Office Manager - Associate Dean for Research - School of Information Sciences

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Tuition waivers for employees and/or

Tuition waivers for dependents

Job summary

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's School of Information Sciences seeks an Office Manager for Research Services. The role supports the Associate Dean for Research, coordinates travel, budget spreadsheets, and committee work, and assists with special projects.

The position requires strong organizational skills and the ability to handle confidential information, with responsibilities spanning administrative tasks, travel, and event coordination within a 100% full-time Civil Service role.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; combination of college coursework may count toward experience.
• 2 years of office/clerical experience or 1 year plus college coursework as outlined.
• Bachelor's Degree preferred with relevant administrative experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily administrative support to the ADR for Research and assist with travel arrangements.
• Maintain budget balance spreadsheets and report monthly to faculty and staff.
• Coordinate meetings, minutes, agendas, and materials for committees.
• Support research services staff travel, reimbursements, and HR appointments.

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

Initiative

Discretion

Education

Bachelor's Degree or higher

Office/clerical experience

Tools

Box/Teams

MyUIFinancials

P-card systems

Job description

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

School of Information Sciences

Research Services

Office Manager

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois invites applications from qualified individuals for a 100% full-time Office Manager in Research Services.

The iSchool at Illinois makes a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals through teaching, research, and public engagement. Our mission is to lead the way in understanding the use of information in science, culture, society, commerce, and the diverse activities of our daily lives. We engage in inclusive community partnerships, working beyond geographic boundaries to benefit the social good. We believe in the power of information to change the world. For more information about iSchool, visit https://ischool.illinois.edu/.

JOB SUMMARY

Serve as primary administrative support for the iSchool Associate Dean for Research. This position also assists with research services activities and operations to ensure effective research initiatives.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative support:

• Provide daily administrative support to the Associate Dean for Research (ADR), including but not limited to calendar management, meeting scheduling and associated materials, and travel arrangements and reimbursements.
• Maintain an overall awareness of research services activities, tasks, and deadlines and keep the ADR and research services staff apprised.
• Assist with domestic and international travel arrangements for postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, PhD students, invited speakers, and faculty using the appropriate grant/fund, including but not limited to booking airline tickets, securing hotel accommodations, registering for conferences or meetings.
• Assist the Associate Dean for Research, PhD Program Director, and PhD Coordinator with PhD student travel as needed.
• Provide backup assistance and support to the Associate Director for Research Services with maintaining and updating the budget balance spreadsheets for faculty internal and external grants, research gifts, and ICR by reviewing and pulling data from MyUIFinancials. 90%Duties and Responsibilities Duties are listed in order of greatest importance. Other responsibilities may be assigned.
• Responsible for sending the budget balance spreadsheets to faculty once per month as directed by the Associate Director for Research Services.
• Provide support to various iSchool committees as directed, such as Research Advisory and/or other special or ad hoc committees. Coordinate with chair and committee members to gather member availability and schedule meetings accordingly. Work with the chair to prepare meeting materials, including soliciting agenda items, and distributing agendas and materials to committee members in advance of each meeting. Assist with managing Box folders and/or MS Teams space for committees. Transcribe minutes/notes at each meeting and file and distribute accordingly.
• Schedule research services staff meetings, assist with meeting preparation, and take notes.
• Monitor various research services inboxes. Forward or reply to email messages and/or assign messages to appropriate staff within the ticketing system.
• Provide support for research services staff activities as needed, including but not limited to serving as backup for research-related travel reimbursements and P-card purchases (e.g., software, memberships, CampusShip), backup for entering appointments for the ADR in the HR appointment app, and coordination of the iSchool postdoctoral program.
• Help draft routine and special correspondence for PI's, visiting scholars and institutional guests, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers on new initiatives such as acknowledgements and cover letters. Provide editorial review and routing assistance for letters of support for campus and external grants and awards.
• Assist the ADR and Associate Director for Research Services with special projects and tasks as requested.

Event Coordination:

• Assist with research services and iSchool event planning, coordination, setup/cleanup, and/or attendance, including but not limited to research showcase and convocation, as requested.

Other Duties:

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Any one or combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the categories below: College coursework in any curriculum, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent: 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months).
• Associate degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months). 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months).
• Bachelor's Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months). Work experience performing office/clerical activities, including the use of computer systems. One (1) year (12 months) of work experience comparable to the second level of this series.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with University systems, such as Emburse and MyUIFinancials.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills.
• High degree of initiative, independent judgment, and the ability to establish priorities.
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment and discretion, especially in handling confidential and/or sensitive information.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service Office Manager position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search close date. This is a bargained position and as such, the salary is driven by the collective bargaining agreement. The wage for this position is $47,915.40. We strive to provide a competitive salary while taking into consideration internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, and budget constraints. The final salary offer will be determined through a calculation involving these elements.

Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES & DEADLINE INFORMATION

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on November 10th, 2026. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information regarding this specific position, please email [e-mail]. For questions regarding the application system, please contact 217-333-2137.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal, or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or [e-mail].