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Administrative Specialist, Mechanical Engineering
University of DelawareUnited Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 20 Aug 2026
About the role
Pay Grade 29E
Context of Job:
Under the limited direction of the Mechanical Engineering Business Administrator, the Department Chair, and Senior Design Faculty, the Administrative Specialist is responsible for the administration of the Mechanical Engineering capstone MEEG401 and MEEG402 Senior Design courses and selected related events, the ME Alumni Committee and events, administration of the CBER NSF REU program, member of the Mechanical Engineering Publicity Committee, and support of varied Mechanical Engineering events.
The Administrative Specialist serves as the first line response for these programs providing quality customer service to a variety of stakeholders and ensuring general support using in-depth knowledge of University policies. The position interacts with faculty, students, College and University administrators, industry program sponsors, vendors, other educational institutions, alumni and government agencies as necessary to exchange information and/or solve problems and other issues. The Administrative Specialist uses initiative, independent judgment and decision-making skills in carrying out the essential functions of the position.
The Administrative Specialist serves as the first line response for these programs providing quality customer service to a variety of stakeholders and ensuring general support using in-depth knowledge of University policies. The position interacts with faculty, students, College and University administrators, industry program sponsors, vendors, other educational institutions, alumni and government agencies as necessary to exchange information and/or solve problems and other issues. The Administrative Specialist uses initiative, independent judgment and decision-making skills in carrying out the essential functions of the position.
Major Responsibilities:
Program Management: Senior Design (MEEG401 & MEEG402)
- Manages and supports the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design program under the direction of the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Faculty and Mechanical Engineering Business Administrator.
- Has a working relationship with the Associate Dean for Corporate Engagement with regards to the Mechanical Engineering team projects.
- Main contact for Mechanical Engineering Senior Design teams. Provides communications to Mechanical Engineering Department Senior Design student teams and their faculty advisors regarding purchasing, individual project/budget expenses, and general department correspondence.
- Coordinates and plans Mechanical Engineering Department Senior Design events including Practice Mid-Terms and Mid-Term Review. Responsible for those event’s logistics, websites, agendas, and invitations to department faculty, students, panelists, and review judges.
- Recruits and schedules Mechanical Engineering faculty, industry, and Mechanical Engineering alumni to serve as panelists and review judges for all Mechanical Engineering Department Senior Design team events.
- Creates Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Teams Sponsor list that include team number, project title, sponsor, faculty advisor, sponsor primary contact(s) name and sponsor email address.
- Creates list of Mechanical Engineering Department Senior Design Teams including team number, student’s first and last name, student email address, advisor, student UD ID number, and department of their major.
- Responsible for providing instructions for student teams needing to use UD Motor Pool vehicles to visit sponsors. Provides Motor Pool request forms and completes Motor Pool request webform to schedule Motor Pool vehicle for trips.
- Works with COE Procurement to register one student from each Mechanical Engineering Senior Design team to be the Purchasing Agent for their team in UD Exchange. Provides documentation and instructions for making purchases through UD Exchange and through the department for items that cannot be purchased in UD Exchange. The Purchasing Agent will access a Google form for making purchase outside of UD Exchange. This position is responsible for the yearly updated Google form for these purchases. This position will create the Purchasing Agent list each Senior Design year so department staff are aware of the Purchasing Agent information.
- Works directly with team Purchasing Agents to explain and review purchasing procedures with the students so they are on track with processes, approvals and budgets to make project purchases.
- Facilitates purchasing project materials with student teams and ME Administrative Assistant IV. Responsible to work with Mechanical Engineering staff to make purchases from the Google form for teams in a timely manner to ensure on-time project completion. Follows up with Department Business Administrator to be sure UD Exchange purchase requests are approved.
- Updates and monitors student team budgets to prevent overspending and ensure proper purchasing approvals..
- Handles returning project purchases and shipping costs through UD Campus Delivery. Also handles shipping completed projects to sponsor through UD Campus Delivery.
- Works with sponsors that wish to continue project with Mechanical Engineering team members into the Spring semester through Independent Study Courses. Responsible for continued project material purchases, Motor Pool t
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