Clerical/Admin - Administrative Assistant

Administrative Associate III (Conrad, Mt)

This position is based near Conrad, Mt. The area around Conrad is known as the "Golden Triangle", which is one of the most productive grain growing areas of the United States. The mission of WTARC is to support agricultural production in this area through research on pest insects and IPM strategies for their management, agronomy and precious nutrient management program and various crop varieties in development.

Position Number - 4N0816

Department - AES WTARC

Division - College of Agriculture/MAES

Appointment Type - Classified

Contract Term - Fiscal Year

Semester

FLSA - Non-Exempt

Union Affiliation - FOCUS-MFPE

FTE - 0.75

Benefits Eligible - Eligible

Salary - Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications.

Contract Type - Classified Hourly

Recruitment Type - Open

General Statement - The Administrative Associate III directly supports faculty and staff by performing various administrative; personnel, payroll and accounting duties for the Western Triangle Agriculture Research Center. Also, this position provides executive-level support to the Superintendent. The Administrative Associate III represents the WTARC and its interests to entities outside and within the university and plays an active role in the planning and administration of day-to-day operations of the front office. The person in this position also reconciles funds, generates payment authorizations and reports, and arranges center meetings and large-scale functions. This position offers 30 flexible but predictable hours per week.

Duties and Responsibilities - Under WTARC Superintendent's supervision, the individual in this position performs a variety of administrative support, customer service, and fiscal management duties; including: Provides direct administrative support to Superintendent and faculty. Maintains working relationship with the Department of Research Center staff, Vice-President and Dean/Director of Ag's office staff and MSUIT and central staff Manages the day-to-day operations of the front office of the WTARC including scheduling and maintaining calendars for various office staff. Acts as the principal phone and personal contact for the WTARC and maintains and updates pertinent distribution lists. Monitor and reconcile university and federal funds including state, designated and grant funds. Prepares invoices, payment authorizations, deposits, travel expense vouchers and other University financial forms, and monitors monthly purchasing card transactions. Prepares personnel forms including recruitment authorizations, hiring paperwork, timesheets, etc. and monitors the monthly payroll process. Schedules and coordinates meetings including document preparation, refreshments, equipment needs and recording of minutes. Assists with annual report compilation and web-uploads for Ag producers and agri-industries. Interprets and applies MSU and State policies and procedures and helps to train and support staff. Prepares and maintains appropriate office manuals, handouts and promotional materials, compiles research data, generates reports and manuscripts and tracks incoming information. Prepares labels for seed envelopes and harvest tags and assists in seed sample preparation. Prepares package shipments via USPS, FedEx and UPS. Compiles weather data and other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills - Two years of post-secondary education or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience. Demonstrated working knowledge of accounting and budgeting principles in managing, monitoring, and reconciling financial records. Demonstrated competence organizing and prioritizing multiple work assignments, meeting deadlines, and exercising adaptability to changing priorities while maintaining a positive, effective, and professional attitude. Demonstrated experience in word processing, spreadsheets, database, email, and internet programs. Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills - Demonstrated experience and proficiency in handling financial databases. Demonstrated experience following the state or higher education setting purchases, procedures, and policies.

The Successful Candidate Will - Maintain the confidentiality of records and information. Communicate effectively with employees, students, and the public, both in-person and over the phone. Establish and maintain effective working relations with co-workers and the public. Be able to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team. Represent the Western Ag Research Center, the Department, and MSU professionally and courteously.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information - This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University's rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands - To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties? - No

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies - 1

Desired Start Date

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be: Screening of applications will begin on July 22, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions - This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.

EEO Statement - Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law. In compliance with the Montana Veteran's Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran's preference, please complete the veteran's preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

Optional Documents