Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Administrative Support

The Administrative Assistant supports the general administrative functions of a wide variety of academic or administrative units; including greeting/referring/assisting visitors, customers, or staff; preparing documents and reports; compiling records; scheduling meetings; organizing and maintaining information; coordinating calendars; analyzing data including budgetary expenditures; and providing general office support.

• Plan, organize, support, and coordinate daily office activities and administrative processes within an office or unit
• Greet visitors and provide information; review, respond to, and direct inquiries
• Provide support for scheduling, personal calendars, and travel arrangements
• Coordinate meeting logistics including scheduling, material preparation, and agendas
• Compose, review, and distribute internal and external communications
• Collect, organize, research, and analyze information and data to prepare reports, presentations, summaries, contracts, and proposals
• Create and maintain files and databases
• Monitor and maintain budget, process financial transactions, track expenditures, process budget revisions, and assist with budget preparation and projections
• Maintain inventory and order office supplies; arrange for equipment maintenance; process work orders for facilities needs
• Resolve inquiries and ensure compliance with work unit and/or University policies and procedures
• Support and coordinate special events; reserve spaces, develop itineraries, prepare materials, coordinate work between teams, and serve as point of contact with vendors
• May perform non-routine and confidential administrative duties, and proxy responsibilities as authorized
• May coordinate work assignments of department/unit support employees to ensure efficient work flow and processes
• May interview, train, and direct the work of other support staff, students, and wage payroll personnel

Level:

– Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates appropriate knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. Demonstrates baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Reviews completed work of others to verify accuracy and quality. Follows recommended approaches to assigned work. Supervises assigned staff and coordinates routine work activities. Monitors employee interactions and facilitates a productive working environment. Communicates instructions and policies in a consistent, effective and timely manner. Identifies and addresses concerns appropriately. Makes recommendations for possible solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Support track, performs work at Senior Support level or higher; for Professional track, performs work at the Advanced Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– May monitor/track budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems with progressively more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows standard operating procedures to resolve problems
– May apply specialized knowledge and skills to resolve complex and/or varied problems
– Applies proven and tries new approaches when solving problems

Independence of Action:

– Works with minimal supervision on difficult work assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters
– Follows precedents and procedures
– Organizes work of direct reports and may set priorities within general guidelines established by manager
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and conformance to required procedures and special instructions

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly and accurately both verbally and in written materials

• Comp Grade – 7
• Minimum – $46,400.00
• MidPoint – $56,800.00
• Maximum – $67,300.00