Administrative Specialist

About the Opportunity Job Summary: The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Northeastern University seeks an experienced and people-focused Administrative Specialist to provide high-level administrative and operational support to the department. Under minimal supervision, this role provides diverse, complex, and high-level administrative support for the day-to-day activities and operations of the department, events, and projects. A primary function of this role is providing front desk coverage, serving as the welcoming face of the department and ensuring the front office is consistently staffed, professional, and responsive to students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This role serves as a high-level contributor across front office operations, event logistics, departmental communications, and faculty and student support — including faculty affairs, research staff and student employment, and staff onboarding and offboarding. The position requires 5-day on-site presence for front desk coverage, meeting, and event support. Beyond core administrative and front office duties, the Administrative Specialist coordinates department events end-to-end, produces communications and materials related to student activities and faculty research — including a monthly faculty e-newsletter and web and social media content — and serves as a liaison to the College of Engineering (COE) communications team. The Specialist also supports faculty hiring needs, including the intake of student research employment and research staff requests, and provides backup support for TA and HCA hiring processes. Minimum Qualifications: Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree required. · Minimum of 2–4 years of progressive administrative experience in a fast-paced office environment; experience in a university or academic setting strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience serving as a primary point of public contact in a multi-constituent environment (students, faculty, visitors, vendors). Experience coordinating event logistics and preparing communications materials, including web content and print materials. Skills & Competencies: Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) required. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, make sound independent decisions, and carry out complex assignments with minimal supervision. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft professional correspondence, presentations, and reports on behalf of the department. Outstanding interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to interact professionally and warmly with individuals at all levels, including students, faculty, senior administrators, and industry guests. High level of discretion and ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and sound judgment. Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and follow-through; resourceful and committed to building deep institutional knowledge of department programs, faculty, and university resources. Knowledge of Electrical and Computer Engineering and academia a plus. Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities: 1. Primary Point of Contact, Front Desk Support & Constituent Services. Provide front desk coverage, supporting students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Ensure the reception area and front desk are consistently staffed and project a professional, welcoming environment. Maintain a neat and clean work environment and professional appearance. Monitor front desk traffic and assist with package distribution to faculty members. Work collaboratively with department staff to support the broader departmental community. Apply an advanced understanding of department programs, policies, procedures, and university resources to resolve routine and non-routine inquiries; exercise independent judgment on complaints, exceptions, and escalations, providing recommendations to department leadership on the most complex matters. Manage the 442 Dana room setup, room calendar, and scheduling. Ensure the 442 classroom is clean, properly turned around between meetings, and has functioning A/V equipment. May assist with submitting work orders to address issues within the suite to ensure a clean and professional setting. Maintain organized electronic filing and records management systems. Manage department mail, package deliveries, and inter-office correspondence; assist faculty and staff with mail distribution. Support the Procurement Specialists by receiving and distributing shipments to ensure timely and accurate delivery to the appropriate recipients. Serve as departmental liaison to ITS and other university service offices. 2. Event Coordination. Plan, organize, and coordinate a diverse portfolio of department events, including bi-annual Capstone Presentation Days (Fall and Spring), faculty speaker seminars and interviews, and other department initiatives that are student or research facing. Manage all event logistics end-to-end: space reservations, catering, A/V coordination, signage, materials preparation, attendee communications, on-site setup, and post-event follow-up. Prepare event materials, briefing documents, and printed programs; manage the internal department event calendar and proactively flag scheduling conflicts. Coordinate travel and hospitality logistics for department guests, including visiting speakers and faculty candidates — managing itineraries, accommodations, and transportation. Process reimbursements in coordination with the Purchasing Specialist. 3. Departmental Communications. Manage the department's communications output related to student activities, faculty research, events, and department initiatives, and the creation of other informational content. Coordinate the production and distribution of internal communications such as the monthly faculty e-newsletter. Coordinate with faculty to maintain and update their individual web profiles and research pages. Support website content updates and improvement initiatives as needed. Manage department listservs and email distribution lists and disseminate departmental communications. Support the ECE Publicity Committee by tracking objectives, maintaining documentation, and following up on action items. Attend recurring College of Engineering communications meetings and relay relevant information to ECE leadership. 4. Project Support & General Administrative Support. Assist faculty with HR matters and hiring needs. Assist with the intake of student research employment and research staff hiring requests from faculty. Provide backup support for annual TA and HCA recruitment processes and other hiring transactions in coordination with other staff. Provide backup supervision of work study students and administrative support to the Department Chair. Assist with additional projects and administrative tasks as assigned. Documents Required: Resume Cover Letter Position Type General Administration Additional Information Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit for more information. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Compensation Grade/Pay Type: 107S Expected Hiring Range: $53,615.00 - $75,728.75 With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change. Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real-world experience with education, research, and innovation empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact. Our global university system provides our community and academic, government, and industry partners with unique opportunities to think locally and act globally. The system—which includes 14 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide—serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. The university’s residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London, and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are in the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley, California; Toronto; and Vancouver. Northeastern’s personalized, experiential undergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through the doctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learning emphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and human literacies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the future and lives of fulfillment and accomplishment. Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegie classification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Our faculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not just disciplines, but also sectors—aligned around solving today’s highly interconnected global challenges and focused on transformative impact for humankind.