 100 schools with the highest Hispanic enrollment in the United States by the United States Department of Education. Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college's district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Enrollment currently averages 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at .

Department Profile

The Continuing Education Division provides noncredit and fee-based courses on campus and in the community to provide greater access for community participants. Support services include comprehensive intake and assessment, contextualized learning, onboarding, and other support and transition services. Courses include ESL (levels low beginning to low advanced), Vocational ESL, Citizenship, Basic Skills and Support Courses (English and Math), Basic Literacy (Plaza Comunitaria), Apprenticeship (Construction Trades), High School credit recovery courses, courses for older adults (OWL - Older Wiser Learners), and short-term vocational programs. Partnerships include the PAACE (Partnership for Adult Academic and Career Education) consortium, which collaborates with local adult school districts to facilitate a college pathway for students entering the college. The division also oversees the college Foster Kinship Care and Education (FKCE) program, which provides training to caregivers of foster youth.

Summary

Performs a variety of specialized technical duties in support of one or more programs that contain elements such as outreach, registration for courses, and targeted services to student and community groups. Provides support to activities connected with grant proposals. Participates in the work of the program director or facilitator and provides support for specific elements and day-to-day routines. This includes serving as a college representative and liaison to local schools, community organizations, college departments, businesses and government.

Distinguishing Career Features

The Program Assistant II is a paraprofessional position that requires specialized knowledge of a specially funded standalone program such as those authorized by federal and state agencies, local groups, and industry partnerships. This position may be used in a partial leadership or coordinating role, or in a specialized capacity. The Program Assistant I operates at a more clerical and administrative support level. The Program Assistant II is a professional level class with more program accountability and program services involvement.

Job Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Incumbents assigned to this classification are capable of performing all functions listed below, but may focus on one or more areas depending on the program.

• Serves as a college representative and liaison to local schools, community organizations, businesses and government for a specially funded standalone program.
• Schedules and conducts outreach and recruitment to targeted students, groups, schools, and community centers. Prepares detailed written program information and reports; prepares communications that include class descriptions and brochures.
• Conducts research of student and adult population demographics and interests to enhance presentations and optimize recruitment activities. Works with institutional researchers to identify and understand trends.
• Schedules, prepares, and delivers presentations and orientation to students in support of a program and to enhance students' knowledge of processes such as registration, matriculation, and vocational training.
• Coordinates and conducts tours of the college campus. Contacts college departments to facilitate meetings with students. Identifies information needs and assembles and / or designs and produces materials suitable for public distribution.
• Coordinates special events involving speakers in support of activities and awareness of the program. Provides specialized support to activities connected with grant proposals, promoting grant provisions and opportunities to faculty, staff and students.
• Contacts students and groups to initiate communications on the College's behalf to facilitate awareness of programs and services. Monitors courses offered by one or more programs. Verifies enrollment, reviews course completions, and designs, prepares, and issues certificates that authenticate student progress and completion.
• Maintains communication with students enrolled in the program about progress and completion.
• Monitors and maintains records of attendance and inputs positive attendance. Researches and compiles demographic and statistical data related to program participants. Monitors outcomes for grant awards. Prepares related reports.
• Provides support to the admissions and registration process. Prepares qualifying student rosters for use by counselors, admissions, and financial aid.
• Plans, develops and implements programs to enhance retention and academic achievement through various activities, cultural enhancement, social introduction, mentoring, special workshops and support that provides easy access to services such as individualized tutoring, assessments and financial aid.
• Establishes and maintains contact with schools, community and social services organizations, businesses and other agencies that are sources of students and / or referrals for specially targeted programs.
• Prepares program materials such as brochures, flyers, booklets, and announcements using desktop publishing and incorporating text with graphics and photographic images. Participates in and may conduct advertising media purchases.
• Attends internal and external meetings to represent the program as directed. May prepare and make presentations as needed.
• Maintains budget records and program files. Prepares and inputs accounting forms such as purchase orders, warehouse requests, budget and staffing requests. Receives and processes accounts payable, receives periodic printouts of financial activity and prepares summary reports. Assists in the budget development process by gathering and compiling required information.
• Recruits and directs hourly staff, and college students serving as peer mentors. Assists in developing and coordinating training in mentoring and tutoring techniques and college preparedness advising in areas such as study skills, career exploration, financial aid and recommended courses.
• Coordinates and schedules meetings as needed and directed. Prepares schedules and informs participants, confirming dates and times. Makes travel arrangements as directed.
• Participates in a variety of campus / college, education and grantee committees and functions that promote student retention and achievement. Identifies student referrals from research and contact with financial aid, other grant-funded programs and high school recruitment staff. After initial contacts, advises students on college / campus procedures, monitors enrollment and registration and assists with solving problems. Provides functional guidance to faculty assigned to student support services programs.
• Performs in-service training for customers. For example, assists students and career network customers who are developing job search skills. In that regard, designs and implements workshops for topics ranging from job search skills, resume writing, positive work behaviors, and job retention, to problem-solving.
• Prepares periodic reports outlining program compliance and financial and statistical performance. Uses spreadsheets and other office productivity software for tables, illustrations, and background information.
• May maintain and update web site pages, using established formats and standards.
• Inputs student and financial information onto relational databases as required. Updates information and maintains data files. Accesses relational databases for business and education support to extract information and reports supporting research and special requests. Maintains confidentiality as required.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

