Assistant to the Director, School of Architecture

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant to the Director serves as part of the School of Architecture administrative team. This position is responsible for planning, organizing, coordinating, and executing various administrative functions while providing advice to the Director, and supervising office support staff. The position works independently, exercising judgment and discretion.

Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent
Five (5) years (60 months) of college coursework in business, finance, accounting or a related field (60 semester hours or an Associate's degree equals one year; 90 semester hours equals two years; 120 semester hours or a Bachelor's degree equals three years; Master's degree or higher equals four years) OR progressively more responsible general or specialized office experience which included aspects of supervising staff or a job function, organizing, and performing duties that lead to knowledge of generally accepted office principles.
Exceptional organization skills.
Above average typing skills (speed and accuracy), ability to format, and above average grammar/spelling skills enabling completion of Director’s typing or to advise and instruct others when necessary. Accurate proofreading is essential.
Good judgment in making decisions in the absence of the Director or Assistant Director.
Strong interpersonal skills to maximize interaction with co-workers, other School contacts, persons outside the School.
Good working knowledge of University, College, and School regulations and policies; understanding of organizational structure of University.
Basic math skills for salary computations and other statistical duties that arise.
Maturity with respect to handling confidential matters, personnel files, and other School matters that require discretion.
Flexibility and ability to handle constant distractions and interruptions.
Knowledge of Microsoft products (including Outlook), as well as other office equipment.

Responsibilities

Provides a high level of expertise and operational leadership in the Director’s Office to help determine and accomplish the organization’s goals and objectives effectively.
Serves as the Director’s liaison between departmental faculty, college office, and campus departments; communicates by telephone and/or in person with other offices on and off campus regarding School business for exchange of information, clarification, and discussion, as duties require.
Manages, coordinates, and conducts a variety of special projects on behalf of the Director.
Supervises office administrative staff, delegates tasks, and monitors workflow. This also includes responsibilities to interview, select, and train staff, as well as conducts annual performance reviews.
Counsels staff on matters of significance related to policy, rules, and procedures involving significant discretion and judgement. Provides guidance and interpretation regarding the administration of other guiding principles and governance structures as they relate to the college and campus.
Coordinates and attends school Executive Committee meetings, as well as school Faculty meetings, preparing agendas and taking minutes. Coordinates membership with Director and Executive Committee for all School committees. Serves as a member of other various school committees and decision-making groups and attends all meetings to report back to Director.
Works closely with the Director on the facilitation of faculty development and evaluation processes. Serves as a primary resource regarding guidelines, format, and interpretation of policy for annual procedures such as promotion and tenure, annual reviews, annual CV reports, sabbaticals, conflicts of interest (RNUA), academic integrity, and faculty hiring.
Gathers and analyzes reports and data, performs research and analyses, establishing timelines and guidelines, and participating in implementing goals.
Assists office staff with the coordination of events, including conferences, retreats, and other special events in the School.
Coordinates the academic program review process for the School. Includes working with external reviewers (coordinating itinerary and travel planning), working with the Dean’s office and the Office of the Provost to ensure compliance with campus policy.
Manages planning and coordination as directed for the Annual and Five-Year Architectural Report for Accreditation with National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB). Keyboards material for Director and faculty assigned special sections of report when necessary.
Reviews and acknowledge bi-weekly time sheets submitted in web time for Architecture support staff.
Reviews faculty absence requests via the AVSL academic vacation and sick leave reporting app.
Serves as the administrative secretary for faculty search committee meetings. Coordinates the schedule for candidate interviews and on-campus visits of faculty candidates. Prepares and distributes candidate itineraries.
Maintains overall School calendar of operative and administrative deadline dates for planning. Notifies appropriate staff, faculty and administrative personnel of deadlines.
Coordinates the School of Architecture Lecture Series. Arranging travel and lodging for lecture guests, faculty dinners, receptions for opening exhibits, payments (including honorariums and reimbursements), arrangements for printing of lecture series poster and mass mailing. Prepares all correspondence related to the Lecture Series, including items for inclusion on the school’s website.
Arranges itineraries for special visitors to the Illinois School of Architecture, including travel arrangements, lodging, agendas, etc.
Coordinates gift letters on the director’s behalf, sent from the college advancement office.
Conducts school elections for school Executive Committee, Faculty Grievance Committee, College Executive Committee, College Promotion and Tenure Committee, and campus Faculty Senate Committee.
Maintains confidential, individual faculty files and other academic records for the School, adding information/material to each file as necessary from Director's and/or Assistant to the Director’s office.
Coordinates various alumni fellowship awards such as the Francis J. Plym Traveling Fellowship, Clyde Lee & Cecilia Baker Fellowship, and the Oscar E. Leidenfrost Memorial Prize. Works with committee on review and selection of winner, coordinates award letter to recipients, and works with individuals on preparation of their travel.
Serves as executive assistant to the Director of the School of Architecture. Keyboards letters, and confidential correspondence, reports and statistical material of a complex nature for the Director of the School including watching for errors of fact and using judgment, where appropriate, for format, grammar, etc., maintaining confidentiality in all instances.
Maintains the Director’s schedule for daily meetings between faculty, students, staff, Deans, Directors and Department Heads and high-level campus and university administrative staff and outside agencies; conferences, committee meetings, lunch and dinner engagements, and keeps him up-to-date on his appointments as they approach. Compiles material for meetings, pulls necessary files as needed prior to meetings, invites and notifies participants. Manages complex and highly dynamic scheduling tasks.
Coordinates the Director’s travel arrangements, preparing itinerary, contacting possible meeting associates as necessary, compile appropriate backup documents.
Handles Director’s expense reports and reimbursements, via Chrome River.
Establish procedures and initiates routines to facilitate responsibilities to the Director of the School.
Assists with the Associate Director for Research, Marketing, and Communications with marketing and communication efforts as well as the special projects that are developed in relations to these.
Works closely with the Associate Directors to advise and set priorities for the presence of the Director’s office members at internally and externally focused events and meetings; direct the planning and scheduling of appointments.
Works with the Director and Associate Directors to establish and unify the School’s messaging.
Works with the Associate Directors on other projects as they develop.