Operations Coordinator – Department of English - Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Operations Coordinator coordinates and supports the day-to-day administrative and business operations of the Department of English at Carnegie Mellon University's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Reporting to the Department Head, the position manages departmental resources, administrative processes, personnel transactions, facilities, and operational activities. It is the department's primary liaison for business and administrative matters with the Dietrich College Dean's Office and relevant university administrative units, and collaborates with the Director of Academic Affairs and academic program staff to support teaching, research, and academic activities. The position directly supervises the Administrative Coordinator, manages operational workflows, maintains departmental procedures, and identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and service delivery. Responsibilities include coordinating office and facilities operations; monitoring budgets, expenditures, purchasing, and financial records; coordinating faculty and staff recruitment, appointments, onboarding, personnel documentation, and immigration-related administration; and supporting faculty review and annual merit and contract renewal processes. The Operations Coordinator also plans and improves administrative processes, prepares operational analyses and reports, supports resource planning, and helps ensure operational continuity and compliance with university requirements. This role is based in a standard university office environment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Occasional evening or weekend work may be associated with departmental events and operational deadlines. Successful completion of a pre-employment background check is required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
At least one year of experience in higher education, business operations, or a comparable administrative environment required.
A combination of education and relevant experience demonstrating comparable knowledge may be considered.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple operational functions, manage competing priorities, and improve administrative processes.
Experience supervising staff or coordinating administrative work through others.
Working knowledge of financial transactions, personnel administration, and institutional policies and procedures.
Strong organizational, analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality in personnel and financial matters.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Nice To Haves

Progressively responsible experience in an academic department, institute, or research center.
Experience with university financial, HR, purchasing, and administrative systems, including Workday and Oracle or comparable platforms.
Familiarity with faculty appointment and personnel processes.
Experience coordinating departmental budgets and working with a centralized finance office.
Experience developing administrative procedures and implementing process improvements.

Responsibilities

Coordinate daily departmental operations and ensure timely completion of administrative activities and effective use of staff and departmental resources.
Serve as the Department Head's primary administrative partner for operational matters; track action items and deadlines, and prepare operational information for review and decision-making.
Develop and maintain departmental procedures, operating calendars, records, and internal workflows.
Coordinate office operations, space assignments, facilities requests, equipment, supplies, and other departmental resources.
Work with university administrative offices to resolve operational issues and ensure compliance with policies and procedures.
Coordinate logistics, communications, and follow-up for departmental meetings, events, and activities.
Serve as the primary departmental contact with Dietrich College Finance for routine financial operations, budget information, purchasing, and expenditure monitoring.
Monitor expenditures, commitments, and available balances; identify discrepancies and issues requiring review.
Coordinate purchasing, reimbursements, invoices, and other expense-related transactions in accordance with college procedures and approval authority.
Maintain financial records and documentation, support reconciliations and reporting, and assist with budget planning and financial projections.
Track administrative obligations associated with restricted and endowed funds in coordination with Dietrich College Finance.
Prepare financial and operational information to support departmental planning and resource decisions.
Coordinate administrative components of faculty and staff recruitment, hiring, appointments, contracts, and onboarding with the Department Head, Human Resources, and appropriate academic administrators.
Prepare and track personnel documents, including faculty contracts, appointment letters, summer salary arrangements, leave paperwork, and other employment transactions.
Coordinate immigration and visa-related administrative requirements with the Office of International Education and other appropriate offices.
Maintain confidential faculty and staff personnel records and monitor administrative deadlines.
Provide logistical and document-processing support for faculty review processes in coordination with the Director of Academic Affairs, who retains oversight of reappointment, promotion, and tenure administration.
Support annual faculty merit and contract renewal cycles as directed by the Department Head.
Coordinate staff and student hiring, onboarding, and personnel transactions within university procedures.
Directly supervise the Administrative Coordinator, including assigning work, managing performance, supporting professional development, and planning workloads.
Set administrative work priorities and ensure coverage for essential office functions.
Develop and maintain cross-training and backup procedures for departmental administrative operations.
Coordinate operational support with academic program staff while respecting established academic affairs reporting relationships and responsibilities.
Identify administrative service gaps and recommend improvements to staffing utilization, business processes, and workflow efficiency.
Evaluate administrative processes and recommend changes to improve efficiency, consistency, and service delivery.
Develop operational plans and implementation timelines for departmental administrative initiatives.
Assist the Department Head in evaluating resource, staffing, space, and administrative implications of proposed departmental activities.
Prepare operational analyses, reports, and supporting documentation for departmental planning.
Coordinate approved administrative initiatives with departmental staff and college offices.
Support department-wide operational continuity and compliance with university administrative requirements.
Perform other duties as assigned.