Administrative Assistant

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Position Title:

Administrative Assistant

Job Category:

University Staff

Employment Type:

Temporary (Fixed Term)

Job Profile:

Administrative Assistant II

Job Duties:

The Administrative Operations Coordinator provides administrative, operational, and to the School. Serving as the primary point of contact for visitors, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, this position ensures the efficient day-to-day operation of the School's administrative functions and facilities. The role coordinates front office activities, communications, event logistics, employee onboarding and offboarding, records management, and technology support for meetings and presentations. Success in this position requires exceptional organizational skills, professionalism, customer service orientation, proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Forms) and other digital collaboration tools, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic academic environment.

This is a part time position with an estimated 20 hours per week.

Job Responsibilities

Front Office and School Operations Support (50%)

·         Serve as the primary receptionist and first point of contact for visitors, building occupants, and external partners.

·         Maintain shared spaces, including meeting rooms, mailrooms, copy areas, supply cabinets, and common areas.

·         Support the building’s mail, shipping, receiving, and related tracking and billing processes.

·         Assist with the onboarding and offboarding activities for employees and other building occupants, including access and resource coordination.

·         Assist with the coordination of school events, meetings, and building activities, including scheduling, logistics, and resource management.

·         Assist with space reservations and scheduling for School-hosted and external meetings and events held at the Great Lakes Research Facility (GLRF).

·         Provide technical support for school and facility events, meetings, and presentations, which may include setup, configuration, and troubleshooting of Microsoft 365 applications, audio/visual equipment, video conferencing technology, and digital collaboration tools.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Schedules logistics and secures resources for meetings, conferences, travel, and work unit operations

• Collects, analyzes, and prepares various communication materials from established sources utilizing technology mediums

• Sends, receives, copies, and distributes communications to the appropriate entities according to established policies and procedures under general supervision

• Serves as a first point of contact for individuals and groups, provides basic organizational information via phone, in person and through other communication mediums, and routes more complex inquiries to the appropriate entities

• Maintains established methods and organizational systems directed at the maintenance of electronic/physical records related to work operations according to established policies and procedures

Department: School of Freshwater Sciences

Compensation: $21-$23/Hour

Required Qualifications:

• Associate degree in Business Administration, Office Administration, Communications, Higher Education Administration, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Two (2) years of progressively responsible administrative, executive support, office management, or customer service experience.
• Experience coordinating meetings, events, schedules, and office operations.

• Experience managing digital files and collaboration platforms such as SharePoint and OneDrive.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and customer service skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
• Experience working in a university, educational, research, nonprofit, or public-sector environment.
• Experience coordinating facility scheduling, conference services, or event logistics.
• Experience creating newsletters, reports, presentations, and organizational communications.
• Knowledge of audio/visual equipment, video conferencing technologies, and hybrid meeting support.
• Experience with travel coordination, purchasing, financial processing, and records management.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience using Microsoft Forms and other collaborative technology platforms.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants are required to apply online and submit a resume and cover letter that addresses how their experience meets the qualifications of the position. PLEASE NOTE: resumes and cover letters will need to be uploaded to the same area in the application.

In instances where the Search and Screen is unable to ascertain from the candidates' application materials whether they meet any of the qualifications, they may be evaluated as not meeting such qualifications.

Finalist candidate(s) being considered for hire will be required to provide three professional/supervisor references through an external reference checking tool. References will not be contacted prior to candidates being notified.

This is an Evergreen recruitment with an initial review date of 10/27/2026. To ensure consideration, applications must be submitted by 10/26/2026. Applications submitted after 10/26/2026 may not be reviewed. 

Contact Information:

Luke Messmann

[email protected]

HR Coordinator

Reasonable Accommodations
Pursuant to university policy, UWM provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact [email protected] or 414-229-4463. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.

Confidentiality of Applicant Materials
UWM is a State agency and subject to Wisconsin’s Open Records Law. UWM will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin’s Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of “final candidates” and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request.

CBC and Reference Check Policy
Employment will require a criminal background check. UWM takes the prevention of sexual misconduct seriously. As such, you and your references will be required to answer questions regarding any past findings of sexual violence and sexual harassment or any pending allegations of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
For the UWM Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see http://www.cleryact.uwm.edu/, or call UWM’s Dean of Students Office, Student Union 345 at (414) 229-4632 for a paper copy.

Employment Authorization
In compliance with federal law, all persons at the time of their start date will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.