The position requires an Associate's Degree or equivalent, and 3 years of experience in an administrative or program support capacity.

Preferred Qualifications

Supplemental Information

Knowledge and Skills

This position requires a demonstrated ability to implement and support various components of one or more programs. Requires a working knowledge of assigned programs and related service development concepts including communications to targeted customers, acceptance of applications and registrations, and evaluation of program outcomes. Requires working knowledge of the office practices, procedures and equipment that facilitate customer traffic, acceptance of registrations, communications, and performance reporting. Requires working knowledge of the objectives, policies, and procedures associated with the assigned programs. Requires a working knowledge of those activities associated with financial record keeping, budget, and statistical record keeping. Requires a working knowledge of personal computer based software programs that support this level of work, including but not limited to word processing, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, and data entry onto custom data bases. Requires skills in English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, proofreading, and editing to prepare professional correspondence and reports. Requires sufficient mathematics skills to add, subtract, divide, multiple, and compute statistics. Must be skilled in using and troubleshooting various standard office machines, including personal computers with word processing, database, desktop publishing, and spreadsheet applications. Requires sufficient human relations skills to conduct meetings, in-service training, and employ sensitivity to diverse populations.

Abilities

Must be able to learn, interpret, explain and apply knowledge of College and department organization, operations, programs, functions and special department terminology to relieve an administrator or program director of a variety of administrative detail. Requires the ability to plan, organize and prioritize work in order to meet schedules and timelines. Requires the ability to communicate with faculty, students, staff, and the public using sensitivity and courtesy, and in a manner that reflects positively on the department and College. Requires the ability to maintain confidentiality of private and sensitive information. Requires the ability to work cooperatively and productively with others. May require the ability to speak and write in a second language.

Physical Abilities

Requires sufficient ambulatory ability to reach light-weight work materials. Requires sufficient hand / eye coordination and manual dexterity to keyboard at an advanced rate (about 60 w.p.m.); to record proceedings verbatim at a rate of 60 w.p.m., sufficient visual acuity to recognize words letters and numbers. Requires sufficient auditory ability to carry on conversations with individuals and small groups, both in person and on the phone.

Licenses and Certificates

May require a valid driver's license.

Working Conditions

Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Salary / Fringe Benefits

Grade 32 on District Classified Salary Schedule ($5,430.77 - $6,526.41 / month).

Health and welfare benefits include District contribution for medical / dental / vision benefits and employee life insurance ($50,000). (Cash in lieu option available on medical insurance.)

Participation in the Public Employee's Retirement System that is also integrated with Social Security.

Conditions of Employment

This is a full-time, 12-calendar month classified position.

Hours of employment are Monday thru Friday 8 : 00AM - 4 : 30PMPM

Employment is to be effective as soon as possible following completion of the selection process.

Individual who is offered employment shall be required to obtain fingerprints for a criminal history clearance through the State Department of Justice and remit the required fee for processing the fingerprints, Federal Bureau of Investigation (no fee if obtained at Cerritos College Campus Police Station), produce an original social security card, and submit negative TB test results (must be within the past four years or within the last 60 days if not previously employed in a school district in California) before employment.

Proof of eligibility to work in the United States and signing of loyalty oath per Government Codes 3100-3109.

Application Procedures

Application materials must be submitted by the closing date. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible application process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview due to a disability, please contact Human Resources at as early as possible. While advance notice (ideally at least 72 hours before the application deadline or scheduled interview) helps ensure we can meet your needs, we will make every effort to accommodate requests made at any time.

It is the applicant's responsibility to provide copies of all transcript(s) verifying all educational degree(s) and / or coursework required for the position. Transcripts must be from regionally accredited institutions. A foreign transcript must be evaluated by a NACES certified agency. The website address is www.naces.org.

Required Documents

Health and welfare benefits include District contribution for medical / dental / vision benefits and employee life insurance ($50,000). (Cash in lieu option available on medical insurance). Other fringe benefits include 17 paid holidays, 2 paid floating holidays, 12 days of vacation, and Four Ten-Hour workweeks during the academic summer session.

Participation in the Public Employees Retirement System and Social Security