"Administrative Assistant to the Chair"

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Department of Human Genetics is seeking a Senior Administrative Assistant to join our administrative team and serve as Administrative Assistant to the Chair. The primary responsibility of this position is to provide direct support to the Chair. Additional duties include assisting with faculty affairs, providing limited HR support, leading and supporting departmental events, offering programmatic support for academic activities, serving as a purchasing back-up, and helping to staff the front office.

Candidates for this position must excel in the following key skills: efficient and strong organizational skills, problem solving ability, excellent planning and follow-through, high quality writing skills, outstanding customer service and diplomacy, accuracy and attention to detail, and the ability to handle sensitive matters in a discreet manner.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment with dynamic priorities, demonstrating adaptability, professionalism under pressure, and the capability to balance multiple competing tasks while meeting deadlines. Building relationships and collaborating effectively with faculty, staff, and external partners across the Department and the Medical School will be essential.

This position will report jointly to the Department Chair and Administrative Manager.

Assisting the Department Chair

• Draft, edit, format, and proof communications, documents, reports, presentations, and other technical writing using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Dropbox, Outlook, Google Workspace, and website editing software. Requires understanding of the Department's strategic objectives and related data, with the ability to produce high-quality work products independently.
• Manage complex calendar for the Department Chair.
• Schedule meetings for Department Leadership, often coordinating with high-level University contacts in a professional and efficient manner.
• Organize and staff departmental meetings, including faculty and committee meetings. Responsibilities include preparing agendas, distributing meeting materials, recording minutes, conducting post-meeting surveys (using Qualtrics or similar software), and tracking follow-up actions.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements for the Chair, including airfare and transportation, hotel accommodations, detailed travel itineraries, and supporting materials.
• Prepare and submit expense reimbursement requests, reconcile P-card charges, and resolve any discrepancies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Event Management and Visiting Speaker Coordination

• Collaborate with Department leadership and the Communications Specialist to organize the annual seminar series and lectureships. Responsibilities include arranging speakers' travel (air and ground transportation, hotel accommodations, detailed itineraries, and necessary preparation materials) as well as processing reimbursements and honorariums.
• Coordinate on- and off-campus departmental events in partnership with Department leadership and the Communications Specialist, ensuring event objectives are met. Duties include managing event budgets and logistics (room scheduling, equipment, vendor relations, catering, invitations, RSVPs, and communications), and tracking and documenting follow-up activities as needed. Key annual events include the Department's picnic, faculty retreat, and annual retreat.

Access and Human Resources Assistance

• Provide limited support for student temporary appointments, including preparing job postings and offer letters, processing appointments, and assisting with onboarding and offboarding.
• Manage Department building access, key requests, and Level 2 access, ensuring all necessary lab safety training requirements are met prior to granting access.
• Collaborate with the Children on Campus Program and EHS to support high school appointments, including coordinating the Genetics Immersion Program and assisting with high school students working in faculty labs during the summer.

Faculty Affairs Assistance

• Assist with the faculty recruitment process, including arranging candidate visit schedules; coordinating air and ground travel reservations, hotel accommodations, and detailed travel itineraries; and preparing necessary materials. Serve as the primary contact and escort for faculty candidates. Support the appointment process for newly selected faculty in collaboration with the Office of Faculty Affairs and Department Leadership, and help onboard new faculty members.
• Assist with the faculty promotion process in coordination with Office of Faculty Affairs and Department Leadership.
• Support faculty appointments in partnership with the Office of Faculty Affairs and Department Leadership, including emeritus and adjunct appointment renewals, LEO lecturer renewals, appointment changes, faculty retirements, and terminations. Assist with both onboarding of new faculty and offboarding of departing faculty.

Programmatic Support

• Support Department-sponsored academic activities, including coordinating student and research fellow attendance at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) conference and organizing the Department's alumni event at ASHG. Also assist with staff and faculty attendance for student recruitment efforts at the ABRCMS conference.
• Provide support for the Department's two summer academic programs: the Genetics Immersion Program, which introduces high school students to genetics, and the Summer Student Program, which engages undergraduate students to learn about our master's and PhD programs in genetics.

Primary Purchasing Back-up

• Serve as the primary purchasing back-up for the Department helping to process M-Marketsite carts when the Purchasing Clerk is out of the office.

General Front Office Support

• Serve as a key front office contact, sharing responsibilities such as answering phones, accepting packages, greeting visitors, opening and closing the office, cleaning up after hosted events, scheduling conference rooms, and distributing mail. Submit general fund facility work orders as needed.
• Provide administrative support to other faculty members as needed, including coordinating complex travel arrangements and scheduling large meetings.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of two years of relevant experience.
• Exceptional organizational skills, accuracy, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Effective at working independently as well as collaboratively within teams.
• Flexibility, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks with conflicting deadlines, manage interruptions, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with experience in editing, proofing, and writing.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, and Google Workspace; willingness to learn new software platforms.
• Ability to take direction from multiple supervisors and coordinate with various offices across the University.
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally and confidentially with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience arranging travel for others in an assisting role.
• Experience preparing expense reimbursements.
• Experience scheduling meetings and managing calendars for one or more leaders.
• Experience preparing agendas for outside visitors.
• Experience with event coordination experience.
• Advanced computer skills, including proficiency with Excel, Concur, MS Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Outlook, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Qualtrics or other survey software, and website editing software.
• Thorough knowledge of University travel and reimbursement policies and procedures