Administrative Assistant Senior

Senior Administrative Assistant

The Department of Natural Sciences seeks a highly organized, service-oriented, and experienced Senior Administrative Assistant to provide advanced administrative and operational support for a large and dynamic academic department. This position is responsible for providing administrative support to the Department of Natural Sciences and the position will report to the Department Manager. It serves as a key resource for faculty, staff, students, and visitors while supporting a broad range of departmental functions, including academic administration, financial operations, faculty support, event coordination, and office management.

The successful candidate will exercise sound judgment, demonstrate strong initiative, manage multiple priorities independently, and contribute to the efficient operation of the department. This position requires excellent communication skills, attention to detail, discretion in handling confidential information, and the ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues across the university.

Responsibilities*

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Act as first point-of-contact for faculty, staff, students, and guests.
• Support the Department Chair and the Department Manager with administrative and operational activities.
• Tasks will include composing correspondence, preparing documents, coordinating communications to faculty and students, answering questions and email inquiries, copying and collating materials, formatting and proofreading documents, managing electronic and hard copy filing systems, and collecting/tracking/reporting data/information as needed to support the productivity of the office.
• Create a welcoming, organized, efficient and professional office environment, and serve as the front-line resource of information for faculty, staff, students, and guests.
• Coordinate departmental meetings, retreats, workshops, seminars, and special events. This may include but is not limited to coordinating logistics for events/meetings (arranging space, food, A/V, and other equipment as needed), coordinating communications, and monitoring budget.
• Assist department with course scheduling, classroom coordination, and academic administrative processes.

Faculty Affairs/HR Administration

• Coordinate Lecturer Employee Organization (LEO) appointments, renewals, overloads, and summer employment actions.
• Prepare personnel documentation and Personnel Action Requests (PARs).
• Maintain faculty personnel records and monitor critical deadlines related to appointments, reviews, and reappointments.
• Assist with onboarding new faculty and staff, including international faculty documentation and visa-related processes.
• Serve as a departmental resource regarding faculty affairs processes and procedures.
• Coordinate annual faculty review and promotion-related administrative processes.

Financial

• Monitor personnel budget, salary planning, and financial reporting activities.
• Process and track financial transactions in accordance with university policies and procedures, including procurement, reimbursements, P-Card reconciliations, and PeoplePay transactions.
• Support faculty and staff with travel and expense reporting.
• Maintain financial records and assist with reconciliation activities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Maintain and update the department website in collaboration with college communications staff.
• Develop and distribute departmental newsletters, announcements, and promotional materials.
• Support outreach efforts that promote departmental programs, events, and achievements.
• Support departmental corporate partnership and community engagement initiatives.
• Coordinate meetings, outreach activities, and events involving external stakeholders, alumni, and industry partners.
• Assist with maintaining relationships and communications with external organizations.
• Provide administrative support for tenure-track and lecturer searches.
• Coordinate candidate interviews, campus visits, travel arrangements, itineraries, and reimbursement processes as needed.
• Facilitate onboarding activities for new faculty members to ensure a smooth transition into the department and university community.
• Other department projects and administrative tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications*

• Associates degree
• More than 4 years of progressively responsible administrative support experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team member, exercise sound judgment, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with prioritizing and handling multiple assignments and competing deadlines simultaneously when needed; ability to adjust to changing priorities and receive direction from multiple people.
• Ability to take initiative, solve problems, adapt to changes quickly.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft and Google Suites.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a culturally diverse environment.
• Strong customer service orientation and commitment to professionalism.

Desired Qualifications*

• Bachelor degree plus more than 4 years of progressively responsible administrative support experience, preferably in higher education
• Experience assisting in coordinating meetings and event planning.
• Familiarity with university travel/expense, and procurement policies and procedures is highly desired.
• Proficiency in Google Suite
• Experience with M-Pathways, Emburse, and other U-M administrative systems.
• Administrative support experience in a U-M department or program.
• Familiarity with and demonstrated engagement in efforts supporting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Why Work at U-M Dearborn?

The University of Michigan - Dearborn is a vibrant and diverse community, centrally located within one of America's largest business regions. The area provides a variety of urban, suburban, and rural environments within a reasonable commute, including Detroit, its suburbs, and Ann Arbor.

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan - Dearborn offers a comprehensive benefits package, effective on your first day to help you and your family stay well, and plan for a secure future.

Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions after 12 months of eligible service
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance, along with prescription drug plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Eligibility for benefits is based on your job group, your appointment percentage and the length of your appointment. Learn more about employee benefits and eligibility from the UM Human Resources Benefits and Wellness webpage.

Additional UM - Dearborn benefits include:

• Employees may be eligible for tuition reimbursement. Learn more about the tuition reimbursement policy.
• Eligible UM-Dearborn dependents may receive a 50% tuition and fees scholarship towards undergraduate courses. Learn more about the Dependent Tuition Scholarship from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships webpage.
• No charge for all faculty and staff parking permits. Learn more from the Parking Transportation webpage.

Information about our mission, values and leadership can be found at:

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Work Schedule

Onsite 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday from 8:00 am through 5:00 p.m.

Additional Information

Candidates must be able to be lawfully employed in the United States; sponsorship to obtain such status is not available at this time.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.