Assistant to Chair

C001 New Jersey Institute of Technology; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 66,000 - 122,000; Full time

Job summary

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark seeks an Assistant to the Chair in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. The role provides administrative support to the chair, manages the department’s budget, and coordinates with faculty on annual reviews and hiring cycles.

Responsibilities include budgeting and reporting, grant management liaison, assisting with promotion and tenure processes, and organizing conferences and departmental communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• Five years of experience in higher education administration or similar environment.
• Strong problem solving and time management; excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Manages the department budget and prepares accessible budget reports.
• Assists faculty with grant management and communicates with central offices for requests.
• Coordinates promotion, tenure, and annual assessment cycles with department leadership.
• Assists with doctoral student databases, admissions history, and related records.
• Supports departmental events such as conferences, workshops, and publications.

Skills

Time management

Problem solving

Interpersonal communication

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office Suite

Workday

Job description

Are you a current NJIT employee?

Title: Assistant to Chair

Department: Mathematical Sciences

Reports To: Chair

Position Summary:

Reports directly to the Chairperson. Manages the department’s operating budget, oversees its discretionary spending, and supports faculty with externally sponsored research budgets in collaboration with NJIT’s central offices. Provides dedicated administrative assistance to the chair, department leadership, and faculty in annual meetings, assessments, and overlapping cycles of promotion, tenure, and hiring. Supports fellow staff members in the office with a focus on sustaining a dynamic work environment.

Essential Functions:

• Manages daily financial operations for the department under the direction of the chairperson and responsible for the creation and maintenance of accessible budgetary reports
• Assists faculty members with grant management and spending, liaising with the appropriate offices to relay inquiries or facilitate requests on behalf of principal investigators
• Identifies available sources of funding for doctoral students and initiates all award nominations on behalf of the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and faculty advisors, acting as point of contact for doctoral students with questions or concerns related to their financial awards
• Facilitates cycles of promotion, tenure, and annual assessment of faculty and University Lecturers in coordination with department leadership, often handling confidential materials and acting as point of contact for communications outside of NJIT
• Assists the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies by maintaining databases for doctoral student support, program progression, and admission history
• Assists search committees by liaising with HR, navigating NJIT's online HCM applications, and soliciting, collecting, and maintaining application materials such as letters of recommendation throughout the hiring process
• Coordinates special department activities, including the annual math conference, workshops, and other similar functions including preparing materials as needed for these activities (webpages, books of abstracts, conference proceedings, etc.)
• Provides standard administrative assistance to the chair, carrying out duties such as scheduling, communications, and plotting departmental business in coordination with office staff to meet both academic and fiscal deadlines
• Provides oversight of the web pages of the department. Assists with the publication of the annual report of the Center for Applied Mathematics and Statistics.

Pre-Requisite Qualifications:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
• Experience: A minimum of five years of experience in higher education administration or similar work environment.
• Knowledge: Demonstrated problem-solving and time management skills. Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, and interpersonal communication, both verbally and in writing. Knowledge of NJIT’s Workday system is highly desirable. At the university's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be exempted where the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the university an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Union:

Professional Staff Association (PSA)

Range: Professional Staff -24 Compensation: $65,522.00 - $122,474.00

FLSA:

Exempt

Time Type:

Full time

Pay Rate:

Salary

Additional Information:

As an EEO employer NJIT is committed to building a diverse and inclusive teaching, research, and working environment and strongly encourages applications from individuals with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women. Employment at NJIT is subject to the provisions of New Jersey First Act which mandates new employees, who are not NJ residents, to establish primary residence in New Jersey within one year of their appointment to certain positions. The law does not apply to any individual employed at NJIT on a temporary or per semester basis as a visiting or adjunct professor, teacher, lecturer, researcher or administrator. For more information on the act please click here. If special accommodations are needed in applying for a position, please visit the Department of Human Resources located in Fenster Hall, 5th Floor, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102 or call [phone]. If you have questions, please email the Human Resources Department at [e-mail]. Information regarding NJIT campus security, personal safety, and fire safety including topics such as, disciplinary procedures, crime prevention, NJIT Police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, and crime statistics for the most recent three year period is available on the NJIT Department of Public Safety here. NJIT is an E-Verify employer and uses E-Verify to confirm work authorization of each new hire.

When you work at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), you become part of a dynamic and innovative community dedicated to advancing education, research, and technological excellence. Recognized as New Jersey’s premier public polytechnic university, NJIT serves a diverse population of over 12,000 students across six colleges and schools, offering a forward-thinking academic environment in the heart of Newark, just minutes from New York City. At NJIT, we are committed to fostering a workplace culture rooted in inclusion, collaboration, and excellence. Employees are empowered to grow professionally, contribute to meaningful work, and support a mission that shapes the future of technology, education, and research.

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