Administrative Specialist

99898BR

Campus: Tempe

Administrative Specialist

Job Description

The Graduate College seeks a personable, proactive, collaborative, and detail-oriented person for a crucial and impactful role which requires considerable independence of action, the ability to manage multiple and frequently changing priorities, and a high level of professionalism. The Administrative Specialist will provide complex administrative support, primarily for executive leadership in the Graduate College. This person will provide calendaring and meeting support for several members of executive leadership (Assistant Vice President of Graduate Education; Executive Director, Graduate Student Success; and Executive Director, Business Services and Administration), as well as assist with other administrative responsibilities as needed. This person will also manage and oversee travel for the executive leadership team, including the Vice Provost & Dean and the Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Engagement. This will include entering trip requests, making travel arrangements, processing expense reports, and coordinating other aspects of the travel process as needed for the executives. This position will also provide an oversight role and offer guidance regarding the travel process to all other Graduate College employees. The person in this position will be relied upon to resolve problems and to handle non-routine situations by determining the approach or action to take with minimal direction. As part of the Business Services and Administration team, the Administrative Specialist will be under the general supervision and direction of the Executive Assistant to the Vice Provost & Dean.

Business hours for the Graduate College are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ASU is a diverse enterprise with a wide variety of work and learning modes, locations and a commitment to sustainability, innovation and employee work-life balance. We are determined to maintain our position as an employer of choice in a competitive labor market. The Graduate College may have flexible work options available such as staggered start and stop times and possibly hybrid work where employees spend a portion of their regular workweek at their primary ASU work location and a portion working remotely.
ASU offers a very generous benefits package, including comprehensive health and retirement benefits, over four weeks of vacation per year, twelve weeks of paid parental leave, a substantial tuition discount and many professional development opportunities. For more information about benefits and the total value of the compensation package visit https://cfo.asu.edu/benefits and https://cfo.asu.edu/compensation-estimator

Job Family

Clerical & Admin Support

Department Name

Graduate College

Full-Time/Part-Time

Full-Time

Grant Funded Position

This is not a grant funded position and is not contingent on future grant funding.

Salary Range

$43,700 - $58,000 per year; DOE

Essential Duties

• Manages the calendars and provides meeting support for several members of the Graduate College executive leadership team (Assistant Vice President of Graduate Education; Executive Director, Graduate Student Success; and Executive Director, Business Services and Administration).
  • Assists with scheduling meetings and managing the calendars of these executives, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and an awareness of logistics (travel time between meetings, prep time, etc.).
  • Provides meeting support assistance when requested by the executives, such as assisting with compiling necessary information and documents, conference room set up, providing refreshments, arranging golf cart transportation, etc.
  • Responsible for taking comprehensive meeting notes when requested by members of the executive leadership team and providing a summary of notes and action items within 48 hours of the meeting.
  • Assists with coordinating the involvement of assigned executives in university events when requested.
  • Coordinates and makes arrangement for executive leadership travel, including the Vice Provost & Dean, Senior Associate Dean, Assistant Vice President, and both Executive Directors. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
    • Entering travel requests and expense reports in Concur and arranging air travel, ground transportation, lodging, conference registration, etc. as requested.
    • Providing executives with necessary travel materials the day prior to travel including all itineraries, reservations, etc.
    • Compiling and processing travel receipts, and closing out travel expense reports within 2 weeks of trip completion.
  • Provides oversight role and offers guidance regarding the travel process for other Graduate College employees, including serving as subject matter expert regarding travel policies and processes, assisting employees with questions about entering travel requests in Concur, and monitoring employee travel to ensure employees finish expense reports within 2 weeks of trip completion.
  • Ensures adherence to relevant policies and procedures, and monitors/checks for accuracy. 
• Works and interfaces with others, including those at high levels in the university, with appropriate decorum and courtesy.
  • Communicates professionally with the use of business vocabulary, diplomacy, tact, discretion and judgment.
  • Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive situations appropriately.
  • Always represents the Graduate College in a positive, professional, and courteous manner.
• Provides administrative support to the Graduate Program Services and Business Services and Administration teams as needed.
  • Responds to phone, email and in-person inquiries within 24 hours, and communicates accurate and thorough information in a timely manner. 
  • Provides correspondence assistance as requested, including responding to inquiries and coordinating research and documentation.
  • Serves as a go-to person and trouble-shooter for executives.
  • Anticipates questions/problems and proactively prepares answers/solutions.  
  • Handles problems and non-routine situations requiring independent thinking and the ability to determine the best approach or action to take.
  • Provides back-up to other administrative staff in the Graduate College as needed.
  • May assist with purchasing, reimbursements, and PCard purchases for the executive leadership team.
  • Maintains relevant documents such as reports and student records in databases, shared folders, and shared drives, as applicable.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of executive-level administrative support experience; OR, Nine (9) years of executive-level administrative support experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience providing executive level administrative support, including calendaring
• Experience providing administrative support in higher education
• Experience arranging and processing travel for an organization
• Experience in using attention to detail and ability to follow through
• Experience prioritizing to meet competing deadlines and quickly changing situations
• Ability to use critical thinking and independent judgment in complex situations
• Experience with interpreting policies and procedures and with handling sensitive or confidential information
• Experience in using written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate professionally with people at all levels of an organization using tact and discretion
• Experience working with diverse populations
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team to achieve common goals 
• Experience with Concur (My ASU TRIP) or similar travel management system and knowledge of applicable travel policies at ASU or a similar public university setting is a plus
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
• Familiarity with financial management, project management and customer relationship management systems such as Workday Financial Management, JIRA, Salesforce or similar is a plus

