Office Support Specialist - Academic Service Program

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 39,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign-Urbana seeks an Office Support Specialist to provide administrative support for the Jeffries Center's Academic Services Program. You will support three directors, supervise a small team of undergraduate office assistants, and help maintain records and reports.

The role involves calendar management, travel arrangements, purchasing, payroll submission, and contributing to department events.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two years of college coursework or work experience as described above.
• One year of work experience at the second level of this series.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for three Directors.
• Perform clerical tasks including reception, data entry, and filing.
• Maintain calendars and arrange meetings, travel, and catering.
• Assist with reports and departmental records.
• Supervise undergraduate office assistants and coordinate staff meetings.
• Participate in department events and contribute to process improvements.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma

Two years college/work

One year experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

BANNER

Chrome River

P-Card

TCard

Web tools

Job description

Office Support Specialist - Academic Service Program

The Jeffries Center

Job Summary

Provides administrative support for the Jeffries Center's Academic Services Program and performs a variety of functions to ensure effective operations within its units.

Duties & Responsibilities

Administrative Support

• Provides administrative support for three Directors, including the Director for Tutoring & Academic Services, the Director for Advising and Mentoring and the Director for First-Generation Student Initiatives, as well as a host of Student Success Advisors.
• Provides clerical support including reception, data entry, word processing, photocopying, filing, proofreading, etc.
• Serves as a resource for office inquiries and provides assistance for students and stakeholders as they navigate our services and processes.
• Maintains calendars, schedules meetings, events, catering, and travel arrangements; answering and screening telephone calls, and reviewing and distributing incoming correspondences.
• Assists with processing and maintaining office inventory (e.g., equipment, keys, furniture, etc.).
• Assists with preparing reports and correspondence utilizing a variety of software and databases.
• Assists with the maintenance of departmental records in accordance with University policy.

Personnel and Purchasing

• Performs departmental purchasing utilizing University systems including T-CARD, P-CARD, I-Buy, JVs, requisitions, and purchase orders.
• Submits requests for hiring on behalf of ASP Directors as requested.
• Assists staff members with submitting their reconciliation documents.
• Assists with fiscal reconciliation.
• Assists with payroll submission for ASP staff.
• Serves as a P-Card and T-Card holder.

Supervising

• Serves as direct supervisor for a small team of undergraduate office assistants.
• Responsible for the recruitment, interview, and selection of office assistants for ASP.
• Responsible for training and scheduling the undergraduate office assistants.
• Responsible for facilitating regular staff meeting with the undergraduate office assistants for ASP.

Responsibilities of all staff

• Assists the department by helping with the planning of, participating in, and/or attending department events and activities.
• Recommends areas and processes that need improvement to the leadership.
• Participates in assessment activities as requested.
• Increases the internal and external visibility of the department by serving on appropriate committees, councils, task forces, boards, in associations, etc., as requested.
• Participates in continuing education and training.
• Other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

This position involves traversing campus to other locations for meetings, activities, and other job responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications

1. High school diploma or equivalent.

2. Any one or combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the categories below:

A. 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's 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)

B. Work experience performing office/clerical activities, including the use of computer systems.

3. One (1) year (12 months) of work experience comparable to the second level of this series.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with individuals and families from a range of identities and lived experiences.
• Experience providing administrative support, utilizing standard office equipment, and an ability to learn new technology and office needs change.
• Experience with Microsoft Office.
• Experience with University Business systems (e.g. BANNER, Chrome River, P-Card, TCard, Web tools).
• Experience arranging group travel and/or small and large group events with catering.
• Experience maintaining records.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Knowledge of computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to enter data, or process information.
• Skill in material resources management through obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
• Skill in communicating effectively using communication methods appropriate to the needs of the audience
• Skill in decision making by considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and choosing the most appropriate one.
• Ability to understand written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 3243 - Office Support Specialist position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 12/14/2026. The collective bargaining agreement sets the starting salary for this position at $43,730.70. This position is not eligible for any time of sponsorship for work authorization.

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 6th, 2026.

Complete applications will include a cover letter, detailed resume, and the name, affiliation, and contact information of three professional references. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For further information about this specific position, please contact [e-mail].

For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - the state's flagship public university and one of the world's leading research institutions - every staff member helps shape what's next. Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you're empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence - where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

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.

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].