Administrative Assistant I LOOKING FOR Administrative Assistant I JOB AT Dartmouth, MA

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Coordinates and performs a full range of advanced level administrative and fiscal duties in managing the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department Office. Supports the Chairperson and the Chemistry & Biochemistry Graduate Program Director with minimal guidance. Supervise, organize and make independent decisions with respect to work priorities. Areas of responsibility include budgetary problem solving, financial record keeping, running reports, creating purchase orders, creating change orders, dealing with vendors, graduate and undergraduate student hiring. Main customer service person for visitors/students/parents running an organized efficient office. Maintain high level of confidentiality.

Follows the University’s best practices to build and/or support student academic success and retention and assist in meeting strategic objectives for persistence and timely graduation of all the student population.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED (Name and title of person from whom incumbent receives direction)

Chairperson, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

DIRECT REPORTING STAFF

THEIR STAFF-N/A

Student Employees, Postdoctoral Assistants

DETAILED STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide administrative assistance to the Chairperson coordinating the processing of personnel actions and annual evaluations, including discretion in handling confidential information, consistent with University policy and procedures, in areas such as faculty annual evaluations, tenure recommendations, contract renewals, sabbaticals, promotions, emeritus status, and varied administrative and secretarial tasks requiring a high degree of independent action.
• Prepare all the Chemistry & Biochemistry student research travel awards by interacting with the students, collecting their receipts, keying in their reimbursement, creating an excel spreadsheet balance and securing signatures.
• Review, address & resolve all issues related to Pro-Card reconciliations while adhering to Univ. Policies and Procedures.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of our internal financial coding structure, including reconciliation of financial data.
• Provide strong problem-solving communication and time management in dealing with orders and vendors
• Develop, analyze and maintain Excel budget sheets for various accounts in Chemistry & Biochemistry Department to check and track for discrepancies and to prevent overspending.
• Maintain Graduate TA/PTL budget spreadsheet; work with Chair and Graduate Program Director to project availability of TA support and departmental needs for upcoming semester/year; prepare TA, RA and PTL recommendations.
• Serves as a member on the Departmental Student Awards Committee, attending meetings, sending out memos and letters, gathering and filling out information to have checks cut, designing award certificates, maintaining the budget, running reports and organizing the Awards Ceremony.
• Maintains financial records, prepares financial reports and checks budgets.
• Monitor the department budget and projected budget to include financial reporting, making recommendations about accounts. Arrange for line-item transfers when necessary.
• Monitor instrument service contract and repair costs, track spending on instrument maintenance and repairs in coordination with Professional Technicians and Chair.
• Schedule and make arrangements for search and screen committee implementations including budgeting, travel arrangements and reimbursements to candidates.
• Coordinate/and or manage seminars sponsored by the Department, including arranging for announcements, payment to speakers/vendors, arranging for location, meals/refreshments, making travel and/or lodging arrangements, etc.
• Process applications for faculty positions in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department including maintaining logs, sending acknowledgment letters, status letters and other correspondence to applicants and performing other related duties.
• Receive and screen calls by answering inquiries directly, providing requested information or resolutions, or referring inquiries to appropriate parties for action. Screen walk-ins directed to the Chair by exercising judgment and handling each situation on an individual basis in order to assist efficient utilization of the Chair’s time.
• Oversee the Department’s telephone records and report any unusual circumstances.
• Compose and/or prepare correspondence, reports, and memoranda using Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, PeopleSoft, COIN and electronic mail.
• Retrieve student files, enrollment and other information on COIN as requested, such as transcripts, addresses and class rosters
• Assign all incoming freshman and transfer Chemistry & Biochemistry students to an appropriate advisor and enter into people soft. Will enter in change of advisors as well.
• Prepare weekly attendance, by entering hours and codes in the HR Direct System for faculty (including PTL and HTL), staff, graduate students, research assistants, work study students and non-work-study students. Track hours using Excel to ensure each person does not go over their allocated amount. Run weekly attendance reports
