Administrative Specialist

The Administrative Specialist position is a key office support role which requires sophisticated skills and experience orchestrating logistical and operational support. The incumbent is responsible for a wide range of administrative and personal assistant tasks including conducting research, preparing statistical reports and spreadsheets, preparing correspondence, reports and presentations, handling information requests, planning conferences and meetings, providing purchasing and payroll support, fulfilling employment administration requirements, making travel arrangements, and maintaining calendars and schedules. 

The campus research office works closely with USF Research & Innovation (USFRI), and the Administrative Specialist facilitates communication and coordination with USFRI units. 

USFRI is charged with the central administration and oversight of the USF System research enterprise. USFRI promotes USF research; enhances economic development; provides services and assistance to facilitate faculty, staff, and student research efforts; ensures compliance with research-related laws, regulations, and policies of federal, state, sponsoring agencies and organizations, and the university; and provides for the protection and promotion of intellectual property generated by USF System employees. USFRI consists of seven departments: the Office of the Vice President, which includes central operations, Research Technologies and such programs as the Technology & Innovation Journal Editorial Office, and the Institute for Advanced Discovery & Innovation; Sponsored Research; Research Integrity & Compliance; Technology Transfer Office/Patents & Licensing; USF Research Foundation; Comparative Medicine; and the USF Technology Incubator.

Office of Research Support:

• Performs administrative and personal assistant tasks including conducting research, preparing statistical reports and spreadsheets, preparing correspondence, reports and presentations, handling information requests, planning conferences and meetings, providing purchasing and payroll support, fulfilling employment administration requirements, making travel arrangements, and maintaining calendars and schedules.
• Works collaboratively to support research development systems such as InfoReady and Atom Grants.
• Reconciles monthly/ department ledger for varied types of accounts such as E&G, auxiliary, carry forward, Foundation, concession as assigned.
• Performs office reception duties, including greeting faculty visiting the office, maintaining the office meeting area, restocking office supplies as needed and managing the office filing system.
• Maintains office directories and other faculty lists, e.g. areas of research strength, faculty honors/awards, faculty publications/citations data.
• Assists other administrative staff with overflow work, including word processing, data entry and research.

Research Advisory Board (RAB) Support:

• Provides administrative assistance for RAB members. Duties include scheduling meetings, reserving rooms, creating calendar invitations, attending meetings, preparing agendas and meeting documents, taking meeting minutes, updating and maintaining webpage content, sending mass emails, developing faculty surveys, assisting with voting processes, maintaining and editing governance documents and answering inquiries.
• Prepares, updates, and organizes letters and documents related to internal awards and workshop completion certification. 
• Supports internal award peer review process by preparing meeting materials, scheduling space, ordering refreshments and taking meeting minutes.

Research Programs Support:

• Identifies and communicates grant opportunities
• Assists with research events and workshops
• Assists with data gathering and reporting
• Manages and maintains Research website content
• Manages and supports database integrity and grant reporting

Minimum Qualifications: This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with at least four years of experience in an office or administrative support position. Additional education may not substitute this experience requirement.

Preferred Qualifications:  

1. Additional education and professional training in administrative support skills. 
2. Strong organizational and collaboration skills.
3. Interest in academic research, grant writing, and faculty success.
4. Experience with virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Teams, etc.)
5. Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud, Qualtrics, Excel, Asana, InfoReady and Canvas
6. Experience with designing flyers with digital visual graphics.
7. Experience conducting literature searches and using reference management software.

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check