Administrative Associate (Biological Sciences)

Florida State University; Tallahassee (FL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida State University is seeking an Administrative Associate in the Department of Biological Science. The role serves as the face of the department, supports the Chair, and acts as the HR Transactional Rep and Time & Leave Rep for faculty employees.

Responsibilities include front-office operations, calendar management, recruitment logistics, and coordinating events. A high school diploma with three years of experience is required, with post-secondary substitutions allowed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent with three years of experience.
• Post high-school education and/or experience may substitute at a comparable rate.
• Front-office and administrative support experience is important.

Responsibilities

• Open the front office daily, greet visitors, screen calls, and direct inquiries.
• Manage Chair’s calendar, schedule meetings, and liaise between Chair, faculty, and students.
• Handle faculty communications and maintain documents for the Chair.
• Process department mail, packages, and delivery services; assist meetings and distribute minutes.
• Assist with faculty recruitment logistics and campus visits; coordinate with the Dean’s Office for meetings.
• Coordinate departmental events (Awards, receptions, lectures), arrange catering and spaces.
• Serve as HR Transactional and Time & Leave Rep for faculty, processing actions and maintaining files.

Skills

Organizational skills

Calendar management

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Front office experience

Reliability

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Department

Department of Biological Science | College of Arts and Sciences

Responsibilities

Serving as the “face of the department”, the Administrative Associate performs administrative functions for the department, serves as the assistant to the Department Chair, and serves as the HR Transactional Rep and Time and Leave Rep for faculty employees.

Typical workload will include:

Providing administrative support to the Chair and department.

• Opening the front office daily, greeting visitors, managing walk-in inquiries, and screening main office calls. Directing students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the appropriate offices.
• Managing the Chair’s calendar, scheduling meetings, and acting as a liaison between the Chair, faculty and students. Scheduling common-use rooms for department and maintaining the online calendar for all faculty travel.
• Handling faculty communications, as directed.
• Updating, tracking, and maintaining documents for the Chair.
• Processing, receiving and distributing department packages, postal mail, Library Express Delivery Service (LEDS) books, etc.
• Assisting the Chair in department meetings, distributing minutes, maintaining record of all meetings.
• Assisting the Chair and hiring committee chairs with faculty recruitment by organizing schedules/agenda for campus visits and contacting the Dean’s Office to schedule meetings.
• Coordinating all departmental events including Annual Awards Ceremony, scholarship receptions, and special lecture series. This includes arranging catering services, booking event spaces, coordinating with Facilities and Maintenance, etc. to ensure that all required service(s) and space(s) have been properly set-up and reserved.

Assisting the Chair with faculty relations and reporting activities to include Assignments of Responsibility (AORs), FACET reporting, Promotion & Tenure (P&T), Annual Evaluations, Post Tenure Review, and Instructor Credentialing.

• Generating and updating AOR forms.
• Certifying FACET reports, based on AORs, to ensure compliance.
• Acting as liaison between department and Faculty Development and Advancement (FDA) to oversee the P&T processes and timelines.
• Serving as FEAS and P&T delegate, assisting with faculty binder compilation and submission in conjunction with Dean's office. Assembling files for the Faculty Evaluation Committee and working with Chair on completion of all faculty evaluations. Compiling and submitting all supporting documentation to Dean’s Office as necessary.
• Collecting data for specialized faculty promotions and Evidence of Performance (EOP) reports, and Post Tenure Review Process.
• Serving as the department delegate for Instructor Credentialing System process.
• Organizing meetings for various faculty committees.
• Coordinating with the faculty to determine a representative each semester for commencement.

Serving as the HR Transactional and Time and Leave Representative for faculty employees.

• Processing all Faculty personnel actions, including recruiting, hiring, job opening packets, reappointments, courtesy appointments, terminations, leave of absence, and sabbaticals and any associated paperwork.
• Tracking, monitoring, and following up with HR transactions until completion.
• Maintaining department personnel files for faculty employees.
• Maintaining department tracking spreadsheets to ensure HR and payroll information is accurate and up to date for faculty employees of department.
• Processing I-9s and entering Compliance Screening for faculty.
• Acting as liaison with Center for Global Engagement involving visa documents and appointments, coordinating with external legal counsel and FSU as required to ensure timely and accurate processing of applications/paperwork for international faculty employees.
• Monitoring active appointment reports and payroll cost center reports on a bi-weekly basis and investigating any discrepancies for all faculty employee types.

Qualifications

A high school diploma or equivalent and three years of experience. (Note: post high-school education and/or experience may substitute at a comparable rate.)

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess a combination of the following preferred skills, experience, and professional attributes:

• Dedication to team support and departmental service; is energized by being the central “go‑to” resource and creating a warm, organized environment for visitors, faculty, and students.
• Demonstrated track record of dependability, punctuality, and consistent daily attendance to ensure reliable morning opening operations and maintain a welcoming front-office presence.
• Strong self-starter with a proven ability to anticipate needs in advance, exercise sound judgment, and contribute to the resolution of routine administrative matters.
• Excellent organizational skills, including active note taking, record-keeping, and calendar management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively, professionally and collaboratively.
• Clear, proactive verbal and written communication skills.

University Information

One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Founded in 1851, Florida State University is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. FSU is a community steeped in tradition that fosters research and encourages creativity. At FSU, there’s the excitement of being part of a vibrant academic and professional community, surrounded by people whose ideas are shaping tomorrow’s news!

Learn more about Florida State University and our campuses.

Anticipated Salary Range

Anticipated starting salary for the position is in the mid $30,000's.

FSU Total Rewards

FSU offers a robust Total Rewards package. Visit our FSU Total Rewards website to learn more about our Compensation, Benefits, Wellness, Recognition, and Employee Development programs.

Use our FSU Total Compensation Calculator to calculate Total Compensation options based on potential salary, benefits and retirement contributions, earned leave, and other employment-related perks.

Considerations

This is an USPS (University Support Personnel System) position.

This position requires successful completion of a criminal history background check.

Veterans' Preference

Certain service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, Certain service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for post secondary educational requirements, in employment by the state and its political subdivisions and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled. Veterans' Preference applies to University Support Personnel System (USPS) positions only.

Equal Employment Opportunity

FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.