Department: WCAS Spanish & Portuguese
Salary/Grade: NEX/11

Job Summary:

The Graduate Program Assistant acts as the main point of contact for all graduate students in the Department's graduate program and works closely with the Business Administrator and the Director of Graduate Studies. The GPA enters and updates PhD funding, creates and maintains associated documents, spreadsheets, and databases, organizes meetings, special events, etc. and alerts supervisor of critical issues and upcoming events. The GPA coordinates administrative processes and prioritizes, directs, and responds to business matters associated with education, research, and/or operations, including financial matters.

This position is a full-time position at 40 hours per week and works on-site four days per week and one remotely during the academic quarters, with the opportunity for more remote work during the summer and breaks between quarters.

Specific Responsibilities:

Documents & Databases

• Independently responds to and composes correspondence.
• Creates and maintains standard spreadsheets and/or databases.
• Prepares queries, reports, statistics, tables, charts, etc. based on information compiled from various sources.
• Determines format, elements, trends, etc.

Website

• Maintains websites and/or blogs.
• Creates new web pages and/or updates standard information/data within the application's content management program.

Accounting

• Assists with appropriate expenses, purchases, and reimbursements per budget.
• Creates and maintains financial records.
• Prepares forms.
• Verifies appropriateness and accuracy of charges.
• Processes and reconciles expenses and accounting transfers.
• Updates financial transaction spreadsheets and databases.
• Generates summary reports and statistics.
• Processes routine payroll actions.
• Assists with maintaining accounting balances for grants/contracts.

Human Resources

• Initiates full range of HR actions such as new student dept orientation.
• Explains HR policies and procedures.

Coordinations

• Manages dept calendar for graduate program events.
• Coordinates travel arrangements.
• Organizes and coordinates events which may include creating timelines.
• Collects agenda items and background materials.
• Creates registrant profiles.
• Coordinates complex itineraries involving domestic and/or international travel, etc.
• Prepares annual event, conference and/or meeting budget.
• Verifies invoices and expense reports; and/or reconciles to budget.

Contacts

• Screens and prioritizes incoming calls.
• Responds to inquiries.
• Provides basic interpretation of policies and procedures.
• Researches information to resolve problems or issues.

Student Services

• Coordinates student recruitment & admissions process.
• Provides a variety of administrative support for student services such as recruitment; admissions; applications; curriculum; program evaluation.
• Recommends alternatives for course requirements.
• Reviews administrative processes and procedures regarding student services and recommends changes.

Supervision

• Coordinates work of receptionists, program assts, temporary/work-study students, secretaries, research/clerical assts, interns, etc.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or its equivalent along with 4 years of administrative support experience is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Intermediate knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and database software programs is required.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Excellent initiative and resourcefulness.
• Ability to meet deadlines while balancing multiple responsibilities and competing priorities.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships students, staff, and faculty

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or its equivalent along with 4 years of administrative support experience.
• Experience in a university environment.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Familiarity with NU systems; Smartsheet, CAESAR, GSTS, CollegeNet, CLSS, NUFinancials, myHR, and Cascade.

The target hiring range for this position will be between $40,319 - $56,700 per year, which is 19.31 - $27.16 per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

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