The Administrative Specialist II's position is essential to the academic and operational success of the department. The position will manage essential administrative and academic functions, ensuring seamless operations and a collaborative environment. Responsibilities include closely monitoring department budgets and project accounts, handling HR and payroll transactions, and coordinating post-award processes for research grants. This individual will work alongside faculty, staff, and students, supporting initiatives, financial awards, and department-wide events. Assisting in the supervision of an administrative assistant, they will uphold compliance, maintain efficient office practices, and act as a point of contact across various academic and administrative needs. Additionally, they’ll support communications, updating department news channels, and assist in the development of a vibrant, inclusive Astronomy community.
Responsibilities include:
• Manage all budget and fiscal responsibilities for the unit.
• Track, monitor, and perform reconciliations of department accounts, faculty startup accounts, and non-sponsored projects; advise on use of funds; address issues as they arise.
• Track and monitor usage of Committee allocated funds: Colloquium Committee, Computing Resources Committee, Outreach Committee, among others; address issues as they arise.
• Generate financial reports within Enterprise Analytics for reconciliations, to monitor awards, solve issues, respond to Dean’s Office inquires, for Chair/Associate Chair review, etc.
• Track awards for faculty and students, advise on use, assist with expenditures.
• Review requests for, determine, and award stipends and scholarships, including from sponsored projects.
• Place and receive orders, process and pay invoices, reconcile PCard transactions.
• Submit requests to CLAS SSC or CLAS RO to enter requisitions/purchase orders for department, process invoices, and other miscellaneous requests, as appropriate.
• UFGO delegate for department and approver delegate for Chair
• Process reimbursements
• Perform other general accounting duties, as needed.
• Assist faculty with MyInvestigator and UFIRST, review of grants
• Assist with budgeting (review, providing information)
• Responsible for post-award accounting of grants; routinely review and actively communicate with Principal Investigators on project expenditures and budget health.
• Advise on human resources/payroll/effort matters and implement necessary related transactions, in coordination with CLAS RO. Submit payroll distribution changes, run payroll reconciliations, and perform payroll corrections (as needed) for grant-funded positions (post docs, GAs, etc.). Advise PIs on payroll costs as it relates to proposed projects. Ensure awards allow for payroll expenses as it relates to summer salaries, grant/state salary swaps, student wages/benefits and related tuition costs, etc.; advise on award restrictions. Review project effort commitments and advise/implement as it relates to faculty effort allocation/certification (and necessary payroll distributions, where appropriate).
• Serve as point of contact between PIs and Research Office in solving post-award issues and ensuring that changes/corrections are made. Work with PIs to request budget revisions to the project.
• Analyze award spending patterns and work with PIs (as necessary) to ensure funds are appropriately expended as project nears completion.
• Coordinate with PIs and Research Office for sponsored reporting requests requiring financial data.
• Work with department staff and CLAS SSC to prepare and process all faculty, staff, post-doctoral associates, OPS, assistantships and fellowships, student assistants’ personnel actions including payroll distributions and posting jobs in Careers.
• Time and Labor: responsible for review of pay lists to ensure all employees are paid correctly and that no under- or over-payments occur. Review time and labor entries for the department and follow up with individuals to make any necessary corrections, or to obtain approvals.
• Assist with Tenure and Promotion, Midterm Reviews, PTP, and PTR processes. Collect and prepare documentation for merit raises and reviews; assist with merit raise letter notifications. Assist Chair in preparing annual review letters.
• Provide authorization for GatorOne Identification card. Maintain Identity Management information for the unit.
• Principal assistant to the Chair of the Department of Astronomy on administrative matters including tracking and monitoring the departmental budget accounts, startups, personnel, and academic matters. Coordinates with the Chair in the development of the department budget. Serves as liaison between the Department of Astronomy and the College, and University Administrative Offices. Responsible for the interpretation of University, College and Department policies and ensuring that the Department is in compliance.
• Serve as Property Custodian. Maintain and update department assets in myAssets system. Address issues as they arise.
• Work with department staff on preparing and submitting faculty administrative reports such as Faculty Assignment Reports, Effort Reporting, Academic Activity Reports, Annual Activity Reports, and updating and maintaining department space allocation using the online Space Inventory System.
• Collect, organize, and assist with updating forward facing department news and information sources (website, social media accounts, lounge, and lobby rotating televisions). Assist Newsletter Committee with collection, compilation, and dissemination of department news.
• Assist with supervision of department’s administrative assistant to assign tasks, set deadlines, oversee office functions; ensure compliance with UF and departmental policies and procedures; ensure confidentiality of sensitive information is maintained; oversee/assist with/perform all human resources, academic, and administrative functions that administrative assistant is responsible for in their absence; check their work to ensure accuracy; maintain cross training in and knowledge of their duties; serve as point of contact for administrative assistant to resolve complex issues when they arise in areas of HR and academics.
• Work with department staff to provide support to the unit’s undergraduate and graduate programs by organizing and administering student affairs, entering student milestones (SIS), updating information in GIMS, processing petitions and degree certifications, etc.; provide support to the Graduate Admissions Committee in the admissions process.
• Work with department staff to assist students registering for classes, answer inquiries on class availability, waiting lists, credit-hour requirements, etc.
• Work with department staff in preparing and submitting course scheduling for the department each semester; ensure instructors are notified about grading procedures and all academic deadlines; ensure instructors enter grades on-time; ensure textbook adoptions are submitted appropriately.
• Greet and route visitors, answer and direct incoming calls. Maintain current phone system and directory. Orders supplies via myUFL market. Submits work orders to Facilities. Maintains key inventory.
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