Senior Administrative Asst

Santa Clara University•Santa Clara, CA

3d•$28 - $34

About The Position

The Senior Administrative Assistant manages the administrative operations of the Mechanical Engineering Department. The position reports to the Assistant Dean, with a dotted-line relationship to the department chair, and also provides administrative support to the dean and certain associate dean positions not tied to academic units. It serves as a primary contact for department faculty, staff, students, and external constituencies, responding to inquiries and coordinating information and services. The role supports departmental meetings and events, maintains calendars, records, supplies, and the departmental website, coordinates student advising and course scheduling, and assists with accreditation documentation. It also handles departmental financial transactions, payments, reimbursements, purchasing, and deposits; supports faculty and student hiring processes; and coordinates the hiring, training, scheduling, and development of departmental student assistants. The position may provide backup support to other engineering departments and undertake special projects or other assigned duties. The work is in a typical office environment, mostly indoors, with windows, equipment noise, and frequent interruptions. Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer. The employee may travel to other campus buildings or attend events, conferences, and training sessions in the Bay Area or other locations. Occasional support for events or activities outside normal business hours may be required. Telecommuting employees must work from California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, or Illinois.

Requirements

At least three years of related administrative experience in higher education, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Advanced proficiency with common office software, especially word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software; Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are preferred.
Experience with Workday platforms.
Excellent planning, organizational, and time-management skills.
Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
Creative problem-solving skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a wide variety of students, faculty, and staff.
Team-oriented approach, initiative, and ability to get work done.
Strength of character, honesty, and integrity.
Ability to exercise judgment and maintain confidentiality across a wide range of topics and issues.
Ability to multitask and meet deadlines.
Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships in a diverse multicultural environment.
Commitment to understanding and supporting Santa Clara University’s Jesuit educational vision and willingness to model institutional values of competence and conscience.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred; relevant work experience may substitute for a formal degree.

Responsibilities

Provide administrative support to the Mechanical Engineering Department and serve as a primary contact for faculty, staff, students, and external constituencies.
Respond to departmental inquiries and provide information, forms, data, and other assistance.
Support the dean with calendaring, minutes, travel coordination, expense reports, and other assigned tasks; provide support to associate dean positions not tied to academic units.
Manage the delegated inbox, coordinate front desk schedules, and ensure calls and mail are routed appropriately.
Assist students with forms and questions, assign new majors to appropriate advisors, and coordinate student advising.
Coordinate departmental meetings, events, and guest speakers, including room reservations, catering, minutes, travel, reimbursements, honoraria, and related arrangements.
Assist with the department calendar and deadlines, maintain supplies and records, and maintain the departmental website.
Coordinate updates for the annual SCU Bulletin with the Department Chair and faculty.
Proctor exams as needed and respond to internal and external requests for departmental data.
Coordinate preparation and documentation for periodic ABET accreditation processes.
Provide backup support to other engineering departments during vacations, sickness, or emergencies.
Assist faculty with purchasing, book orders, and other tasks as directed by the chair.
Create annual and quarterly graduate and undergraduate course schedules with the Department Chair using university scheduling systems; submit schedules to the appropriate offices, update schedules, notify affected students, and coordinate information among involved parties.
Track and reconcile departmental financial transactions monthly, correct errors, and process payments, reimbursements, purchasing card transactions, invoices, petty cash, purchase requisitions, deposits, and Financial Transaction Adjustment Requests in a timely manner.
Work with the Dean’s office to support timely adjunct faculty hiring, including posting quarterly and annual positions.
Coordinate faculty searches with the Department Chair and Search Committee Chair; ensure postings and searches follow university policies, are conducted through Workday, and have required data uploaded and submitted.
Arrange onsite faculty candidate interviews when appropriate, welcome new faculty, and help them acclimate to SCU.
Ensure student employees are hired and processed according to university policies and submit completed TA/RA forms to the appropriate department.
Oversee the hiring and training of departmental student assistants, coordinate their schedules to maintain front desk coverage, delegate tasks, and provide mentoring and professional development.
Recommend and implement service improvements, identify process problems, develop recommendations, solicit customer feedback, and research resources to support efficient workflows.
Support events on behalf of the department and perform special projects or other assigned duties.
May hire, train, supervise, and evaluate departmental student assistants.