Administrative Assistant IV

Description:
Job Description Summary:The primary responsibilities of this position is to provide administrative support for and to manage the daily activities of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. This includes anticipating needs, carrying out policies, and implementing decisions of the department administration. As such, ensures that accurate, professional, timely, and excellent services are provided to students, faculty, the University community, and to the external professional and lay communities. The DPT Administrative Assistant supervises work-study student(s) and provides critical managerial and administrative support for the Department with the primary reporting responsibility to the Administrative Coordinator. The Administrative Assistant acts with discretion, independence and authority to meet the needs of the Department and its external constituents.
Duties and Responsibilities:

(20%) Project Coordination

Is responsible for organizing and delivering the Department’s events and special projects, such as student orientation, capstone project presentation day, white coat ceremony, career fair, alumni events, sponsored continuing education events for the physical therapy community, and graduation events. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting the Administrative Coordinator to assure the goals of projects are met.
  
  
• Collaborating with DPT faculty members and other university departments involved in the project to assure the project is successfully delivered.
  
  
• Researching vendors or contractors, and works with outside parties, including vendors, in obtaining competitive bids, arranging catering, and negotiating contracts for approval; reviews and negotiates contracts with outside providers.
  
  
• Producing all necessary electronic and published materials for the projects (such as promotional materials, programs, and information packets).
  
  
• Communicating with all external stakeholders involved in these events (including employers and clinicians).
  
  

(20%) Academic Support

Supports the Chair, Administrative Coordinator, students, and faculty in the academic enterprise of the Department and coordinates with other University Departments to assure the Department’s academic program needs are met. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing administrative support for student and faculty as needed.
  
  
• Assisting in the development and preparation of generating supporting documentation for administrative activities.
  
  
• Assisting in the maintenance of the Department’s electronic clinical education database and software platforms.
  
  
• Maintaining accurate master class schedules and weekly class schedules.
  
  
• Completing course, classroom, and semester exam/assignment schedules by collaborating with the Department Chair and faculty members.
  
  
• Managing all exam materials for student review while assuring exam security.
  
  
• Maintaining confidential internal student advisement records & exam materials.
  
  
• Developing and maintains current and historic databases on student status in the DPT program, including performance, retention, and progression, and develops reports as requested based on those data.
  
  
• Proctoring exams.
  
  
• Assuring teaching materials are available for faculty members and students, including course materials, textbooks, faculty teaching guides, and teaching supplies and equipment.
  
  
• Assisting with the orientation of students and faculty of the DPT program.
  
  
• Coordinating the yearly clean-up of the PT laboratory and storage areas.
  
  
• Assisting faculty with subject/participant recruitment for research projects.
  
  
• Coordinating the necessary activities associated with obtaining and supporting guest lecturers, classroom demonstration “patients”, clinic “patients”, and contracted people for examinations, including preparing contracts, parking, and scheduling.
  
  
• Assisting faculty with conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Teams.
  
  
• Supporting the administrative team with overflow work in periods of high demand.
  
  
• Assisting faculty in navigating SMU platforms, onboarding, and technical issues.
  
  
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

(20%) Budget and Financial Management

Collaborates with the Department Chair and Administrative Coordinator in the development of operating, capital, and grant budgets and the ongoing monitoring and management of expenditures in those budgets. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Processing requests for reimbursement and purchase orders in a timely, accurate, and efficient manner.
  
  
• Monitoring expenditures in all operating, capital, and grant budgets for accuracy and variances and informing the Department Chair when there are actual or possible variances in those budgets.
  
  
• Monitoring expenditures for the Department’s administrative functions, e.g. office supplies, travel, and equipment, and alerts manager of status.
  
  
• Coordinating with internal departments to complete all purchasing requests, contracts, and check requests.
  
  
• Reviewing individual work-study payroll accrual and department work-study expenditures and reports to manager on monthly basis.
  
  

(20%) Communication

Is the initial contact person and functions as a liaison with the students, faculty members, alumni, physical therapy professional community, and all other external communities who conduct business with the Department. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Triaging questions, calls, and concerns from students, faculty members, and outside public.
  
  
• Using initiative and independent judgment to manage and resolve problems, issues, concerns, and complaints that may be brought forward from these parties and refer these issues to the appropriate person for resolution, when necessary.
  
  

(20%) Department Operations

Has responsibility for defined Department operations that assure the Department is able to meet its internal and external obligations and serve its function to the University. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Ordering and maintaining an inventory of office supplies, clinical laboratory supplies, and research supplies.
• Assuring office equipment is maintained and is operational.
• Assuring major clinical laboratory and research equipment is operational, meets safety requirements, and is adequately maintained; arranges repairs when necessary.
• Submitting and monitors requests for repair and maintenance of office and laboratory equipment.
• Preparing faculty instructional assignments as delegated.
• Maintaining faculty records, including curriculum vitae and research history.
• Working with the University Departments to recruit and hire work-study students, trains those students, delegates work to those students, and supervises the work of those students.

Skills and Abilities

• Must be a highly functional and informed person who is courteous, a sincere listener, a good communicator, and capable of establishing a positive and supportive rapport with students, faculty, and external parties.
• Must be reliable - a resourceful problem-solver and work well as a team player.
• Must be able to function in an environment where multiple priorities have to be handled simultaneously and/or where priorities change frequently.
• Must have keen judgment skills and be able to independently manage and resolve student and faculty issues, concerns, and complaints in an effective and timely manner, and determine when those issues must be referred to the Administrative Coordinator and/or Department Chair.
• Must have extensive computer experience and competency in the use of Microsoft Office Programs (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.); must be able to create and produce spreadsheets, databases, PowerPoint presentations, and conduct internet searches, etc.
• Familiarity with virtual conferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Familiarity with the Canvas learning management system would be a plus.
• Ability to read and follow through with written and verbal instructions.
• Able to organize and communicate thoughts, and speak effectively with faculty and staff members, students, and all other internal and external contacts.
• Ability to handle privileged information in a confidential manner.
• Ability to concentrate and effectively pay attention to minute details for extended periods of time in order to produce reports, studies, etc.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, decimals, and percentages.
• Ability to handle one’s self in a professional manner, including appropriate professional attire.

Education and/or Experience

• High school diploma.
• Evidence of training in business skills.
• Understand the student experience on a university/college campus either through enrollment as a college student, or prior experience working on a university or college campus.
• Three to five years of experience in a high-level Administrative Assistant position or a comparable position.

Employee Status:Regular
Exemption Status:United States of America (Non-Exempt)
Time Type:Full time
Job Shift:

Pay Range:

Hourly wage range: $23.21 to $30.17

Samuel Merritt University currently provides base salary ranges for all positions-on job advertisements-in the United States based on local requirements. Individual compensation will ultimately be determined based on a variety of relevant factors including but-not limited to qualifications, geographic location, and other relevant skills.