Administrative Support Specialist

Position Information Position/Classification Title: Administrative Support Specialist Working Title: Administrative Support Specialist Competency Level: Advanced Position Number: 100003 Salary Grade Equivalent: 58/GN05 FLSA: Non-Exempt Appointment Type: Permanent - Full Time FTE: 1 = 40 hours/week, 12 months Department Hiring Range: $34,602 - $55,000 EEO-1 Category: Administrative Support Workers SOC Code: 43-9199 - Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other Be an Eagle - Where Purpose Takes Flight! Are you ready to make an impact? At North Carolina Central University (NCCU), we are more than an institution-we are a community rooted in a legacy of excellence and transformation. A historically Black university located in Durham, North Carolina, also known as 'The City of Medicine,' NCCU has been a cornerstone of education since 1910, fostering innovation and progress. Join our team and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package and exclusive perks designed to support your work-life balance. At NCCU, your professional growth will be nurtured, and your contributions will help shape the future for our students and the community we serve. Become part of a legacy that drives change and achievement. An opportunity awaits you at NCCU, where your purpose can take flight. Visit NCCU.edu. Employee Benefits Employee Benefits available to NCCU permanent employees include the following and more: Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave Community Service Leave NC State - Health Benefits NCFlex - Vision, Dental, Flexible Spending Account, Life Insurance and more 11-12 Paid Holidays Teachers and State Employees Retirement System (TSERS) Optional Supplemental Plans - 401k, 403b, 457b and 457 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Campus Recreation Center Discount University Bookstore Discount and more. Department of Mass Communication The mission of the Department of Mass Communication is to prepare students for careers and study in mass communication by offering engaged learning, student media and research experiences, and connections to professional practice opportunities. The department offers a bachelor's degree and enrolls approximately 200 undergraduate students across four concentrations: Broadcast Media, Digital Filmmaking, Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations. The department includes the award-winning Campus Echo newspaper, the Central News student newscast, and the web-based radio station AudioNet, and offers students access to the NPR affiliate WNCU-FM 90.7 and the NCCU TV Studio. The department is also responsible for courses meeting the General Education Curriculum speech requirement. Department of Theatre and Dance The Department of Theatre and Dance, located within the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, is a program involving the study and performance of theatrical works, dance, and related performance arts. It offers five concentrations, including theatre education and dance education, and currently has three full-time faculty members, one fixed-term faculty member, one art production specialist, and one full-time secretary. The unit produces two main-stage productions and a dance recital each semester, along with a number of studio and lab productions, and participates in several theatre festivals and competitions. Primary Purpose of Position The position provides comprehensive administrative, budgetary, clerical, and technical support to the Departments of Mass Communication and Theatre and Dance. Serving as a shared departmental resource and primary point of contact, the position supports department chairs and faculty by coordinating office operations, calendars, correspondence, travel, purchasing, reimbursements, budget monitoring, course scheduling, events, productions, records management, and administrative reporting. The position coordinates information across multiple University systems and departmental operations, independently resolves routine administrative, fiscal, scheduling, and operational matters, and escalates issues requiring higher-level decision-making. The position also coordinates student office workers, maintains departmental equipment and supplies, and supports the academic, operational, and production needs of both departments. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Excellent customer service skills, especially with students, faculty, and the public. Excellent oral and written communication skills for interacting with faculty, staff, students, parents, patrons, and administrators across multiple units. Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational and analytical skills. Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize workflow across two departments, and to work flexible schedules, including some evening and weekend work for productions and special events. Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, anticipate needs, and complete tasks without prompting; ability to take initiative and see projects through to completion. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple, complex, and competing tasks accurately and on time in a high-pressure environment. Working knowledge of Banner or an equivalent system; demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint). Basic- to intermediate-level experience with Adobe Creative Suite (graphic design, video editing, web development, and photography) and familiarity with campus telecom and classroom management/productivity systems. Knowledge of budget and office management, financial/statistical document processing (payroll, travel, claims, budgeting forms), and program assessment/evaluation. Knowledge of planning special events and meetings, and of retention issues/strategies and post-secondary institutional and community resources. Demonstrated ability to problem-solve and exercise sound judgment and discretion, including with confidential information. Ability to work effectively and diplomatically with a wide range of individuals in a diverse work environment. Minimum Education/Experience High school diploma or equivalency and one year of related office experience; or equivalent combination of training and experience. Licenses or Certification required by Statute or Regulation N/A Pre-Employment Requirements You must complete and submit an electronic application for employment to be considered. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing an electronic application. Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD 214 form or those seeking National Guard Preference must attach as NG23A form. Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with your application during the process of applying to the job posting. Final candidates are subject to criminal background checks, and education/license verification prior to employment. North Carolina Central University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Equal Opportunity Employer North Carolina Central University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran. Work Hours Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., with additional hours as needed to support departmental events, productions, meetings, and other operational requirements. Position required to work during periods of adverse weather or other emergencies No Campus Security Authority Designated Position Yes Work Location Fully On-site (dedicated office at Duty Station) Key Responsibilities and Related Competencies Communication-Oral Interprets university, college, and department-specific policies (financial, academic, production-related) to advise faculty in both departments on the correct process for a given situation - e.g., explaining differing travel-authorization requirements to a Mass Communication faculty member traveling to a conference versus a Theatre and Dance faculty member escorting a production to a festival. Handles confidential and sensitive matters for two chairs simultaneously - e.g., personnel matters, student grievances, or casting/enrollment disputes - exercising discretion about what can be shared across units and what cannot. Serves as the verbal liaison between both departments and outside entities - including the Information Technology Office, the Office of the Dean, and other academic units - interpreting each department's needs to the appropriate contact rather than simply relaying messages. Knowledge - Program Applies substantive knowledge of each program's content and standards to route information and inform decisions rather than simply referring them - e.g., knowing that a Mass Communication/PR concentration question goes to a different faculty member than a Theatre and Dance design-tech question, and knowing Mass Communication's accrediting-body standards and Theatre and Dance's season and production operations well enough to answer program-specific questions independently. Analyzes information specific to each unit's mission (student media/journalism outcomes vs. production/season planning) to support each chair's decisions. Budgeting Exercises responsibility for administering three separate budget lines - Mass Communication, Theatre and Dance, and Campus Echo (the latter administered jointly with the Campus Echo faculty adviser, separate from the Mass Communication department budget) - making recommendations to the relevant chair or adviser, in consultation with the Business Manager of the College, on fund use and distribution - e.g., recommending how to reallocate travel funds between a Mass Communication conference and a Theatre and Dance festival trip when both compete for limited discretionary dollars. Reviews and approves student stipend, student-worker hiring, and other award-related paperwork across all three funding sources, in consultation with the Business Manager of the College, exercising judgment on eligibility and correct account coding before funds are committed. Monitors budget health across all three lines and flags trade-offs that need to be discussed jointly with the relevant chairs and the Business Manager of the College (e.g., shared supply purchases, shared equipment costs, or coordinating Campus Echo production expenses with the Campus Echo adviser). Information/Records Administration Reconciles and synthesizes budget and enrollment/production data drawn from different systems (e.g., Banner financial data for Mass Communication, box-office/ticketing data for Theatre and Dance) to produce combined management reports for both chairs. Acts as lead worker for records across two offices - extrapolating key data (e.g., cost-per-production trends, per-course budget trends) that neither office previously tracked in a unified way. Work Coordination Coordinates and directs the full office support workflow across two units with different rhythms - the academic-semester cadence of Mass Communication and the production-driven cadence of Theatre and Dance (tech week, load-in, strike) - reprioritizing on short notice when a production deadline collides with an accreditation deadline. Develops new shared processes or procedures - e.g., a unified intake system for travel/purchasing requests that works for both a newsroom trip and a touring production - to bring order to two previously separate offices. Coordinates and directs the work of part-time student office workers and work-study students across both departments, assigning and checking work drawn from two different offices' needs. Office Technology Serves as the go-to resource for both departments on office software and systems - e.g., troubleshooting Banner or Excel budget-tracking issues for Mass Communication staff while also supporting Theatre and Dance's box-office/ticketing software and Adobe-based production materials. Independently learns and integrates a new system into the shared workflow - e.g., adapting a shared calendar/scheduling tool that serves both departments' very different scheduling needs (course sections vs. rehearsal/performance calendars). Problem Solving Independently resolves novel issues without established precedent - e.g., a funding shortfall discovered mid-semester affecting a joint event, or a scheduling conflict between a Mass Communication class and a Theatre and Dance production using the same space - interpreting policy from both departments' perspectives to find a resolution. Serves as a resource other staff or student workers turn to when a problem doesn't fit either department's usual policies. Communication-Written Independently drafts and edits substantive reports for two different accreditation or assessment cycles (e.g., accreditation-related data for Mass Communication, comparable reporting for Theatre and Dance) without close supervision, ensuring accuracy of supporting data. Reviews and edits sensitive material such as grievance documentation, personnel correspondence, or public-facing production/press materials, constructively editing content prepared by faculty or students in either department. Other Duties as Assigned May assist management in the supervision of student workers and support staff for both departments, including processing complex confidential matters. Other duties as assigned. Posting Detail Information Posting Number: SPA01496P Open Date: 09/18/2026 Close Date: 09/23/2026 Special Instructions to Applicants You must complete and submit an electronic application for employment to be considered. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing an electronic application. Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD 214 form or those seeking National Guard Preference must attach as NG23A form. Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with your application during the process of applying to the job posting. Final candidates are subject to criminal background checks, and education/license verification prior to employment. North Carolina Central University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Employee Benefits (repeated) Employee Benefits available to NCCU permanent employees include the following and more: Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave Community Service Leave NC State - Health Benefits NCFlex - Vision, Dental, Flexible Spending Account, Life Insurance and more 11-12 Paid HolidaysTeachers and State Employees Retirement System (TSERS) Optional Supplemental Plans - 401k, 403b, 457b and 457 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Campus Recreation Center Discount University Bookstore Discount and more. #J-18808-Ljbffr