Administrative Assistant

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Administration and relevant faculty, this position provides complex administrative support to faculty members with active research and teaching programs in the Physics Department. The Swampland Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing high-level administrative and financial support to the Swampland Initiative. This position will be responsible for managing multiple events per year along with a robust visitors program, which is central to the operation and mission of the Swampland Initiative. The Swampland Initiative will invite 2-3 visitors per week for the entire academic year and will require extensive time managing logistics related to this travel.

Position Description

Administrative Support

• Provide high-level administrative support to very active/complex research group

• Arranges extensive and complicated international and local travel arrangements for 2-3 visitors per week during academic year

• Prepares schedules for visitors

• Schedules meetings/seminars, maintains detailed calendars, and keeps faculty/group websites up to date

• Oversees appointment process for research scholars, postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students; works with Research Scholar Coordinator to process appropriate visa requests and submits relevant paperwork

• Composes and edits correspondence for PI as required by their research and scholarly initiatives

• Helps assign workspace for group. Maintains office area, equipment, supplies, and files

Research Administration, Finance, and Purchasing

• Interprets, applies, and advises on department and University policies/procedures

• Works closely with Physics Research Admin team to support preparing, submitting, and managing sponsored research grants. Assists with proposal preparation, including funding for personnel groups, budget justifications, equipment quotes, and technical progress reports

• Creates, submits, and maintains all progress and final reports as they relate to sponsored funding

• Monitors budget including tracking expenditures and providing reports. May prepare spreadsheets for budgets, grants or contracts, including tracking and maintaining expenditures and reconciling accounts; uses budget tool. Prepares financial reports using on-line financial systems. May serve as approver for financial transactions representing the department

• Manage all local financial transactions, including reimbursements, PCard, and corporate card expenditures. Trains group members on proper usage of funds and creates reference materials to ensure compliance

• Processes expense reports and reimbursements, reconciles corporate card and PCard payments. Redirects and/or resolves billing problems and accounting errors internally and with outside vendors

• Orders and reviews group members? orders for supplies and equipment

• Serve as group?s financial approver for all purchasing requests within Harvard systems

• Performs audit function to assure accuracy and compliance with internal and external regulations

Website Management and Technical Support

• Generates, develops, and maintains faculty websites at the direction of the PI

• Composes and edits correspondence, prepares letters of recommendation, course materials, and scientific articles which may involve scientific terminology and mathematical technical typing and desktop publishing script languages in programs like LaTex, MATLab, and Mathematica

• Manages HUIT equipment and maintains records for computer refresh program

Document Administration

• Draft, edit, and submit a wide array of written material with minimal direction from the PI

• Ensure that publication listings are current and compliant with federal requirements

• Develop and maintain methods for organization of information including files, databases, and other systems as they pertain to the complicated nature of each research PI?s group

Events Management

• Coordinates site visits, handling all logistics from travel bookings and accommodations, catering orders, and itineraries for visitors

• Coordinates Postdoctoral Researcher interview visits, handling all logistics from travel bookings and accommodations, catering orders, and itineraries for visitors

• Organizes events for the research group, including weekly meetings, scientific advisory board meetings, and other events

• Manages, organizes, and executes all aspects of larger-scale meetings and conferences at the direction of the PI, including designing and promoting event collateral

• Manages all logistics of an annual international conference or event from identifying an appropriate venue, vendor management, event coordination, and all related logistics

• Provides administrative support for other projects at the direction of faculty