Working Environment

• Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and manipulating a computer mouse.
• Required to walk or travel moderate distances to perform work.
• Regular activities require ability to quickly change priorities, which may include and/or are subject to resolution of conflicts.
• May be required to perform tasks in the field within and/or across University campuses.
• Ability to clearly communicate to perform essential functions. 

Department Statement

The ASU Graduate College works collaboratively across all colleges to promote and support the integrity, quality, and vitality of ASU graduate programs including master’s degrees, professional degrees, and doctoral degrees. Our goal is to ensure university-wide standards of academic excellence, access, and equity in graduate programs and to enhance the impact of ASU’s graduate students and graduate education within the state, national, and global arenas. Central to this vision is the enhancement of the diversity of ASU’s graduate population as well as the development of innovative transdisciplinary graduate programs across the university.

ASU Statement

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

ASU is a tobacco-free university. For details visit https://wellness.asu.edu/explore-wellness/body/alcohol-and-drugs/tobacco

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Notice of Availability of the ASU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU PD at 480-965-3456.

Relocation Assistance – For information about schools, housing child resources, neighborhoods, hospitals, community events, and taxes, visit https://cfo.asu.edu/az-resources .

Employment Verification Statement

ASU conducts pre-employment screening which may include verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

Fingerprint Check Statement

This position is considered safety/security sensitive and will include a fingerprint check. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the fingerprint check.

Instructions to Apply

Application deadline is 3:00 p.m. Arizona time on the date indicated.

Only electronic applications are accepted. Attach Word or PDF documents, which include:
1. Cover letter
2. Resume
3. Three professional references (if not already supplied during the application process)

Please include all employment information in month/year format (ex: 6/19 to 8/22), and include job title, job duties, and name of employer for EACH position listed. Not providing this information could result in your application not being considered.

Cover letter and resume should clearly illustrate how prior knowledge and experience meet the minimum and desired qualifications stated in this requisition.

Only electronic applications are accepted for this position.

IMPORTANT NOTE: What is the meaning of “equivalent combination” in the minimum qualifications? It means one year of higher education (or 24 credit hours) is equal to one year of experience. For example, a four year Bachelor’s degree is equal to four years of experience.

ASU does not pay for travel expenses associated with interviews, unless otherwise indicated.