University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Administrative and Communications Coordinator
Job Profile Title
Administrative Coordinator
Job Description Summary
The Administrative and Communications Coordinator is responsible for completing the day-to-day operations of the office, working closely with the Assistant Director of Administration. Their primary duties are administrative and financial; as such they are responsible for purchasing supplies, aiding in Concur reimbursements, payment to guest lecturers, processing weekly purchasing card journals, and keeping the budget in check. They organize all travel for all members of the department; including student studio trips, grant and faculty research, as well as guest lecturers. They are responsible for communicating and enforcing financial policies across these payment platforms. They assist in planning and day-of logistics for events such as Summer Institute, Open House, lectures, reviews, and symposia. They will schedule faculty/student appointments. In addition, they maintain internal department physical and digital archives/files and manage departmental alumni and professional databases/lists. The employee acts as the public face of the department, fielding cold calls and is the first person you see when you walk into the office. They must maintain a welcoming, efficient reception area, respond to inquiries about the program by answering the phone/email, greet visitors and prospective students, and perform general fax, copying, scanning, mail and filing tasks.
Working closely with the Chair, the Administrative and Communications Coordinator plans, strategizes and executes all public facing department messaging, maximizes content across all channels: they write emails, original feature articles, take pictures, design our bi-annual printed department publication, "Prospectus" and manage the Instagram/LinkedIn accounts. They supervise the communications student worker(s). Content ranges from short blog posts to original long form reporting on department news, faculty research, student spotlights, alumni updates, event promotion, and more. The employee is responsible for keeping the website up to date, collecting new information to post, and sharing content with the communications office. They also gather internal department updates monthly to be reported to the Chair and Dean.
Job Description
Job Responsibilities
Provides varied and complex administrative coordination to support daily operations
Facilitate meeting scheduling: coordinate scheduling of large groups, cross departmental/divisional meetings for multiple initiatives
Assists with making travel arrangements and producing expense reports
Assists with the coordination and planning of various department events
May assist with weekly payroll preparation and processing, equipment contracts/repairs, facilities requests, office supply maintenance, service contracts
As needed, create purchasing orders, troubleshooting and following up on purchasing requests
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree, and 1 to 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. 3 to 5 years of experience is preferred.
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bachelor's degree required with 1 to 2 years' administrative experience in a higher education institution or equivalent combination of education and experience required; must be able to work independently; excellent analytical and organizational skills with the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines required; experience in managing budgets; must be detail-oriented and sensitive to handling confidential material; must have excellent communication, and interpersonal skills; computer proficiency (Windows, Word, Excel); web skills (Drupal) and design (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign) a plus. Knowledge of Ben Financial and TEM Concur desired.
Department / School
School of Design
Pay Range
$21.15 - $28.00 Hourly Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.
Equal Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics) , citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law .
Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits
Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay
The University of Pennsylvania's special character is reflected in the wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community and help create an educational and working environment that best supports the University's commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
