Administrative Specialist - Ohio University

Job Description:

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

The Administrative Specialist is responsible for managing all aspects of faculty (tenure-track, instructional, and visiting), staff (administrators, researchers, and classified), and student hiring processes across the college. This role requires decision-making to ensure the efficient coordination of recruitment, onboarding, compliance, and employee relations while maintaining accurate employment documentation. The position will frequently involve problem-solving, managing unique situations, and determining the best course of action in non-standard cases.





DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES


Recruitment and Hiring Management:

End-to End Oversight: Manage the complete recruitment and comprehensive hiring process for faculty (tenure-track, instructional, visiting, and adjunct), administrators, researchers, classified staff, and student employees (including hourly, Federal Work-Study, and PACE roles).


Support for Search Committees: Facilitate initial and follow-up meetings for search committees to discuss the job description, key responsibilities, qualifications, timeline, required training, advertising strategies, logistics for campus visits, and next steps. Ensure all necessary search documentation is managed effectively.


Training Compliance: Ensure that search committee training requirements are fulfilled.


Job Postings: Prepare and review job postings with search committees, ensuring timely submission for publication.


Faculty Employment Offers: Oversee the faculty offer process by creating and regularly updating offer letter templates in accordance with the faculty handbook and university guidelines. Draft offer letters, communicate negotiated offers to candidates, and process accepted offers by submitting hiring information to UHR . Manage all hiring and recruitment documentation.


Faculty Candidate Visit Coordination: Manage the scheduling and logistics of candidates’ campus visits to ensure efficiency, including travel arrangements, accommodations, and scheduling interviews with relevant stakeholders.


Compliance and Strategy: Ensure all recruitment efforts adhere to university standards and provide guidance on recruitment strategies.


Advertising Management: Oversee advertising initiatives by creating, evaluating, and adjusting job advertisements and recruitment documentation to meet specific departmental needs.


Student Hiring: Collaborate with departments to recruit student employees by advertising available positions and conducting outreach to promote opportunities. Verify eligibility for work-study programs as needed. Facilitate the onboarding process for new students. Serves as the Workforce administrator for all students in the college, adding new students, terminating students, updating account numbers, and updating pay rates.


Issue Resolution: Assess when to escalate recruitment challenges or modify procedures based on the unique requirements of positions or candidate pools. Faculty and Staff Support: Support searches by managing the recruitment process and facilitating the onboarding of new hires. Assist with staff hiring processes by collaborating with HR on job descriptions, postings, and compensation reviews.


Faculty and Staff Support: Support searches by managing the recruitment process and facilitating the onboarding of new hires. Assist with staff hiring processes by collaborating with HR on job descriptions, postings, and compensation reviews.


Onboarding:

Onboarding Facilitation: Oversee the onboarding process for new hires, ensuring that all necessary paperwork is completed and access to essential resources is granted.


Training Communication: Inform new hires about required university trainings (e.g., fraud, hazing, security) and ensure their timely completion.




Access and Scheduling: Identify required system access, establish onboarding timelines, and coordinate orientation schedules for new employees.




Issue Resolution: Address and resolve any onboarding challenges, such as access failures, incomplete documentation, or communication errors, by determining the most effective solutions.


Employee Records Management:

Records Maintenance: Responsible for creating and maintaining faculty files. Establish appropriate methods and timelines for maintaining and purging faculty personnel files, ensuring compliance with university policies and legal requirements.


Discrepancy Resolution: Identify and address discrepancies in employee records, determining the necessary corrective actions.




Immigration and Compliance:

Immigration Support: Assist employees with immigration-related matters, including visa applications, extensions, and permanent residency applications.




Visiting Scholars Coordination: Collaborate with departments hosting visiting scholars to ensure appropriate hiring processes are followed, including proper documentation and compliance.


I-9 Management: Oversee I-9 screenings and investigations for new hires and current employees, ensuring adherence to university and federal employment verification policies.


Collaboration with Legal Affairs and ISSS : Work closely with Legal Affairs and the International Student and Scholar Services ( ISSS ) to address complex immigration issues, identifying optimal solutions for individual cases.


