University of Delaware
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which
encourages applications from Minority Group Members, Women,
Individuals with Disabilities and Veterans. The University's Notice
of Non-Discrimination can be found at
http://www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html
Job No: 503646
Work Type: Staff
Location: Newark, DE
Categories: Administrative Support
Pay Grade 29E Context of Job: Under the limited
direction of the Mechanical Engineering Business Administrator, the
Department Chair, and Senior Design Faculty, the Administrative
Specialist is responsible for the administration of the Mechanical
Engineering capstone MEEG401 and MEEG402 Senior Design courses and
selected related events, the ME Alumni Committee and events,
administration of the CBER NSF REU program, member of the
Mechanical Engineering Publicity Committee, and support of varied
Mechanical Engineering events.
The Administrative Specialist serves as the first line response for
these programs providing quality customer service to a variety of
stakeholders and ensuring general support using in-depth knowledge
of University policies. The position interacts with faculty,
students, College and University administrators, industry program
sponsors, vendors, other educational institutions, alumni and
government agencies as necessary to exchange information and/or
solve problems and other issues. The Administrative Specialist uses
initiative, independent judgment and decision-making skills in
carrying out the essential functions of the position.
Major
Responsibilities: Program Management: Senior Design
(MEEG401 & MEEG402)
- Manages and supports the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design
program under the direction of the Mechanical Engineering Senior
Design Faculty and Mechanical Engineering Business
Administrator.
Has a working relationship with the Associate Dean for
Corporate Engagement with regards to the Mechanical Engineering
team projects.
Main contact for Mechanical Engineering Senior Design teams.
Provides communications to Mechanical Engineering Department Senior
Design student teams and their faculty advisors regarding
purchasing, individual project/budget expenses, and general
department correspondence.
Coordinates and plans Mechanical Engineering Department Senior
Design events including Practice Mid-Terms and Mid-Term Review.
Responsible for those event’s logistics, websites, agendas, and
invitations to department faculty, students, panelists, and review
judges.
Recruits and schedules Mechanical Engineering faculty,
industry, and Mechanical Engineering alumni to serve as panelists
and review judges for all Mechanical Engineering Department Senior
Design team events.
Creates Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Teams Sponsor list
that include team number, project title, sponsor, faculty advisor,
sponsor primary contact(s) name and sponsor email address.
Creates list of Mechanical Engineering Department Senior Design
Teams including team number, student’s first and last name, student
email address, advisor, student UD ID number, and department of
their major.
Responsible for providing instructions for student teams
needing to use UD Motor Pool vehicles to visit sponsors. Provides
Motor Pool request forms and completes Motor Pool request webform
to schedule Motor Pool vehicle for trips.
Works with COE Procurement to register one student from each
Mechanical Engineering Senior Design team to be the Purchasing
Agent for their team in UD Exchange. Provides documentation and
instructions for making purchases through UD Exchange and through
the department for items that cannot be purchased in UD Exchange.
The Purchasing Agent will access a Google form for making purchase
outside of UD Exchange. This position is responsible for the yearly
updated Google form for these purchases. This position will create
the Purchasing Agent list each Senior Design year so department
staff are aware of the Purchasing Agent information.
Works directly with team Purchasing Agents to explain and
review purchasing procedures with the students so they are on track
with processes, approvals and budgets to make project
purchases.
Facilitates purchasing project materials with student teams and
ME Administrative Assistant IV. Responsible to work with Mechanical
Engineering staff to make purchases from the Google form for teams
in a timely manner to ensure on-time project completion. Follows up
with Department Business Administrator to be sure UD Exchange
purchase requests are approved.
Updates and monitors student team budgets to prevent
overspending and ensure proper purchasing approvals..
Handles returning project purchases and shipping costs through
UD Campus Delivery. Also handles shipping completed projects to
sponsor through UD Campus Delivery.
Works with sponsors that wish to continue project with
Mechanical Engineering team members into the Spring semester
through Independent Study Courses. Responsible for continued
project material purchases, Motor Pool travel to sponsor, and final
shipping of project to sponsor.
Responsible for FSAE team purchasing in conjunction with FSAE
team Faculty Advisor.
