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The Administrative Associate to the Chair position reports to the Chair of the Writing, Literature and Publishing department and will aid the Chair, Associate Chair, Program Coordinator, and Program Directors and faculty with the administration of the department. In addition, this position will often serve as the liaison for communication to and from other campus departments and entities outside the college. This is an important role that requires accuracy, attention to detail, and the capacity to retain large volumes of information and disseminate as appropriate.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Support communications and messaging to all departmental members (faculty, staff, and students) Send weekly newsworthy items and events to News Emerson.
• Manage departmental databases & records such as syllabi/CVs/office hours and undergraduate thesis submission
• Manage departmental budget (including Operating Expenses, Faculty Development Funds, Student Employment, Donor Fund, and Redivider Journal); manage all financial processes including departmental purchases and external payments (i.e. consultant, honorarium, and student award payments); assist in approving Faculty Development Fund reimbursements; create budget projections; run Workday financial reports for Chair, Dean and Provost
• Coordinate logistics for departmental meetings, WLP Series events, and annual student writing awards, including reserving spaces or setting up/hosting Zoom and in-person events, catering, booking travel/lodging, coordinating with Media Services, and working with budget and operations director to arrange travel.
• Support travel, meetings, and other needs for Faculty Searches: welcoming candidates after the Search Committee has invited them to campus, arranging their hotel and travel, securing their meetings with stakeholders, recording & disseminating candidate presentations to faculty, and collecting response data for the Search Committee.
• Calendar Management for Department Chair and for outward-facing department calendars (for faculty and students) Add all WLP sponsored events to the Emerson Today calendar.
• Support office environment, including ordering office supplies and coordinating annual Tech Refresh/departmental equipment maintenance with IT & Print/Copy
• Train faculty on new procedures: sharing instructions generated by I.T, Finance, or other offices, or creating WLP-specific instructions for faculty or students. Meeting one-on-one in person or online to help faculty transition to new processes like WorkDay for finance or Concur for travel.
• On-board new faculty: connect with Facilities to assist newly hired faculty moving into new offices, assign cubicle space each semester. (help current faculty move between offices), work with I.T. and new faculty to order equipment that suits their teaching needs, and act as a primary point of contact for helping faculty acclimate to Boston and Emerson.
• Work with School of Arts Associate Dean to promote WLP Series events to alumni and identify opportunities to increase alumni engagement
• Hire, schedule, and supervise a team of over 20 grad and undergrad student employees, research assistants, and teaching assistants, who provide assistance to faculty, staff, and visitors.
• Promote team events on faculty and student calendars via email reminders (2 weeks before the event, 1 week, 1 day before)
• Run all social media communications for Emerson WLP, WLP Town Crier Facebook account, and Manage WLP Twitter account: tweet upcoming faculty/student/alumni events, tweet news, use Hootsuite to schedule tweets, research ways to expand twitter influence, research who to follow, retweet news from faculty/students/alumni, connect with upcoming guests and visitors
• Assist with projects. Work with Chair on special projects, including data gathering, analysis, design, and presentation. Other duties as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS – Qualifications are deemed required or preferred and represent what is needed to effectively perform job.

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• 3-5 years of previous relevant experience required, including experience working with financial systems
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask, prioritize, manage stressful situations, and handle confidential matters
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including good listening skills
• Ability to sensitively/patiently handle upset faculty, students and/or parents
• Detail-oriented with excellent follow-through
• Experienced with Word and Excel; familiar with or able to learn additional computer software (database programs, design software, calendar/scheduling programs, email programs, etc.)
• Two or more years of office/administrative experience, which may include supporting staff, office management, and/or customer service.
• Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES – May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills, and abilities commonly associated with the job.

• Understanding of basic accounting principles and practices
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Excel
• Proficiency in using computer software and the ability to learn new software easily
• Good organizational skills
• Strong customer service skills
• Self-starter with excellent interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills
• Ability to handle stressful situations in a courteous and professional manner
• Ability to work with diverse populations

PHYSICAL ABILITIES – Activities commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• This position is generally sedentary in nature, movement throughout the area is required from time to time.
• Ability to have continuous oral and written communication with co-workers and supervisors is essential.
• Repetitive movements, occasional lifting of up to 10 pounds, reaching, lifting, stooping and the ability to read a computer screen, detect color-coding and read fine print will be expected.

WORK ENVIRONMENT – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• General office conditions. Exposed to moderate noise levels

COMPENSATION

Starting salary for this position will be between $ 19.54 - $ 22.96 hourly, commensurate with experience.

This position is primarily a hybrid role with mandatory days in the office as needed. The hybrid arrangement will be made upon hire. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the Boston campus in order to ensure operational effectiveness.

Grade of Position: S-23-04NE

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

This position will be exclusively represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 888 for purposes of wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.

Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.