Administrative Coordinator

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

Swarthmore's Engineering Department provides a strong technical education in concert with the College's outstanding liberal arts program. Small classes ensure that students work closely with faculty members throughout their time at Swarthmore. The curriculum includes a core program of engineering, science, and mathematics as well as a broad selection of elective courses to provide a flexible base of knowledge and technique. Within engineering, students may specialize in civil/environmental, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering, or develop a customized program by combining these fields with additional coursework in areas such as chemistry, biology, or computer science.

The professional practice of engineering requires creativity and confidence in applying scientific knowledge and mathematical methods to solve technical problems of ever-growing complexity. The pervasiveness of advanced technology within our economic and social infrastructures demands that engineers more fully recognize and take into account the potential economic and social consequences that may occur when significant and analytically well-defined technical issues are resolved. A responsibly educated engineer must not only be in confident command of current analytic and design techniques but also have a thorough understanding of social and economic influences and an abiding appreciation for cultural and humanistic traditions. Our program supports these needs by offering each engineering student the opportunity to acquire a broad yet individualized technical and liberal education.

The opportunity:

Reporting to the Department Chair, the Administrative Coordinator provides high level administrative support for the Engineering department. Tasks include supporting the chair in the day-to-day running of the department, communication with students, faculty, and others, budget management and preparation, management of purchasing and procurement for the department, providing supply and facilities coordination, maintenance of the website, keeping of the department calendar, as well as mail delivery support for the department. The AC will be asked to record and retain necessary documentation of departmental activities. In addition, the AC will be responsible for supporting the organization of materials for faculty reviews and searches; drafting and preparing confidential correspondence, and documents; and regularly interacting with outside callers and visitors as well as other top-level staff within the College. The hiring of student workers and the supervision of the department’s student worker will also be required.

Essential Responsibilities

Administrative Support (30%)

• Plans and organizes office support operations for the department, ensuring smooth and effective services and operations.
• Maintains, coordinates, and regularly updates effective hard copy and digital filing systems (Google Drive; Excel/Google Sheets) to ensure efficient access to relevant records and information, often including confidential files.
• Compiles information and data, summarizes information and creates graphs and reports using word processing and spreadsheet software (including Adobe and Microsoft Office Suite and Google suite applications).
• Performs routine clerical responsibilities, such as, but not limited to:
• Provides receptionist duties greeting all visitors. Answers phones and responds to inquiries and other requests for information in a timely manner.
• Photocopying, filing, printing, collating documents, distributing documents, faxing;
• Ordering supplies;
• Maintenance of office equipment;
• Coordinating and distributing incoming mail and preparing and sending outgoing mail and packages;
• Reporting maintenance issues/repairs, cleaning/housekeeping requests of classrooms and office spaces with Facilities Management.
• Composes correspondence on behalf of the Faculty Chair and other department members and edits and proofs materials for accuracy, using correct format, grammar, punctuation and spelling.

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