Office Administrator

Administrative Manager

Northeastern offers a rewarding working environment for our students and employees. Our faculty and staff are smart, dedicated people who work to create an excellent urban university experience for bright and motivated students.

Job Summary:

Responsible for the efficient operation, administration, and management of the four aforementioned department and program offices. Serves as the sole support staff member and independently performs a broad range of duties requiring sound judgment, initiative, discretion, and effective decision-making. Provides direct administrative, operational, and logistical support to department chairs, program coordinators, and faculty. Facilitates the work of the offices by providing, obtaining, and coordinating administrative and management services and integrating these services with overall departmental operations. Supervises work-study students, student aides, and extra-help personnel and oversees property management, space management, public information, and related administrative functions.

Job Description:

Office Management and Administration:

The incumbent:

• Has freedom for decision-making, assisting, advising, developing, and interpreting administrative policies, procedures, and practices.
• Will also assist the chairs in decision-making, assisting, advising, developing, and interpreting the policies and procedures of each of the aforementioned departments.
• Manages communication to students, faculty, and the general public (face-to-face, written, and phone) regarding department programs and procedures, an environment where cultural knowledge and competence is essential to student retention.

Coordination and Implementation of all Clerical, Secretarial, Management and Administrative Functions:

The incumbent will:

• Maintain and update student records for all majors and minors, as well as general office files.
• Competence is required in the use of various computer software programs in order to produce work quickly and efficiently.
• Coordinate unit projects.
• Keep majors and minors updated with accurate program information as advised by the Chair(s) and Coordinators.
• Complete necessary forms, documents, and other work needed by Chair(s) and Coordinators.

Obtain, Maintain and Supervise the Distribution of Program Resources

Funds management includes:

• Keeping detailed record of all budgetary matters for the aforementioned departments and related Foundation Accounts.
• Effective monitoring of monthly expenditures to insure costs are within budgetary guidelines and are spent through appropriate lines.
• Review of all invoices for department expenditures to insure accurate billing.
• Up-to-date on all university policies related to budgetary spending, appropriate vendors, between line and cross department transfer of funds, produce budget reports for chairs and coordinators as requested, advise chairs and coordinators of expenditures and what needs to be done for the six departments to remain financially solvent.
• Negotiate with units in the university relative to the exchange of resources.
• Makes cost estimates and comparisons for goods and services.
• Participates in day-to-day fiscal decisions.

Staff Supervision

• Hire and train student workers on office and program procedures.
• Supervise student workers each semester so as to have maximum coverage of offices at all times.
• Keep track of student hours, signing timesheets and reviewing students' work verbally and in writing.

Liaison Between Departments and the Larger University Community as well as External Community

• Answer all telephone, e-mail, as well as in-person inquiries about department programs; mail, e-mail and/or fax literature to interested parties as required.
• Respond in a professional, friendly manner with students, staff and faculty on a daily basis and especially during busy registration periods.
• Compiles, summarizes, organizes, and distributes information from a variety of sources for use in reports, brochures and publications, such as collecting and writing material for print or electronic newsletters.
• Maintain or assist in the maintenance of inventory records.

Development and Implementation of Department Policies and Procedures

• Ensure the smooth operation of the Department Offices, which requires the ability to anticipate needs.
• Envision the larger picture.
• Make timely decisions in order to meet University deadlines.
• Anticipate potential problems and be able to circumvent most problems.
• Function and make decisions in emergency situations; in all instances, make firm, positive, timely, relevant, and correct decisions and follow through with positive, appropriate and effective action.
• Keep the chairs and coordinators apprised of all decisions made and any steps which need to be taken in order to act proactively and avert problems.
• Recommend, advise, and develop office policies, procedures and practices including the full responsibility for developing and implementing policies and procedures governing student workers and follow through on the implementation of policies and procedures.
• Interpret policies and procedures for students, faculty and all other relevant persons.

Supervision of the Registration Process

• Assist in developing an efficient system for authorizing students for classes each semester.
• Develop and maintain authorization lists.
• Authorize students for classes.
• Operate the Banner database on NEIUport for all registration and class related matters including, advance and late registration, retrieving class lists and removing registration holds per faculty advisor requests.

Faculty Support and Services

• Greet and orient all new full-time and part-time faculty to policies and procedures of the department, and the university generally.
• Complete and route all hiring forms.
• Maintain faculty personnel files for the Department Offices.
• Maintain files of potential part-time faculty.
• Make arrangements for faculty office space.
• Appropriately distribute mail to various stakeholders.
• Keep a list of key requests, orders, and locations. Set up an effective electronic or physical location for all search and screen candidate files, so the search and screen committee can work efficiently and effectively.
• Arrange meeting space for all department/program meetings and others as needed by chairs, coordinators, and faculty.
• Reserve meeting rooms, order food and/or beverages, receive confirmations, obtain and send out parking permits to guests.
• Monitor facilities and amenities on the day of meetings.
• Coordinate resources for meetings as needed.
• Coordinate effectively with a broad range of stakeholders, including students, faculty, administrators, staff, facilities teams, and external partners, adapting communication as appropriate to support departmental needs.
• Confidently interact with stakeholders at various levels (i.e. students, faculty, administrators, other staff, including facilities, etc.).
• Coordinate and/or administer test proctoring, including organizing delivery of tests, scheduling students and/or test proctors, scheduling rooms and returning completed exams to instructors.

Computer Skills and Specialized Knowledge

In order to be an effective manager and administrator, the incumbent must:

• Become and remain familiar with new and innovative management and administration techniques and resources, including new and updated versions of relevant computer software.
• Have knowledge and skills relative to the Banner database on NEIUport and become familiar with and knowledge of the Workday financial system, including policies and procedures governing university budgets.
• These activities include attending workshops, seminars, and other training programs/meetings.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimal Qualifications:

1. High school diploma or equivalent.

2. Any one of the following from the categories below:

A, Four (4) years (48 months) of work experience comparable to the third level of this series.

B. Two (2) years (24 months) of work experience comparable to the fourth level of this series.

3. Bilingual in Spanish and English is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Knowledge of academic department and program operations, including major, minor, and graduate program requirements.
• Knowledge of course scheduling, sequencing, academic policies, procedures, and program information.
• Proficiency with computer software and technology used to support efficient office operations.
• Experience using Banner or a comparable student information system.
• Knowledge of fund management and financial administration systems.
• Experience with website maintenance and content management systems, such as Drupal.
• Ability to develop and maintain specialized knowledge of departmental programs, policies, and procedures.

Northeastern Illinois University