Academic Administrative Assistant

Harvey Mudd College•Cleveland, OH

2d•$22 - $25

About The Position

Working independently, perform a broad range of highly skilled secretarial, clerical and administrative duties for the Biology department. Duties and responsibilities are varied and confidential in nature. Knowledge of the organization, policies, procedures and personnel is required.

Requirements

Graduation from high school plus two or more years of college or business school equal to at least two years of college, with courses in office administration and organizational procedures; or any combination of education, training and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities of the position.
Five to six years of increasingly responsible related experience.
Experience with, or ability and willingness to learn, basic aspects of technical software used for word processing and typesetting technical documents.
Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple ongoing tasks, deadlines, and departmental needs.
Proficiency with Workday (finance, reporting, accounting, and payroll) or similar enterprise systems.
Ability to create, maintain, and interpret spreadsheets for budgeting, grant tracking, and expense management.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft announcements, coordinate events, and correspond with faculty, students, and external partners.
Ability to coordinate complex scheduling, including events, room reservations, colloquia, travel arrangements, and departmental calendars.
Excellent attention to detail with the ability to maintain accurate records and confidential files.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with students, faculty, staff, external vendors, and visitors.
Ability to problem-solve independently and resolve issues related to payroll, onboarding, documentation, and department operations.
Ability to handle time-sensitive materials and prioritize urgent tasks (e.g., deliveries, shipments, student needs).
Adaptability and flexibility in managing shifting departmental priorities and special projects.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Workday (finance, payroll, and/or HR modules).
Prior experience in higher education, especially in academic departments or research environments.
Experience supporting grant-funded projects, including reporting, budgeting, or working with PIs.
Familiarity with scheduling systems such as VEMS or similar event/room reservation software.
Experience coordinating departmental events, travel, purchasing, and vendor relationships.
Knowledge of laboratory or research-based administrative procedures (e.g., inventory tracking, equipment audits, hazardous/temperature-sensitive shipments).

Responsibilities

Generate and process payments for all department purchase orders, supplier invoices, purchase requisitions, faculty/staff reimbursements, journal vouchers, and journal entries.
Collect W-9s for suppliers and/or companies providing services or supplies and create their profile in the Workday financial system.
Maintain and manage the year-end closing of department accounts.
Reconcile all departmental accounts, external grants, and purchase cards (Wells Fargo Visa)
Manage and reconcile departmental petty cash.
Process cash payments received in the department and post them to the TCCS Financial Services cashier.
Provide faculty with Workday account balances for grants, gifts, and projects.
Generate and submit departmental travel reports.
Develop and maintain spreadsheets (that align with grant budgets) for department faculty PIs. These spreadsheets are used for tracking day-to-day expenditures, and budget projections of federal/private grants or research-based projects.
Assist department PIs in their annual grant recordkeeping/reporting process.
Coordinate weekly colloquium with the designated faculty member.
Distribute weekly colloquium electronic announcements.
Coordinate and set up refreshments for the weekly colloquium.
Coordinate room reservations for office hours, meetings, social events, and workshops as needed. Including room set-ups, such as catering and audio/visual needs.
Maintain and manage academic schedule (Word file).
Coordinate and maintain reservations for Biology's department conference room (Olin B163/Bl65).
Coordinate and set up all department mixers/holiday/social events.
Coordinate all departmental cars, vans, and bus rentals for annual field trips, as needed.
Assist faculty, students, staff, or guests with travel accommodations.
Collaborate with faculty in recruiting student workers during academic semesters.
Notify faculty of students who are not permitted to work.
Generate and submit new hire (onboarding) and returning student worker information to the Business Affairs and Human Resources office for set-up in the Workday payroll system. Including student worker names, position title, hourly rate, and the appropriate financial account for wage payments.
Review and authorize departmental student payroll timesheets for Work Study and Non-work Study workers, including terminations during the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Communicate with students, Human Resources, and faculty (regarding incomplete onboarding status) to resolve Workday timesheet issues, or mandatory (onboarding) documentation requirements, and assist with resolving errors.
Issue email announcements to student workers when timesheets are due.
Maintain and archive all department accounting files.
Maintain and securely archive all biology student majors, joint/double majors files used by faculty for mentoring/advising purposes.
Coordinate and reconcile the selling of Biology lab notebooks.
Purchase, coordinate, and distribute Biology department promotional items (jackets/gifts)
Coordinate and request key and tap/swipe access throughout the biology department from F&M for students, faculty, and staff.
Research, price, purchase, and maintain all departmental office supplies and small office equipment.
Issue maintenance requests from F&M for department repairs as needed.
Attend weekly department meeting.
Process daily incoming USPS mail, sign for, and distribute UPS, DHL and FedEx for domestic and international deliveries. Give priority to temperature-sensitive packages.
Process USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx Labels for domestic and international shipments (general, hazardous, and non-hazardous) and deliver to local drop-off locations. Give priority to temperature-sensitive packages by dropping packages off at closest airport hubs.
Word processing as needed.
Photocopy all administrative/departmental coursework as needed.
Assist faculty with special accommodations for exams and delivering materials to the classroom as needed.
Back-up of general duties for the biology lab manager when away from the department.
Maintain and oversee the office stockroom, the biology student lounge, and the Olin 1st-floor kitchenette.
Assist in all aspects of departmental tenure-track faculty searches.
Develop and maintain a spreadsheet for the department equipment list inventory.
Assist Business Affairs in federally funded lab equipment audits.
Maintain major, joint-major, and departmental photo displays.
Maintain major, joint-major awards (display plaques, generate certifications and monetary checks/gift cards).
Other duties and special projects as assigned by the Department Chair.
Maintain strong interpersonal skills and tact in dealing with students, faculty, and staff.
Maintain an adaptable, versatile personality when dealing with students, faculty, and staff.