Office Manager (3844) EXTENDED

Position Summary

The Office Manager in the Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations ( LEPF ) Department has oversight responsibility for administrative management of the department. This position reports directly to the Chair of the Department of LEPF .

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Department Operations and Administration

• Function as department receptionist, disseminating information and responding to inquiries about departmental programs and activities (schedules, courses, degree programs, certificates, tuition waivers, certifications). Relay messages to faculty, staff, and students as needed.
• Answer and route all incoming phone calls and emails to department staff, including information requests, faculty needs, and admissions questions.
• With the approval of the college, conduct purchasing for the department, using the NIU P-Card, P2POs, work orders, check requests, and other system, following appropriate University and state guidelines.
• Maintain department budget tracker using the provided financial spreadsheets and supply supporting digital file copies of transactions
• Input and make adjustments to the instructional schedule in MyNIU, as well as assist with scheduling permits for students.
• Assist and review travel vouchers for the department faculty and staff.
• Assist Department Chair with other projects as needed, often dealing with sensitive/confidential matters.
• Process incoming and outgoing mail.
• Check and restock supply cabinets located within each instructional classroom/laboratory as necessary.
• Attend department and program area meetings, take minutes (as requested), prepare and disseminate minutes to faculty, and keep an official record of meeting minutes.
• Assist with special events and initiatives in the department (i.e., room reservations, travel arrangements for guests, etc.).
• Liaise with Communications office to update department website.
• Support any local scholarship review processes.
• Maintain inventory of department physical assets and all hardware/equipment with Property Control, including annual physical inventory and asset listing reports.

Academic Process and Student Support

• Process academic Plans of Study and Courses of Study, including both initial plans and subsequent changes.
• Prepare, distribute, collect, and process materials related to student academic processes (e.g., comprehensive examinations, portfolio projects, and doctoral candidacy examinations, doctoral committee representation and dissertation completion).
• Maintain, coordinate, and track correspondence with students and faculty (and field mentors or supervisors, as appropriate) pursuing internships, independent studies, directed projects and other non-traditional course experiences, including the necessary forms, waivers, and permits.
• Periodically prepare reports on the numbers of students pursuing degrees and certification through the department, and their status towards completion.
• Collect and track all admissions materials for students applying to a program area in the department, in coordination with the offices of Registration & Records, Graduate School and Outreach Services.
• Work with the Graduate Advisor to receive, process, compile and maintain student files, applications for admission and other academic documents and student correspondence.
• Work with and distribute new student files to the Admissions Committee for evaluation and send admission decision letters to all applicants. Schedule interviews of admissions candidates with the Admissions Committee and/or Advisor and prepare the necessary files and supporting materials (e.g., application forms, transcripts, letters of reference, and writing samples) for review.
• Process student files after an admission decision is complete, including routine and special correspondence with students regarding their status.
• Coordinate the preparation, reproduction, handling and distribution of all regular and e-mail mailings to students, including the maintenance of student mailing lists.
• Communicate with student services as needed and/or process paperwork related to student withdrawal and other.

Academic Program Support

• Coordinate the development and processing of curriculum proposals.
• Maintain accurate records and tracking of curricular proposals through entire curriculum process.
• Work with department curriculum chair and department chair to prepare all proposals according to College Curriculum Committee guidelines.
• Serve as department liaison with department curriculum committee, college curriculum committee, COE dean’s office, and the catalog editor/curriculum coordinator.
• Organize and maintain digital copies of all course related materials, such as course syllabi, instructor office hours, grade roster information, and enrollment report request for the department for easy access and reference by department chair, faculty, and instructors.
• Assist faculty and advisors with other program needs.

Personnel and Hiring Processes

• Process all paperwork for the appointment of instructors, graduate assistants, student workers and extra help employees for the LEPF department utilizing People Admin and other platforms as necessary.
• Process timesheets and benefit usage forms and keep accurate records of the hours reported.
• Maintain records of required employee training.
• Provide support for new hires including where to locate Blackboard and technology assistance.

Other

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)

CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER

1. High school graduation or equivalent
2. Twenty-four (24) months of clerical/office support work experience comparable to that performed at the Office Support Specialist level of this series or in other positions of comparable responsibility

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES NEEDED TO UNDERTAKE JOB

1. Extensive knowledge of office support and general office practices and procedures
2. Ability to keyboard accurately at a rate of 40 net w.p.m.
3. Extensive knowledge of spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence and paragraph structure, and formatting
4. Skill in oral and written communication
5. Ability to utilize various software packages
6. Ability to work independently and exercise judgment in order to be able to analyze and investigate a variety of questions or problems
7. Ability to organize and supervise the work of others

Specialty Factors (Civil Service)

N/A

Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)

• Previous experience working in higher education.
• Previous experience working in a office setting.

Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Additional Requirements (SPS)

N/A

Preferred Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Physical demands/requirements

• Sitting/Standing
• Occasional lifting and moving items weighing up to 25 lbs.

Appointment and Compensation Details

Appointment and Compensation Details

Anticipated Appointment Start Date

09/01/2024

Anticipated Appointment End Date

Percent of Staff Year

1.00

Standard Hours Per Week

37.50

Working Hours

Monday - Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm, some nights and weekend hours may be required

Salary

$33,150.00 - $33,637.50

Hourly or Semi-monthly Pay Rate/Range

$17.00-$17.25

Earn Type

Hourly

Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Required Procedures:

1. Fully complete the Education and Work History sections of the application. Be specific on your entire work history, including employment dates and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Important: Please upload any unofficial transcript(s) and/or documentation that verifies any education, experience, and/or training you have received.
   • If eligible for Veteran’s Preference Points, DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256 paperwork reflecting an Honorable Discharge MUST be uploaded to this application to receive the maximum eligible points on the Civil Service examination.
2. After the posting has closed, your submission will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the classification, including any specialty factors associated with this position. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register.
3. Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from jobs@niu.edu and CivilServiceTesting@niu.edu . Please add these emails to your address book to ensure timely delivery of any future communication.
4. Applicants must be a current citizen or resident of the State of Illinois to move forward in the hiring process.

Credentials Assessment Examination:

• The examination for this position is a Credentials Assessment and is based on your application materials as submitted for this posting. A Credential Assessment is a rating by the Human Resources Office of an applicant’s/employee’s education, experience, and special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.). Applicants are required to upload documentation to verify the minimum qualifications for this position has been met.
• Required documentation noted in the posting, such as a driver’s license, licensures, or certifications MUST be uploaded with your application materials.
• After assessment of all qualified applicants has been completed for this position, the names with the top three (3) scores will be referred to the hiring department for interview.

Additional Details:

• Click on Office Manager for more information including salary ranges, typical duties, minimum acceptable qualifications, and testing requirements.
  • Applicants who may assume they do not meet the exact minimum qualifications are still invited to apply. Within the application documents, applicants should be sure to explain how their credentials and related qualifications address the requested minimum requirements.
• Please click on Human Resource Services – Benefits for detailed information about Northern Illinois University’s benefits package.
• Employment is contingent upon your passing a criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Special Instructions

Applications need to be submitted with the required documents upload:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of 3 professional references

Quick Link to Applicant

https://employment.niu.edu/postings/79072

Is Background Check Required?

Yes

EEO Statement Summary

In accordance with applicable statutes and regulations, NIU is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, disability (physical and mental), marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (identity and expression), political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to professional qualifications, and will comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations and orders pertaining to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Ethics and Compliance Officer, Title IX Coordinator
Health Services Building Room 230
TitleIXCoordinator@niu.edu
815-753-5560

Visa Policy

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

ADA Accommodation

NIU remains committed to ensuring that its recruitment and application procedures include full opportunities for applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities will not be denied to anyone because of the need to make accommodations for a person’s disability during either the application or interview process. An applicant who believes they require an accommodation to participate in the employment process due to a disability may request that accommodation through the Accommodation Request Form . For further assistance, please contact the office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity ( AAEO ) at ada@niu.edu .

Safety Information

NIU provides annual reports on campus security and fire safety.
Read the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report .
Contact the Ethics and Compliance Office at 815-753-9364 for a hard copy.
Applicant Documents
Required Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume/Curriculum Vitae
3. List of at least 3 Professional References

Optional Documents

1. Transcripts (unofficial with official required at hire)
2. Military Discharge Documents ONLY (DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256)

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * How many years of experience do you have in this type of position?
   • 0-1
   • 1-3
   • 3-5
   • 5-7
   • 7+
2. * Have you attached all transcripts to support the degrees you are submitting for consideration?
   • Yes
   • No
3. * Are you currently a citizen or resident of the State of Illinois?
   • Yes
   • No
4. * If applicable, have you attached a copy of your DD214, DD215, NGB22, or DD256 for consideration of Veterans Preference Points? The copy submitted should reflect the status of discharge in order to be considered.
   • Yes
   • No
   • Not Applicable