Administrative Support Coordinator, Plant Sciences and Wine and Viticulture

Cal Poly•San Luis, CA

16h

About The Position

The Administrative Support Coordinator (ASC) works under the general direction of the Plant Sciences department head. The Wine and Viticulture department head will provide lead direction to this position as well. The position assists both offices with overall administrative coordination and operational continuity of complex program areas. The position performs a variety of administrative and specialized office functions such as monitoring and maintaining purchasing and ordering of department instructional, lab, and office spaces, and equipment; assisting with travel; providing department support with facilities and IT; hiring student assistants; calendar coordination; and department events support. The Plant Sciences (PLSC) Department is a major academic unit within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). The department is comprised of a department head, full-time faculty and part-time lecturers, support staff, 275 undergraduate majors, and a varying number of student-assistants. The facilities associated with PLSC include the Department’s Crops Unit, with 70 acres of evergreen and deciduous fruit trees and berry production, 35 acres of forage crop and annual row crop production, of which 11 acres are certified organic, and 10,000 sq. feet of greenhouse space; a 16-acre Horticulture Unit consisting of 40,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse space, extensive outside production and display areas, and 7,500 square feet of shade houses; and the Leaning Pine Arboretum. The Department offers the Plant Sciences major leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. Within this major are three concentrations: Environmental Horticultural Science, Fruit and Crop Science, and Plant Protection Science. The Wine and Viticulture Department (WVIT) is an academic unit within the College of Agriculture, serving approximately 230 students with one major and 3 concentrations. The department is comprised of a department head, 7 tenured/tenure-track faculty, 1 office support administrator, 1 management employee, and 6 part-time lecturers. The department is home to the Center for Wine and Viticulture with state-of-the art teaching and research facilities. WVIT students learn the foundations of viticulture, winemaking and wine business using our 14-acre state-of-the-art teaching vineyard and pilot winery, and our stewardship over the Cal Poly Wines brand. The department is also among the largest programs in the country.

Requirements

Working knowledge of budget policies and procedures.
Ability to perform standard business math to track financial data, monitor department expenditures, such as calculate ratios and percentages, and make simple projections using accounting principles.
Demonstrated customer service skills, including a 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 and outside 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, both verbally and in writing.
Thorough knowledge of English grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Ability to interpret, communicate and apply policies and procedures.
Demonstrated 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 proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, on-line systems, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
Demonstrated ability to update documentation of procedures and clearly and professionally compose correspondence.
High school diploma or its equivalent.
Type 45 wpm.
Four years of general office support or technical experience.
Training at a vocational school or full-time college education may be substituted for two years of the required experience on the basis of one year of college education for 6 months of experience

Responsibilities

monitoring and maintaining purchasing and ordering of department instructional, lab, and office spaces, and equipment
assisting with travel
providing department support with facilities and IT
hiring student assistants
calendar coordination
department events support