Senior Administrative Assistant, Philosophy

Overview

The Senior Administrative Assistant for the Philosophy Department, reporting to the Operations Manager, provides comprehensive administrative support and serves as the primary resource on policies, procedures, programs, and office operations for faculty, students, and staff, ensuring efficient workflow and the smooth day-to-day functioning of the department.

Responsibilities include independently preparing and processing financial transactions, such as p-card expenses, reimbursements, including out-of-pocket and visitor expenses, supplier setup, and purchase order requests for sponsored and non-sponsored funding. Preparing and processing Professional Services and Consulting Agreements (PSCA), applying established policies and procedures with minimal supervision, and conducting research as needed to ensure accuracy and completeness. The position coordinates departmental events, including seminars, colloquia, and workshops. Duties encompass calendar management, scheduling, logistics coordination, venue research and pricing, advertising, domestic and international travel arrangements, lodging, catering, and technical support while remaining aware of budgetary constraints.

Additional responsibilities include processing and tracking vendor invoices, generating weekly reports to monitor the status of expenses and payments, and following up on outstanding items. Support the student employment processes, including job creation, hiring, and supervision as needed. Maintain office operations by ensuring office equipment is serviced, coordinating regular meetings with faculty to support timely workflows, maintaining accurate departmental records, issuing, and tracking keys, and ordering office supplies. Provide backup support to the Chair’s Assistant and assist with departmental coverage and events. Perform other duties as assigned based on the operational and organizational needs of the department.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Organizational Skills: Proven ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. The ability to multitask effectively under demanding time constraints, managing multiple projects with competing priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
2. Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook). Exhibits strong follow-up skills and communicates tasks clearly and concisely to supervisors and peers.
3. Administrative Proficiency: Demonstrated experience in handling administrative tasks such as scheduling, expense processing, and report preparation.
4. Customer Service: Demonstrated strong organizational abilities, complemented by excellent interpersonal and customer service skills, as well as clear written and verbal communication and a keen attention to detail. Ability to interact professionally with diverse groups.
5. Confidentiality and Judgment: Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and exercise sound independent judgment. Demonstrated strong administrative support skills and track record of excellent attendance, reliability, and punctuality.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Familiarity with systems such as Workday with the ability to learn new technologies quickly, adapt to changing work environments, and take initiative in a highly dynamic setting.
2. Prior experience working in an academic setting.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Oversees and coordinates administrative, program, and office activities. Establishes, selects, implements, and coordinates office procedures and systems. Serves as principal source of information to students, staff, and faculty on policies, procedures, programs, and office activities.
2. Oversees, instructs, and coordinates activities of support staff. Oversees the preparation of materials for grants, contracts and budgets. Monitors expenditures and reconciles financial statements.
3. Provides editorial support for a journal/publication. Proofreads and edits material for grammatical and factual accuracy. Tracks copy through various editing and production stages. Communicates with authors, printers, and others concerned with published work.
4. Determines administrative, facility, and equipment needs for symposia, lectures, seminars, and conferences. Assembles and arranges for necessary items. Determines sources of data. Compiles, synthesizes and manipulates data. Summarizes findings and writes reports or portions of reports.
5. Gets visitors. Answers and screens telephone calls. Assesses nature of business. Responds to requests for information and provides assistance. Screens and responds to mail.
6. Formats, keyboard, proofread, and edits correspondence, reports, manuscripts, grants, and other material. Assembles attachments and corresponding material. Reviews outgoing material for completeness, dates, and signatures. Composes substantive correspondence and written material.
7. Coordinates travel arrangements. Schedules and coordinates meetings and appointments. Orders and maintains inventory of supplies. Takes minutes or dictation. Performs additional functions incidental to office activities.

Required Education and Experience

Six years of related work experience, four of them in the same job family at the next lower level, and high school level education; or four years of related work experience and an Associate's degree; or little or no work experience and a Bachelor's degree in a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.