APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

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POSITION SPECIFICS​

The Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) in the College of Engineering is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant to support departmental operations. This position plays a critical role in coordinating administrative activities across human resources, facilities, and financial functions while fostering engagement within departmental, college, and university communities. This position works with self-guidance and little oversight while solving, often complex and confidential issues independently.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Work cohesively and collaboratively with department and college faculty, staff, and administrators.

• Serve as the department parking chair.

• Complete the annual space survey in collaboration with the facilities coordinator.

• Monitor Penn State policy changes and updates, disseminate information to faculty/staff, and update department policy as needed. Implement and enforce policy changes as necessary.

• Submit job requisitions in Workday for non-tenure, full-time faculty positions. 

• May interview, train, and direct the work of Federal Work Study hires.

• Prepare various budget reports for the department head, the administrative manager, and the faculty.

• Prepare and analyze faculty accounts, including start-up, RIF, gift funds, chairs, and endowments.

• Assist with various grant management functions in collaboration with the administrative coordinator, department proposal and award generalist/college research team.

• Manage labor distributions.

• Monitor and approve financial documents and transactions in Penn State systems and act as a department initiator (SIMBA, WorkDay, WorkLion, SIMS, ServiceNow).

• Review, validate, and approve graduate stipend cost collectors and appointments.

• May perform non-routine and confidential administrative duties, as well as other duties as assigned by the head of the department and the administrative manager.

• Serve as a backup to the administrative manager when necessary

Familiarity of Penn State policies and procedures, along with experience in Microsoft O365 Suite (i.e. Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.), SIMBA, SIMS, and WorkL