About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The Department Administrator will partner with the Chair in administrative and overall management of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS).

Essential Functions

• Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate non-exempt and student staff. Proactively address issues related to employee retention such as creating positive onboarding experience, work environment, workload, and professional development.
• Act as the facilities coordinator for departmental staff located in the building, ensuring prompt resolution of building issues as they arise. Collaborate with the Chair on space and facility planning, manage space allocations and renovations, and assist with related reports and proposals.
• Assist the Chair in coordinating contracts and teaching assignments for staff, part-time and temporary instructors, and teaching assistants.
• Manage department budgets including instructional, operating, and research trust funds. Independently creates new budgeting systems and provides the Chair and faculty with regular financial reports detailing expenses along with current and projected balances, and budget recommendations. Approve routine expenditures for travel, department supplies, equipment, services, and furnishings. Provide supervision to department staff ensuring timely processing of all financial work. Provide support to faculty with basic budget management.
• Manage department personnel administration. Work closely with the School of Public Health and Health Sciences Financial, Personnel, and Advising Managers to ensure correct and timely processing of all departmental personnel actions and student changes. Coordinate all faculty promotion and tenure cases, periodic multi-year reviews, annual faculty reviews, sabbatical or unpaid leave requests, and course buyouts.
• Proactively communicate with the chair on faculty, staff and student issues and recommend solutions.
• Take problem solving initiative in the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the department. Develop and implement various administrative procedures to ensure efficiency and that the goals of the department are met.
• Provide a broad range of administrative support for the chair and faculty members including but not limited to maintaining office equipment, ordering supplies, distributing mail, overseeing course scheduling and managing course-related work and student evaluations.
• Collaborate with the Chair on a variety of special projects including departmental strategic planning.

Other Functions

• Perform related duties as assigned or required to meeting department, SPHHS, and university goals and objectives.
• Serve as the back-up for department administrative staff as needed.

 Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Exr1erience, Certifications, Licensure).

• A Bachelor's degree and two (2) years of of human resources, finance, or business administration experience.
• Experience developing and managing budgets.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to professionally collaborate and develop relationships with a diverse population of staff, faculty, students.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written expression.
• Commitment to inclusion and understanding diverse thought, cultures, race, gender, and other differences.
• Ability to understand and apply office rules, policies, and procedures.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy including mathematical computations with reasonable speed using a calculator and/or spreadsheet formulas.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to effectively and efficiently prioritize workload, manage multiple tasks, track and report progress, and maintain accurate records.
• Excellent initiative, independence, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong computer skills with intermediate competency in using Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, manage confidential information, and make decisions in the performance of routine, critical, and stressful tasks while continuing to promote a positive work environment.
• Ability to train and supervise student employees.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure).

• Experience with business operations, financial, and budgeting tasks.
• Experience working with UMass administrative and academic policies, procedures, and systems including SPIRE, PeopleSoft, Summit, BuyWays, etc.
• Master's degree in Business, Social Sciences, Public Policy or related field.
• Previous supervisory experience.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Typical office environment.

Work Schedule

• Monday - Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm.
• Required to work occasional nights and weekends.
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the Professional Staff Union, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Professional Staff Union collective bargaining agreement.

Salary Information

Level 26

PSU Hiring Ranges

Special Instructions to Applicants

Upload your resume and cover letter along with your completed application. Our team will check references at the final stage of the interview process. Please be prepared to provide contact information for at least three (3) professional references. This position will remain open until filled or the advertised closing date, whichever occurs first. Early submissions are recommended.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.