Administrative Coordinator, Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development - UTK

This position is part of the Shared Administrative Services (SAS) team in the Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development (ORIED), at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT), which is organized under Research Finance & Administration (RFA). The work of administrative coordinators is performed within established guidelines under the general supervision of the Senior Business Manager.  SAS provides executive-level administrative support to members of the ORIED leadership team. This support includes administrative services as well as event planning and execution. Each administrative coordinator is assigned to provide this support to multiple individuals in ORIED leadership positions, using a workflow model based around core services and overflow assignments. Because SAS takes a shared approach to managing administrative and event work, the team has the flexibility to refocus support to respond to current and emerging work needs and priorities across the ORIED leadership team. SAS administrative coordinators operate in a dynamic environment and are committed to supporting the workload of the entire team in a positive, equitable, and flexible manner. Work for this position is performed in person and is based in Andy Holt Tower. 

 Administrative support: Each SAS administrative coordinator provides support to multiple individuals in ORIED leadership positions for the following: 

• Executive support: Includes calendar/time management, scheduling meetings for multiple executives on ORIED's leadership team, with high-level attendees (e.g., deans, chancellor, legislators, CEOs, etc.), communicating with attendees about the purpose and goal of meetings, updating and monitoring schedules, prioritizing between meeting requests, following up to ensure timely responses, and similar functions.
• Meeting support: Work with ORIED leadership team members to plan, coordinate, and manage logistics of meetings, including internal meetings for staff within another ORIED division or team, meetings with a focus on UT faculty, staff, and students, and meetings for external audiences, such as interviews and advisory, community, or industry groups. meetings may be small (2-5 people) to large (50+), and in person or virtual. Meeting management may include recurring, division-wide meetings. Meetings may take place virtually, in person at various locations across campus, or offsite. For in-person meetings, manage administrative details including catering orders, room reservations, parking arrangements, technology set-up and troubleshooting, set-up and take-down, and similar functions. Meetings are often high-profile (e.g., with deans, chancellor, legislators, CEOs, etc.) with sensitive handling required.
• Travel support: Includes planning and scheduling, completing registrations and reservations, processing travel reports for reimbursement, ensuring travelers have received all essential details, and similar functions.
• Communication support: Includes initiating and drafting correspondence on behalf of the executive (at times communicating on behalf of the executive), obtaining information from multiple sources needed to provide context and guidance to meeting attendees, delivering promised or scheduled information on time, serving as a point of contact for attendee questions and responding in a timely manner, providing guidance and direction to visitors, preparing agendas and itineraries, drafting memos and letters, submitting requests for interviews, and other correspondence for distribution.
• Team support: Coordinate shared administrative work that supports the entire office, including database entry, report updates, shared resource management, and similar functions.
• Office support: Liaise with other members of the RFA team to complete basic office functions, such as preparing budgets for AVC impact areas, tracking integrated accounts at the AVC level, managing contracts for functional areas on a macro-level, ordering supplies and promotional items, managing human resource issues, reviewing charges to stay within project budget targets, and similar functions.

Event Planning and Execution: Each SAS administrative coordinator provides support to multiple individuals in ORIED leadership positions for the following. Many assignments in this space may include providing overflow support for events coordinated by other administrative support personnel serving the leadership team. Events are often high-profile (e.g., with deans, chancellor, legislators, CEOs, etc.) with sensitive handling required.

• Work with ORIED leadership team members to plan, coordinate, and manage logistics of events, including internal events for staff within another ORIED division or team, events with a focus on UT faculty, staff, and students, and events for external audiences, such as advisory, community, or industry groups. Events may be small (10-15 people) to large (50+), and in person or virtual.
• Includes identifying and reserving event venues and meeting spaces; coordinating catering or restaurant reservations; organizing campus tours; securing transportation and/or parking; providing directions to meeting locations; proactively identifying and coordinating audiovisual needs and technical support; and keeping event expenses within budget.
• Provide on-site, day of event/meeting management and assistance..

Team improvement: Each member of SAS is expected to be an active participant in meeting team objectives and goals, and improving work outcomes. 

Under the general supervision of the Senior Business Manager, administrative coordinators analyze information and interpret situations to determine how to solve a problem or complete an assignment effectively, and share these solutions and best practices with other members of the team. They also make recommendations to the team lead to create and change office-level procedures. 

Other Duties As Assigned:

•  Includes (but is not limited to) temporarily assuming additional administrative duties (especially scheduling and time management needs) in the event of a job vacancy on the team, until the position can be filled. 

Required Qualifications

• Education: High School diploma or GED
• Experience: 
• All of the following: High school diploma or equivalent; five years of experience as an administrative assistant in an office environment; any level of event planning experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
• Exceptional customer service approach to all interactions with UT faculty, staff, and executives, as well as external guests;
• Commitment to supporting the workload of the entire team in a positive, equitable, and flexible manner;
• Strong personal initiative to proactively manage assigned tasks and meet deadlines under  minimal supervision;
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize assignments; 
• Professional writing and proofreading skills;
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office software suite, especially Outlook;
• Professional integrity, including a thorough understanding of confidentiality.
• All of the following: High school diploma or equivalent; five years of experience as an administrative assistant in an office environment; any level of event planning experience.
• Exceptional customer service approach to all interactions with UT faculty, staff, and executives, as well as external guests;
• Commitment to supporting the workload of the entire team in a positive, equitable, and flexible manner;
• Strong personal initiative to proactively manage assigned tasks and meet deadlines under  minimal supervision;
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize assignments; 
• Professional writing and proofreading skills;
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office software suite, especially Outlook;
• Professional integrity, including a thorough understanding of confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: 
• Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree
• Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential
• Experience: 
• All of the following: High school diploma or equivalent; five years of experience as an administrative assistant in an office environment; any level of event planning experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Experience with software programs and tools used at UT or in other academic institutions, such as IRIS/Oracle, Cayuse/Huron, Concur Travel, 25Live, Taleo, etc.
• Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree
• Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential
• All of the following: High school diploma or equivalent; five years of experience as an administrative assistant in an office environment; any level of event planning experience.
• Experience with software programs and tools used at UT or in other academic institutions, such as IRIS/Oracle, Cayuse/Huron, Concur Travel, 25Live, Taleo, etc.

Work Location

• Location:  Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation And Benefits

• UT market range:  06
• Anticipated hiring range: 06
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. 

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service. 
UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 
The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.  
UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone. 
The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.  
Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!