Administrative Assistant

Penn State University • University Park, IL

13d

About The Position

The College of Agricultural Sciences is seeking a proactive, highly organized Administrative Assistant to support the Office of College Relations and Communications. This role will provide support for College Relations, Communications and Office of Conference and Short course leaders and is essential to maintaining efficient operations, coordinating communications and events, and providing professional administrative support to a dynamic, high-impact team.

Requirements

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Self-starter with strong initiative, attention to detail, and reliability.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to schedule, manage, and facilitate virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
• Experience using shared document and workflow systems such as SharePoint.
• Comfort working with digital communications tools, online forms, and collaborative platforms.
• Associate Degree
• 4+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in higher education, communications, or another public-facing administrative environment.
• Experience with Penn State administrative systems, including Workday, SAP Concur, ERS, Purchasing tools (PSUBuy, P-Card processing, etc.), CVENT, SIMBA, Microsoft Teams (file sharing, chat & other features), and SharePoint.
• Experience supporting events, managing communications workflows, or coordinating stakeholder engagement activities.
• Professionalism, strong follow-through, and a service-oriented mindset.
• Ability to build strong working relationships across diverse groups.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Proactive problem solving and the ability to anticipate needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive administrative support, including scheduling, meeting coordination, preparation of agendas, and document management.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for faculty, staff, students, and external partners while delivering excellent customer service.
• Assist with planning and executing college-level events, meetings, and special projects, including logistics, communications, travel arrangements, and attendee coordination.
• Draft, edit, and format correspondence, reports, and presentation materials.
• Maintain organized filing systems (digital and physical) in accordance with University records management requirements.
• Support purchasing and financial processes, including P-Card transactions, purchase orders, reimbursements, and budget tracking in alignment with University policies.
• Manage shared office in boxes, calendars, data entry, and task workflows.
• Collaborate with staff across the college to ensure efficient and timely completion of administrative tasks.
• Perform additional duties, as assigned, to support the mission and goals of the Office of College Relations and Communications.

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. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree