Administrative Support Specialist

Administrative Support Specialist

The George Mason University Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience within the College of Science (COS), invites applications for a part-time Administrative Support Specialist. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of all-inclusive diversity among its students, faculty, and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will support this commitment.

George Mason University College of Science (Mason Science) is committed to advancing all-inclusive excellence and fostering an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation throughout our STEM community. At Mason Science, our values include cultivating an organizational culture that promotes belonging, respect, and civility. We believe that varied opinions, cultures, and perspectives are what provides vibrancy, innovation, and growth to an academic community. By prioritizing cultural responsiveness in academics, teaching, research, and global engagement, we strive to attract faculty and staff who exemplify the Mason Science mission and vision.

The Administrative Support Specialist provides high level administrative, operational, and logistical support to the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience within the College of Science (COS). Under general supervision of the Program Director, performs a variety of office and program support, and customer service. Tasks include word processing, data entry; prepares correspondence using standard formats; interacts frequently with students, staff, faculty, and the general public and explains program, and/or college and university policies and procedures, provides other departmental information, and/or directs questions and inquiries to the appropriate staff; assists students with program questions and the completion of required forms and applications; and performs related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities:

Administrative & Fiscal Support

• Drafts and produces professional correspondence, emails, memos, letters, reports, agendas, and other documents;
• Organizes and maintains electronic and physical files and records in accordance with university policies;
• Understands and implements University, College of Science, and Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience processes and procedures;
• Coordinates weekly, monthly, and ad-hoc meetings, including committee meetings, specialty meetings, and program-wide events;
• Provides full meeting support by preparing agendas, gathering documents, coordinating logistics, and taking notes;
• Coordinates with COS-designated staff for purchases of supplies and equipment;
• Assists, when requested, with reconciliation of expenses and preparation of budget proposals; and
• Coordinates travel support, including booking, itineraries, reimbursements, and policy compliance.

Event, Communications, and Outreach Support

• Provides logistical and administrative support for program events, including room reservations, communications, follow-up surveys, and coordination with faculty and students;
• Supports updates to program websites and online platforms; and
• Learns and uses university systems such as PatriotWeb and Canvas to support administrative tasks.

Collaboration & Program Support

• Serves as a proactive, contributing member of the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience team;
• Builds collaborative relationships across COS, University offices, and external partners;
• Participates in relevant training, meetings, and professional development opportunities; and
• Works closely with the Program Director on routine and urgent matters requiring administrative support.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience providing administrative support in a professional office environment;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Teams, Zoom, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Qualtrics, and similar platforms;
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills with a high degree of accuracy;
• Demonstrated ability to organize, prioritize, and complete tasks with minimal supervision;
• Ability to handle frequent interruptions and adjust to changing priorities;
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment;
• Ability to manage sensitive information with tact, discretion, and confidentiality; and
• Knowledge of administrative/clerical procedures, record management, and office operations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• 24 years of administrative experience in higher education or a similar professional setting;
• Experience with event or project management;
• Experience with social media management and/or web content support;
• Experience handling scheduling across multiple faculty and stakeholder groups; and
• Familiarity with data collection systems and accreditation-related data processes.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Administrative Support Specialist at Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.