Administrative Assistant

The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, FL

25d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Nutritional Sciences , in the College of Health and Human Development , is seeking an Administrative Assistant . This position provides day-to-day administrative and operational support, including greeting and assisting visitors, preparing documents and reports, scheduling meetings and reserving space, coordinating calendars, serving as key custodian and managing general office needs. The Administrative Assistant will also serve as departmental budget and research administrative support and will work closely with Nutritional Sciences’ leadership team.

Requirements

• General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or High School (HS)
• 2+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to review documents for accuracy and policy compliance.
• Strong communication and customer service skills with the ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Penn State’s core administrative systems or similar platforms, including SIMBA (Penn State’s SAP-based financial system), Workday (HRIS), PSUbuy (SAP-based procurement platform), Microsoft Office Suite, eSteward (gifts and endowments), and ServiceNow (incident tracking). Training and guidance will be provided for candidates who are eager to learn and grow in these areas.

Responsibilities

• Monitor unit budgets, track financial transactions, and assist with reports and audits.
• Prioritize requests, resolve issues, and liaise with departmental faculty.
• Review documents for accuracy and compliance, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Track Department of Nutritional Sciences commitments via excel spreadsheet, ensuring processes stay current and effective.
• Liaise with the college’s research office for expenditure approvals
• Initiate financial, human resources, and travel reimbursement transactions.
• Assist in managing budgets for general funds, research grants, contracts and endowments.
• Assist faculty and graduate students with travel and group meals forms.
• Verify receipts and general policies for reimbursement.
• Approve purchasing card transactions.
• Prepare and authorize (first-level approval path) purchase orders to include the sole source justification forms for any orders over $25K.
• Accept funds and prepare bank deposits.
• Collaborate with other members of the department’s administrative to support cross training, shared knowledge, and reliable cover/customer service.
• Serve as key custodian and building access coordinator as well as provide backup to Nutritional Sciences Administrative Manager as needed.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees