Travel & Entertainment Coordinator — Astronomy Program

Socket.dev; United States; On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid medical coverage

TRS retirement contributions

Paid vacation and sick time

Paid holidays

Total benefits overview

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Travel and Entertainment Specialist to coordinate staff travel, entertainment requests, and reimbursements for McDonald Observatory. You will ensure policy compliance, process payments, and support accounts payable and purchasing on the UT campus.

Responsibilities include handling travel arrangements, reimbursements, expenses, and official occasion processes, while maintaining accurate records and collaborating with the business office team.

Qualifications

• High school graduation or GED.
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite, including an intermediate skill level in Excel and Word.
• Working knowledge of travel and entertainment policy, expense reimbursement rules, or the ability to learn them quickly.
• Ability to assess high-volume workload and prioritize tasks while demonstrating attention to detail and accuracy to meet deadlines and manage concurrent projects in multiple areas successfully.
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills, including customer-service excellence for handling inquiries from the department.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with strong writing and proofreading skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to interact and maintain productive working relationships with staff, faculty, students, and visitors, and maintain a positive and professional demeanor.
• Ability to learn quickly and be flexible.
• Experience taking ownership of projects and seeing them through to successful completion.
• Ability to undertake and complete tasks with minimal supervision and exhibit individual initiative in meeting the functions of the position.
• Professional demeanor and dependability.
• Ability to exercise a high level of discretion and handle sensitive or confidential matters with professionalism and care.
• Reliable and dependable attendance.

Responsibilities

• Travel Request and Processing. Receive and process travel authorizations (RTA) from faculty, staff, students, and visitors, and arrange travel or confirm self-arrangements, requesting additional documentation as needed.
• Before processing, obtain the necessary approvals from supervisors and account holders, and ensure compliance with UT and departmental policies.
• Verify account compliance and funding. Research and make reservations by phone, online, or through a travel agent for airfare, car rentals, registrations, etc.
• Secure lodging and include traveler information if requested.
• Communicate effectively with travelers and troubleshoot issues, offering possible resolutions.

Skills

Excel

Word

Policy knowledge

Time management

Customer service

Communication

Independence

Teamwork

Learning agility

Discretion

Attendance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business

Tools

UT mainframe

UT request system

Concur Travel & Expense

Job description

The University of Texas at Austin is seeking a Travel and Entertainment Specialist to coordinate staff travel, entertainment requests, and reimbursements for McDonald Observatory. You will ensure policy compliance, process payments, and support accounts payable and purchasing on the UT campus.

Responsibilities include handling travel arrangements, reimbursements, expenses, and official occasion processes, while maintaining accurate records and collaborating with the business office team.