Administrative Support Assistant II

CSU Careers • Bakersfield, CA

7d • Onsite

About The Position

Under general supervision of the College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering Director of Grants and Outreach and the California Energy Research Center Director, the Grants and Events Assistant provides administrative support for externally funded projects and related outreach activities. The position coordinates assigned event and grant-administration activities; processes personnel, purchasing, travel, reimbursement, and other financial documentation; maintains grant and event records; monitors deadlines and budget-related information; and applies established university and grant procedures. The Grants and Events Assistant also assists with the planning and implementation of NSME GO outreach events, CERC events, and the annual conference; serves as a resource for routine administrative and logistical questions; coordinates with campus offices and vendors; and identifies and resolves routine issues within established guidelines.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED
• Three (3) years of recent (within five years) experience in an office environment.
• Regular and reliable attendance is required.
• General working knowledge of applicable university policies and procedures.
• Thorough knowledge of office methods, procedures, and practices.
• Fluency in using standard office software packages.
• Ability to learn, interpret independently, and apply a variety of complex policies and procedures.
• Able to identify deviations from applicable policies.
• Ability to apply independent judgment, discretion, and initiative to address problems and develop practical, thorough and, at times, creative solutions.
• Ability to perform standard arithmetic functions of a transactional nature, including tracking and comparing data.
• Ability to effectively interact with front line contacts and a variety of campus and community individuals requiring active problem solving and effective interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated competence in effectively presenting standard information in writing.
• Demonstrated competence in understanding, interpreting, and communicating procedures, policies, information, ideas, and instructions.
• Knowledge or ability to quickly learn campus software and applications, including CMS/CFS for credit card reconciliation; 25Live for event scheduling; and WCMS for webpage creation and maintenance.
• Working knowledge of budget administration, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to perform standard business mathematics, including calculating ratios and percentages, tracking financial data, and preparing basic projections.
• Ability to draft and prepare correspondence, reports, and documentation.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy to effectively handle a broad range of high level and sensitive interpersonal situations with diverse personalities, and to respond appropriately to conflicts and problems.
• Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner.
• Thorough knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Ability to interpret, communicate and apply policies and procedures.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Excellent computer skills and competence with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, on-line systems, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
• Working knowledge of or ability to quickly learn University infrastructure.
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work overtime, occasional holidays and adjust working hours to meet special jobs.
• May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.

Nice To Haves

• Two (2) years professional experience in a higher education setting.
• Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment possessing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.

Responsibilities

• Assist with planning and coordinating of annual outreach events by developing and maintaining event timelines, tracking assigned tasks, coordinating logistical arrangements, and following up with participants and campus service providers.
• Assist with planning and coordinating community outreach events outlined in the grant proposal including coordinating schedules, locations, supplies, services, registration materials, and other event-related requirements.
• Monitor and adhere to event timelines, maintain budget records, and communicate status, outstanding items, and anticipated issues to the appropriate Director.
• Review event-related purchasing, reimbursement, and risk-management documentation for completeness and compliance with established university and grant requirements.
• Identify missing or inconsistent information and coordinate corrections before submitting documents for approval.
• Prepare and process requisitions, payment requests, reimbursement documents, and related financial records for outreach events and activities.
• Track transactions, reconcile event-related expenditures, and follow up on routine discrepancies.
• Serve as a primary contact for routine event logistics questions from faculty, staff, students, vendors, community participants, and campus offices.
• Provide information regarding established procedures and refer complex or non-routine matters to the appropriate Director.
• Maintain event calendars, directories, websites, and social media platforms to promote engagement by entering current information, updating event details, removing outdated content, and coordinating corrections as needed.
• Assist in collecting post-event feedback to evaluate event outcomes.
• Review, scan, and log all budget related documentation of events and activities for accuracy and compliance prior to obtaining appropriate approvals.
• Prepare routine email distributions, meeting materials, and correspondence; schedule grant-related meetings; maintain calendars; and communicate changes, deadlines, and follow-up requirements to participants.
• Prepare and process grant personnel forms, including contracts, special consultant forms, faculty, and student hire forms.
• Review documents for completeness, obtain required supporting information, and route materials for appropriate review and approval.
• Track and document grant-related administrative activities.
• Notify the Directors of upcoming due dates, missing information, delayed actions, and routine issues requiring follow-up.
• Organize, maintain, and update electronic and paper grant files, including approvals, contracts, personnel documents, purchasing records, travel documentation, correspondence, reports, and financial records.
• Arrange domestic and international travel for authorized grant personnel and students in accordance with university travel procedures and grant requirements.
• Prepare travel-related documentation, coordinate transportation and lodging, and maintain supporting records.
• Assist with purchasing grant-related supplies by obtaining required information, preparing requisitions or purchase requests, tracking orders, maintaining documentation, and following up with vendors or campus offices regarding routine issues.
• Coordinate with campus offices, including procurement, accounts payable, travel, human resources, academic departments, and other administrative units, to obtain information, resolve routine processing issues, and complete grant-related transactions.

Benefits

• CSUB offers a best-in-class benefit package for eligible employees that includes an array of medical plans, choice of dental plans, vision coverage, retirement participation in CalPERS, CSU tuition waiver, up to 24 vacation days per year, sick leave with unlimited accrual, 15 paid holidays per year and more!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED