Administrative Specialist

We seek a highly independent, fiercely discreet, and masterfully organized Administrative Specialist CL3 (Confidential) to serve as the high-level operational backbone for the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

In this highly visible and trusted role, you will serve as a key resource within Academic Affairs, working closely with senior university leadership, faculty, staff, and external partners. This is a dynamic,  position where you will be empowered to think on your feet, solve problems proactively, and serve as the definitive face and voice of executive academic leadership.

The rate of pay is $21.93 per hour for a new hire, and this is a 40-hour-a-week position. This is a non-represented (confidential) position that includes an employer contribution to the UMS retirement plan. Additional benefits include medical, dental, vision, and tuition waiver programs for employees and dependents.

Your Core Objectives (Responsibilities)

• Master of the Executive Calendar: Own the Provost's dynamic schedule—anticipating conflicts before they arise and ensuring meetings, committees, and travel plans run seamlessly.
• The Diplomatic Liaison: Handle a wide range of sensitive, non-routine communications with exceptional judgment and poise, whether defusing an escalated issue or drafting executive correspondence.
• Guardian of Academic Personnel: Manage the crucial behind-the-scenes logistics of academia, from tracking faculty re-appointments and tenure timelines to coordinating talent searches.
• Fiscal Co-Pilot: Keep our financial gears grinding smoothly by assisting with budget tracking, researching expenditures, and managing the purchasing card program.
• Chief Event Architect: Bring important campus traditions and initiatives to life by coordinating faculty assemblies, orientations, and high-visibility academic ceremonies.
• Team Leadership: Mentoring and delegating tasks to student workers and temporary staff,
• Data Researching, sorting and summarizing a variety of non-routine data for a broad range of applications and assignments, making decisions regarding the validity and quality of available data, preparing standard and non-standard summaries of relevant information and developing complex queries requiring connections between multiple tables/databases in response to non-routine issues.

Job Description

Your Superpowers (Competencies)

• Absolute Discretion: You treat sensitive employee, student, and institutional data with the security of a vault.
• Unshakable Autonomy: You don't need a roadmap. You excel at analyzing complex problems, mapping out workflow steps, and executing flawlessly under minimal supervision.
• Policy Fluency: You have a knack for reading between the lines of organizational rules and explaining them clearly to both internal faculty and external parties.
• Tech Sophistication: You don't just use software you command it. Running data queries, managing databases, and modifying websites are comfortable territory for you.

The Blueprint (Qualifications)

What You Bring:

• Education & Experience: 60+ credits of higher education (or equivalent work experience/training) AND at least three (3) years of high-level administrative support experience.

Bonus Points:

• Prior experience navigating the unique ecosystem of higher education or supporting executive-level academic leadership.
• Familiarity with Mainestreet, Smartsheets and other university administrative systems.
• We welcome applicants from a variety of professional backgrounds. Individuals with military administrative experience including Yeoman (YN), Personnel Specialist (PS), Administrative NCO, or 42A Human Resources Specialist roles, often bring the exact organizational, communication, and leadership skills that contribute to success in this position.

Important items to know about the recruitment process:

• We are not able to consider applicants who require any visa sponsorship support
• Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.
• For full consideration, materials must be submitted by 4:30 pm EST on Thursday, November 19, 2026
• The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening and post-offer physical as applicable.