Executive Office and Administrative Specialist

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Generous time off

Tuition assistance

Low-cost medical plan

Healthcare and dependent care FSA

Job summary

The Executive Office and Administrative Specialist at the University of Minnesota’s Department of English leads the department office operations, supervises student assistants, and coordinates events and communications. You will handle front-desk duties, facilities coordination, and intranet updates while supporting faculty searches and annual reviews.

Required is strong MS Office and Google Workspace proficiency, plus at least four years of related experience.

Qualifications

• High school diploma/GED and four years of related office and administrative experience
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Google Workspace applications
• Customer service or student services experience

Responsibilities

• Oversee front-end operations at the department’s main reception desk and manage inquiries
• Hire, train, and supervise 2–3 undergraduate student office assistants
• Maintain mail/supply room and manage mail, packages, and copy machines
• Serve as Department Facilities Representative and coordinate access and building emergencies
• Facilitate purchasing and UMarket orders for department constituents
• Update department web pages and intranet resources; back up graduate program pages
• Troubleshoot technical issues including printing, software, and hardware
• Coordinate events with the Communications Specialist and manage room reservations and logistics
• Monitor donor reports and maintain templates for thank-you letters
• Support Faculty searches and tenure/promotion processes as requested
• Schedule meetings for department leadership and committees

Skills

Office experience

MS Office

Google Workspace

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CCS (Collaborative Class Scheduling)

Coursedog

Job description

About the Job

Bargaining unit consideration begins on 10/1/26 and ends on 10/8/26.

The Department of English seeks an Executive Office and Administrative Specialist to work in the main department office. The person in this role oversees the many and varied operations of the department office and supervises the student office assistants who work at the reception desk. Duties include office management and operations; instructional and student services; technology and equipment; events, and facilities.

Job Responsibilities

Administrative and Operations Support (60%)

• Oversee the front-end operations of the English Department's main reception desk. Ensure that visitors are greeted and assisted, department phones and emails answered, and advising appointments are scheduled.
• Hire, train, supervise and direct work of 2-3 undergraduate student office assistants.
• Maintain department mail/supply room: order supplies; manage incoming and outgoing mail; manage two multi-function copy machines; work with Addressing & Mailing to send large packages and international shipments.
• Serve as the Department Facilities Representative (DFR). Order keys and submit UCard access requests; serve as a department contact for lockouts, deliveries, installations, building emergencies; submit and monitor project requests with Facilities Management; ensure that exterior doors are unlocked for public events.
• Facilitate purchasing and UMarket orders for all department constituents.
• Maintain and update department public web pages and profiles. Maintain and update classroom resources on department intranet and manage intranet access. Back up GPCs in maintaining web pages for graduate programs as needed.
• Triage technical support questions including: printing or copier issues, software installations, problems with outdated hardware, etc.
• Assist the Communications Specialist in coordinating events: manage room reservation requests; provide clients with the correct forms; procure proof of insurance and timely payment of fees; set up spaces for events and reset afterwards.
• Monitor weekly donation report, prepare donor thank you letters for Chair, maintain archive of letter templates.
• Staff Advisory Board meetings. Maintain contact information for Advisory Board members and board files
• Assist department administrator with tenure-track faculty searches and promotion and tenure cases as requested
• Schedule meetings for department leadership and committees as requested

Course Scheduling and Instructional Services 30%

• In consultation with the Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction, enter, monitor and maintain course information in CCS (Collaborative Class Scheduling) system and Coursedog
• Maintain student wait lists and independently resolve course-related issues, including consultation with instructors and students regarding course-related registration requests
• Schedule departmental classrooms and respond to instructor requests about classroom problems; resolve issues with instructors and the Office of Classroom Management
• Assign instructor office space; ensure new employees receive their keys and are introduced to the building and its spaces and resources
• Coordinate administrative details for the annual review of P&A instructional staff: send correspondence, collect and organize review materials and schedule review meetings
• Train student office assistants to collect and maintain archive of department course syllabi

Other duties as assigned 10%

• Assist department administrator, chair and committees with special projects and assignments as directed

Qualifications

All required qualifications must be demonstrated clearly in application materials.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma/GED and four (4) years of related office and administrative experience. Training/Education may be substituted for some years of the experience
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and Google Workspace applications
• Customer service or student services experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Experience working at the University of Minnesota or other higher education institution
• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills
• Proven organizational, time management, problem-solving and prioritization skills
• Demonstrated attention to detail
• High-level proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel) and Google Workspace (Email, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms)
• Experience with CCS (Collaborative Class Scheduling) and Coursedog (U of MN curriculum software and systems)
• Supervisory experience
• Experience updating websites
• Experience with purchasing such as managing a Pcard, doing UMarket ordering
• Experience working with events: room reservations, catering, logistics, set-up, tear-down
• Experience working in and towards diverse, equitable and inclusive communities

About the Department

The Department of English serves approximately 400 majors and thousands of University of Minnesota undergraduate students. The teaching, scholarship and other creative work of the English faculty covers a broad range that includes literature, language, creative writing, literacy and rhetorical studies, linguistics and cultural inquiry, as well as the theories and documents that inform and critique these disciplines. For additional information, please see our website at http://english.cla.umn.edu/ .

Home to the arts, social sciences and humanities disciplines and programs, the College of Liberal Arts is the largest college in the University of Minnesota and comprises 31 academic departments, and over 20 interdisciplinary research centers and administrative/support units. CLA has over 1,300 faculty and staff spanning research, teaching, advising, outreach, and administrative functions. CLA units reside in over twenty buildings on the East Bank and West Bank of the Twin Cities campus. CLA enrolls nearly 13,000 undergraduate students, over 40% of the undergraduate enrollment on the Twin Cities campus, 1,400 graduate students, and has an annual all-funds budget of $290 million.

CLA is a destination for curious, compassionate individuals who are committed to making our increasingly interdependent and diverse global community work for everyone. That foundational commitment begins in our CLA Constitution. CLA is committed to increasing enrollment of underrepresented and under-resourced students, diversifying our faculty across all disciplines, recruiting, and retaining a diverse staff, and promoting the expression and exploration of diverse perspectives and viewpoints-so that we all gain the background knowledge and analytical skills we need to understand and respect differences.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in CLA

Working in CLA

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $26.29 to $31.28 per hour; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work-life flexibility.