Assistant to Department Administrators

UW School of Medicine and Public Health; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 30,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, is seeking an Administrative Assistant III to provide high-level support to department leaders, including the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Director of Operations. This role reports to the Executive Assistant of the Chair and develops sound administrative procedures to ensure consistency and compliance.

The Assistant to Department Administrators will deliver exceptional customer service, manage

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of administrative support in office/academic settings.
• Proficiency with standard office software (Microsoft Office, email/calendar).
• Experience coordinating complex scheduling (meetings, travel, calendars).
• Experience planning and facilitating events.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains methods and systems for electronic/physical records per policies.
• Acts as primary contacts for individuals and groups via phone, in person, and other media.
• Schedules logistics and resources for meetings, conferences, travel, and unit operations.
• Participates in committees and process improvement initiatives.
• Distributes communications according to policies and procedures.
• Prepares and audits complex records, edits documents, and reviews work.
• Provides high level administrative support to department leaders.
• Manages security and confidentiality of records and files.
• Organizes travel, expenditures, and reimbursements.

Skills

Initiative & judgement

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma preferred

Associate's degree or coursework in business/healthcare administration preferred

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

University Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Administrative Assistant III

Job Summary

The Department of Medicine is seeking an Administrative Assistant III to provide support to the Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Director of Operations, and other department leaders. This position reports to the Executive Assistant of the Chair. This position is required to independently develop and maintain sound administrative procedures to ensure consistency and compliance in operations.

The Assistant to Department Administrators will demonstrate exceptional customer service by establishing and maintaining effective professional relationships within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), UW Health (UWH), William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital (VAH), and others. Communications will be at all levels, including Executive Leadership, Department Chairs and Division Heads, Department/Division Administrators, Physicians, UW faculty, residents, students, scientists (both research and clinical), staff, and other internal and external customers.

In this position the candidate will:

• Provide high level administrative support to department leaders.
• Manage logistics for meetings, conferences, and travel.
• Organize schedules for multiple leadership positions.
• Gather, compile, verify, and analyze information for use in various communications.
• Facilitate communications of varying complexity between internal and external stakeholders.
• Plan and execute events on and off campus.
• Provide back-up administrative support to the Chair.
• Organize, audit, and maintain the security and confidentiality of records and files.
• Arrange travel, manage expenditures and reimbursements.
• This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.
• Hours generally Monday through Friday 8:00a.m.- 4:30p.m. The work schedule has a small window for flexibility for start and end times.

Successful candidates should possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Strong initiative and sound judgement with the ability to solve problems independently and collaboratively.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, and maintains methods and organizational systems directed at the maintenance of electronic/physical records related to work operations according to established policies and procedures
• Serves as a primary point of contact for individuals and groups, provides organizational information via phone, in person, and through other communication mediums
• Schedules logistics and secures resources for meetings, conferences, travel, and work unit operations
• Participate in committees and process improvement initiatives
• Develops, sends, receives, copies, and distributes communications to the appropriate entities according to established policies and procedures
• Prepares and audits complex records, edits documents, and reviews work done by others

Department

School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine

Fueled by innovation yet grounded in kindness, the Department of Medicine empowers leaders to transform medicine and improve lives everywhere. We are committed to professional fulfillment and health equity. We strive to ensure that everyone in our department understands the importance of social impact and belonging—and is empowered to champion it in all they do. Join us and be a part of supporting our nationally recognized faculty, innovative medical education programs and exceptional clinical care as we work towards our vision of healthy people and healthy communities!

Compensation

The starting hourly wage for the position is $26.50 per hour; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage and SMPH University Staff Benefits Flyer 2026.

Required Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience providing administrative support in an office, healthcare, or academic setting
• At least 3 years with standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, email/calendar platforms)
• At least 3 year experience coordinating complex scheduling (e.g., meetings, travel, or calendar management)
• Experience planning and facilitating events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior administrative experience in a healthcare, academic medical center, or clinical department setting
• Experience with Workday or similar HR/administrative systems
• Experience supporting faculty, physicians, or other clinical/academic staff

Education

High School Diploma preferred

Associate's degree or coursework in business administration, healthcare administration, or related field preferred.

Contact Information

Kassie Hefty, [e-mail]

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.

University Sponsorship and Work Eligibility

University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.

The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.