Employee Relations and Support:


Primary Contact: Act as the main point of contact for employees regarding leave policies and employment-related concerns.


Confidential Matter Management: Address sensitive employment issues related to leaves of absence, accommodations, and other personnel matters with discretion.


Administrative Support: Provide assistance to faculty and departments with employment-related inquiries and issues.


Decision-Making: Make informed judgments about when to escalate employee issues to other stakeholders for resolution.


Complex Inquiries Handling: Determine appropriate responses to employee inquiries regarding unique or complex situations, such as reduced schedules or role transitions.


Performance and Leave Management:


Performance Evaluation Coordination: Collaborate with departments and UHR to ensure timely completion and submission of performance evaluations.


Leave Guidance: Provide guidance on leaves of absence, including FMLA and other leave types, ensuring that faculty and staff receive appropriate support and comply with policies. Assist with temporary instructor hiring as needed.


Exit Process Management: Notify HR and relevant stakeholders of staff attrition, retirements, or terminations, and oversee the exit process, including the collection of university property.


Compliance and Reporting:


Policy Compliance: Ensure adherence to leave policies, sick leave policies, and university guidelines, determining the most effective course of action to address any issues.


Reporting: Prepare and generate reports on recruitment, retention, and employment compliance as required.


Financial and Funding Oversight:


Budget Assessment: Evaluate the budgetary and funding requirements for positions, confirming the availability of funds to determine if positions can be financed through external sources, such as research grants or foundation funds.


GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION :

Supports the general administrative functions of a wide variety of academic or administrative units including answering phones, greeting/referring/assisting visitors, customers, staff, or others, preparing documents and reports, compiling records, scheduling meetings, organizing and maintaining information, coordinating calendars, analyzing data including budgetary expenditures, and providing high level administrative assistance to executives.


GENERAL JOB DUTIES :




+ May supervise or oversee the work of Technical & Administrative Support staff and/or student employees.



+ Resolves complex and unique problems that require an ability to interpret established policies and procedures.



+ Oversees department unit administrative processes.



+ Coordinates complex processes and initiatives such as grant proposals, contracts /or complex academic processes such as tenure case approvals, faculty searches, complicated course scheduling or sensitive graduate application processes.



+ Plans and implements projects, special events, and/or programs that require a high level of coordination with multiple constituents and departments.



+ Composes and edits internal and external correspondence and documents, including such things as manuscript submissions for scientific journals.



+ Manages academic courses and textbook information. Plans and maintains website as well as other department publications.



+ Prepares and monitors internal budget and other financial documents for a departmental work unit. Recommends purchases. Reviews and follows up on discrepancies in standard expenditures.



+ Fully proficient in applying established standards for the job.



+ Applies advanced technical or process knowledge; requires ability to utilize diverse but conventional methods, techniques, or approaches to meet specific needs of an assignment.



+ May supervise or oversee the work of other TAS and/or student employees.











Minimum Qualifications:

Knowledge of administrative practices, policies, procedures, office equipment, and computer software typically obtained by a high school degree or GED or equivalent and a minimum of 3 years related experience.


An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience is acceptable.


Specific knowledge, certifications, and licensure will apply at the position level.



Preferred Qualifications:

Associate’s degree



Planning Unit: College of Arts & Sciences


Department: Arts and Sciences, Dean's Office


Applicants may contact this person if they have questions about this position: Joey Pierce, piercej@ohio.edu, 740-593-4565


Employment Type: full-time regular


Advertised Salary:

The starting salary range is $16.84 per hour up to $21.48 per hour, dependent on education and prior experience and is accompanied by our generous university benefits such as tuition for self and dependents, a comprehensive insurance package (including but not limited to health, prescription, vision, dental, and life insurance), an excellent retirement plan including company contributions, parental leave, adoption reimbursement, and more. OHIO is also proud to offer wellness programs, on-site wellness facilities, and a generous employee assistance program. Additional Information is available at: https://www.ohio.edu/hr/benefits/.