Creates folders on shared drive for each year’s Mechanical
Engineering Senior Design program, team budgets, program documents,
program lists and all other updated yearly documentation.
Creates file folder for each team’s budget and purchasing
invoices/documents for proper accounting. Files housed in
department filing cabinets in the event that sponsor requests
accounting documentation.
Recruits and schedules UD faculty, industry, and alumni to
serve as panelists and review judges for Mechanical Engineering
Department Senior Design Practice Mid-Terms and Mid-Term
events.
Program Management: CBER NSF REU
- Manage NSF REU program under PIs, Dr. Michael Hast and Dr.
Lucas Lu.
- Maintain REU website, solicit applications from other
universities, draft and send acceptance letters to applicants, and
match students to faculty advisors in multiple UD Colleges and
Departments.
- Responsibilities for 10-week program includes creating summer
calendar, reserve rooms, order refreshments, communicate directly
with 10 external REU students, set up room and board (when needed),
set up access to UD facilities for REU students, and provide
student IDs.
- Schedule events including lab tours, keynote lecture, REU
training, REU student picnic, lab safety training, progress
reports, industry tour, welcome and farewell receptions, and Summer
Undergraduate Research Symposium.
- Collect data from student and faculty surveys to use in future
funding requests from NSF.
Member of Mechanical Engineering Department Publicity
Committee. Responsibilities include:
- Sourcing and ordering department promotional items from UD
approved vendors.
- Update flash drive for SPL hallway monitors with new
content.
- Work with University Printing on specific department
projects.
- Acting liaison between this committee and the department
chair.
- Work with department chair on department alumni
communications.
- Provide any additional administrative support requested by
committee.
Administrative Management: Mechanical Engineering
Department
- Managing and maintaining MailChimp, Qualtrics, Google
Docs/Sheets/Forms technology systems for event photos, surveys,
registration pages, RSVP spreadsheets, and event and department
marketing and advertising.
- Department contact for DAR regarding alumni relations, requests
for alumni lists, DAR communications, etc.
- Event management for department events as assigned. May include
but not limited to department anniversary events, faculty
anniversaries, research symposiums, honors award recognition
ceremony, center launch events, grand openings & ribbon
cuttings, VIP receptions or luncheons, career celebration and
senior appreciation day and promotion/tenure/retirement
celebrations.
- Responsible for maintaining department website, updating
current news, events, and department program information. promote
and provide updates on the Department via various social media
platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, etc.).
- Attend meetings/luncheons/open houses/Expos hosted by DAR,
Catering, Conference Services, IT, Courtyard Marriott, Hyatt, and
promotional item vendors.
Department Alumni Committee & Events
- Collaborates with various Committee Chairs in planning
Department Alumni events. Attend meetings and take minutes (if
requested).
- Plan scheduled events including managing event budget, secure
location, order refreshments, hire photographer, provide UDaily
material, solicit event vendors, marketing, advertising, and event
registration. Arrange travel and hotel for out-of-town Department
Alumni guests. Attend events.
- Alumni events include but are not limited to Fall Homecoming
Event, Golf Outing at Deerfield Country Club, Gearhead Bike Ride
during Alumni Weekend, Design Studio Open House, Distinguished
Career Award and Early Career Alumni Award Recognition Event, VIP
Reception for Department Alumni and Industry Donors.
- Perform other miscellaneous duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience or
equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with administrative
support practices and procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to handle information and documentation
that are of a confidential and highly sensitive nature.
- Ability to assess opportunities for improvement in processes
and workflow, make recommendations and implement approved
changes.
- Proficiency and experience with Microsoft Office applications
including Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint or comparable
software programs.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills, including
proficiency with grammar, punctuation, spelling and
composition.
- Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with the ability
to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
- Ability to handle challenging situations with initiative,
professionalism and diplomacy, prioritize and handle concurrent
tasks in a timely manner, and use discretion regarding matters of a
sensitive and confidential nature.
- Ability to verify accuracy of information, analyze and resolve
discrepancies and follow-up on outstanding activities, often
without guidance from leadership.
- Skills in budget preparation and management preferred.
Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity
The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity
or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital
status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other
characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment,
educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and
scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI
and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable
statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also
prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and
sexual violence.
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