• Retrieve information from PeopleSoft Financial Reporting system to compile statistical information for use in reports, including but not limited to budget, faculty, and reports related to operations of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department
• Maintain calendar for Chairperson
• Maintain calendar schedule for conference room and projector and laptop.
• Maintain the records for selected Chemistry & Biochemistry Department committees
• Maintain files regarding University, Departmental and Faculty reports, faculty, staff and student employee personnel files and other appropriate files maintaining strict confidentiality
• Develop and leverage relationships with Chairpersons, Deans, Directors, Administrators and various support staff employees throughout the University for superior service
• Assist Chemistry Club by reserving rooms, printing flyers and sending emails to general student body.
• Monitor and organize office supplies by inventorying and keeping a daily log of what needs to be replenished. Either order with vendors in Buyways or use the Pro-card system, keeping accurate records according to accepted University procedures.
• Liaison with UPST for departmental procurement issues.
• Orders office equipment, computers and update the maintenance needed for service contracts.
• Coordinates operation and maintenance of all office equipment. Train faculty and graduate students in the use of machines.
• Explain procedures and review for completeness all office or online forms such as hiring forms (work study and non-work study, new employee/new assignment, continuation of employment, new employee personal data/employment form), change of major, independent study, directed study,
• course substitution, change of advisor, travel authorization and reimbursement, and key requests before securing signatures.
• Explain effectively to students how to fill out forms and process all applicable paperwork such as approval to take course at another college, change of major, change of advisor, leave of absence, independent and directed study, etc.
• Proofread typed material for grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors, and for proper format, accuracy, and completeness.
• Handle travel arrangements for faculty, including authorization and reimbursement and travel advance.
• Attend and take minutes at all meetings. Arrange necessary preparations and follow-up for meetings, including timely notifications, distributions of meeting materials and appropriate reminders as well as prepare refreshments.
• Maintain records of all Chemistry & Biochemistry functions, conferences, meetings, seminars and service contracts.
• Cancel classes when faculty members are unavailable to teach.
• Receive and distribute incoming mail to appropriate faculty. Will call faculty when packages are received.
• Authorized to sign for packages that need to be refrigerated or are perishable
• Authorized to sign key request forms
• Authorized to enter events on UMDANNOUNCE and submit info to have them shown on the UMD marquee.
• Authorized to sign for confidential Access and Success tests.
• Prepare faculty student evaluations by assembling packets, composing memos with instructions and securing packets brought back from the student representative to meet with the regulations and policies of the department. Submit information to CITS and receive their computerized data. Prepare a report using this data for the Chairperson and FEC.
• Prepare and coordinate Faculty Annual Evaluations by setting up folders and requesting faculty to submit their Faculty Activity Reports on a timely manner and having their student evaluations ready for viewing. Arrange evaluation times, prepare a report of the completed analysis and secure the signatures for the next level of authority.
• Interviews applicants for work-study assignments and makes appropriate selections. Schedule duties, evaluate and make recommendations to outside companies. Indirect supervision to teaching assistants and research assistants to assure quality and efficiency work of all employees and compliance with university and college policies and procedures.
• Report building maintenance issues to Department of Facilities and Physical plant and submit work orders
• Assist the Graduate Program Director in the financial and administrative tasks by analyzing budget, record and transcribe the minutes, setting up folders, preparing contracts, coordinating orientation and developing a database to keep track of all students. Answer phone and interpret questions and judge what answer to give and when to make a referral. Process the application once all the Graduate Committee faculty members have viewed the applications and a graduate advisor has been decided for the student. Ensure prompt delivery of completed files once signatures are secured in preparation for Admissions to send letters out. Prepare all hiring forms and recommendation forms for signature and processing. Prepare a budget report for all students hired and their list of duties. Monitor and maintain graduate files to ensure proper paperwork has been filled out according to established procedures in order to ensure accurate and complete information. Maintain confidentiality of student data including faculty admission decisions and test scores. Schedule room and dates for upcoming graduate committee meetings.

