Job Details

Administrative Assistant

The administrative assistant provides direct administrative support for both the Department of Physics and the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences (EESS). The position will be divided equally with 50% of time spent in each department, and the below listed responsibilities performed for both departments. The administrative assistant will maintain a regular presence in both departments and coordinate responsibilities across both units as mutually arranged by the Department Chairs of Physics and EESS.

The administrative assistant works closely with the Chairs of each department and department members; works closely with other university offices and other administrative assistants across campus; obtains enrollment and advising documentation, manages database of degree program majors, crafts departmental communications, directs students, and fulfills tasks set by the Chairs. The successful candidate must be highly organized, adaptable, and comfortable managing competing priorities from multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Budget Administration

• Maintain departmental budgets, expenditures, and records using Workday, including credit card reconciliation, payments/transfers, and invoice processing
• Order and process payments for departmental supplies and equipment (excluding purchases made by laboratory coordinators)
• Assist faculty with processing spend authorizations and reconciling expenses
• Regularly review budget reports with appropriate Department Chair

Office Operations

• Sort and distribute incoming mail; prepare correspondence, tests, and handouts for faculty as requested
• Assist faculty with organizing classroom materials, as requested
• Assist Department Chairs in compiling departmental information and maintaining records
• Assist with administrative tasks related to job searches

Communications

• Welcome and direct visitors; respond to phone, email, and in-person inquiries with diplomacy, tact, and confidentiality
• Work with the Department Chairs or appointed delegates to maintain alumni contact information; prepare and distribute news, updates, and invitations
• Work and communicate effectively with faculty, staff, administration, and external constituencies at all levels and locations
• Maintain department website, digital signage, and departmental calendar with current information on events, faculty activities, and student opportunities
• Communicate with appropriate university offices regarding issues with classroom and office spaces

Events & Student Engagement

• Plan and oversee logistics of special events as requested by the Chairs, including promotion, catering, travel arrangements, and coordination with relevant campus entities
• Reserve rooms in university buildings for faculty and student groups
• Assist in gathering data on student engaged learning, outcomes, and other assessment needs
• Assist students with routine questions regarding registration, major declarations, departmental procedures, and university policies, referring students to appropriate offices when necessary

Supervision & Reporting Structure

• May supervise student employees not assigned to other faculty or staff
• Work under the joint supervision of the Department Chairs of Physics and Earth, Environmental, and Sustainability Sciences, with one Chair serving as primary supervisor per evaluation cycle
• Participate in annual performance review and implement constructive feedback
• Perform other duties as assigned

Relationships:

Works with Department Chairs and others within the departments. Often interacts with all department faculty and the wider campus community to address administrative issues. May act as a liaison between the department and students, prospective students, parents, student workers, and the public.

Responsibility for Final Decisions:

Responsible for own work. Must be able to prioritize multiple tasks and delegate some work to student assistants. Institutional tasks often require following established rules and procedures, while program development tasks require creativity.

Reports To: Department chair serving as primary supervisor. For the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year, this will be the Physics Department Chair, Prof. Jeremy Gulley. Work is generally performed in collaboration with both Physics and EESS Chairs, program and laboratory coordinators, and other faculty.

Minimum Education/Skill Requirements:

• High School graduate with two or more years of experience in an office environment or related field required.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Calendar, Teams), Adobe Acrobat, website maintenance, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), video conferencing software, cloud-based storage.
• Experience with budget management required.
• Time management skills and ability to multitask, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Attention to detail, ability to proofread and correct errors that may occur during the normal course of work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree with two or more years of experience in an office environment or related field.
• Experience with Workday, Oracle, SAP, or similar software is strongly preferred

Work is performed under usual office conditions.

The intent of this job classification description is to provide a representative summary of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions in this classification and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically present in this description.