Minimum Qualifications (Required):

Applicants must have at least (A) two years of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in office management, office administration, business administration or business management, the major duties of which included one or more of the following functions: purchasing, personnel management, budgeting, accounting, records management, work simplification, grants management, contract administration or program management, or (B) any equivalent combination the required experience and the substitutions from the Massachusetts State Classification Specifications. http://www.mass.edu/foremployees/classificationspecs/classspecs-pers.asp#C

LICENSE AND/OR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

N/A

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED AT HIRE (List knowledge, skills abilities)

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of office management. Knowledge of the methods of general report writing.
• Knowledge of the types and uses of general office equipment.
• Knowledge of Business English including spelling, word meaning and word usage.
• Knowledge of the methods used in the preparation of charts, graphs, and tables.
• Ability to understand, explain and apply the laws, rules, policies, procedures, specifications, standards and guidelines governing assigned unit activities.
• Ability to analyze and determine the applicability of data, to draw conclusions and to make appropriate recommendations.
• Ability to follow written and oral instructions.
• Ability to assemble items of information in accordance with established procedures.
• Ability to gather information through questioning individuals by examining records and documents.
• Ability to write concisely to express thoughts clearly and to develop ideas in logical sequence.
• Ability to determine proper format and procedure for assembling items of information.
• Ability to prepare general reports. Ability to maintain accurate records. Ability to prepare and use charts, graphs and tables.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral expression.
• Ability to give written and oral instructions in a precise, understandable manner.
• Ability to establish rapport and maintain harmonious working relationships with persons from varied ethnic, cultural and/or economic backgrounds.
• Ability to supervise, including planning and assigning work according to the nature of the job to be accomplished, the capabilities of subordinates and available resources; controlling work through periodic reviews and/or evaluations; determining subordinates’ training needs and providing or arranging for such training; motivating subordinates to work effectively; determining the need for disciplinary action and either recommending or initiating disciplinary action.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to manage time allocated to tasks effectively.
• Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential information.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of supervision.

QUALIFICATIONS ACQUIRED ON JOB (List knowledge, skills abilities)

• Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards and guidelines governing assigned unit activities
• Knowledge of the proper telephone procedures for making and receiving agency calls.
• Knowledge of the types and uses of agency forms.
• Knowledge of the laws, rules and regulations governing the state personnel system.
• Knowledge of state budgetary procedures relating to positions, salaries and personnel services.
• Knowledge of the laws, rules, policies and procedures governing Federal Grant Administration.
• Knowledge of state procedures governing the purchasing and requisitioning of supplies and equipment
• Knowledge of state accounting and budgetary procedures including terminology
• Ability to record actions and prepare minutes of academic meetings.
• Knowledge of university and graduate school requirements, regulations, and processes.
• Ability to refer inquiries to other offices.
• PeopleSoft, COIN, Buyways, HR Direct, BonitaSoft, CorsairJobs, 25Live, Summit, SimpleK database data entry, information look-up, and data extraction.
• PC word-processing and spreadsheet programs (notably, Microsoft Word and Excel).
• Ability to compile tabular data and prepare summary reports.

• Ability to supervise, including planning and assigning work according to the nature of the job to be accomplished, the capabilities of subordinates and available resources; controlling work through periodic reviews and/or evaluations; determining subordinates’ training needs and providing or arranging for such training; motivating subordinates to work effectively; determining the need for disciplinary action and either recommending or initiating disciplinary action.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to exercise discretion in handling confidential information.

Additional Information:

Department: College of Arts & Sciences-Chemistry/Biochemistry Department

No. of Positions-1

Internal/External-X

State-Funded-X

Salary: $48,250.80

Hours: Monday – Friday; 8:00am – 4:00pm

Grade: -15

Union: AFSCME

UMass Dartmouth offers exciting benefits* such as: