Department: NCWR - NU Ctr for Water
Salary/Grade: NEX/11

Job Summary:

Coordinates, prioritizes, and directs administrative processes and business matters associated with Center research, education, and operations. Creates and maintains documents, spreadsheets, and databases; organizes meetings, special events, travel, etc.; and alerts supervisor of critical issues and upcoming events. Arranges travel both foreign and domestic, processes reimbursements, and manages life cycle of reimbursements. Coordinates website development for the Center and special events. Maintains website and updates content. Manages center finances, including processing orders, tracking orders, reconciling all Water Center accounts, financial reporting (via NU financial software), and distributing monthly budget summaries and weekly updates to the Director on outstanding and pending items. Professional communications and coordination including scheduling meetings and conference calls, setting up audio- and web-conferences meetings via web services (Blue Jeans, WebEx, GoToMeeting, or similar), setting up and supporting electronic systems for communications (e.g., Slack) and file sharing (Box). Prepares and coordinates the Center's annual report, including budget summaries and estimates, and assists the Center Director to submit the report.

Please note: Approximately 1 day per month may be required to come in early or to stay late to support Center events. Some events may require travel to Argonne National Laboratory for meetings and workshops for Center activity associated with the Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering, or downtown Chicago for events at Northwestern Chicago campus or held in collaboration with civic entities (e.g., Current - the Chicago Water Research consortium).

Specific Responsibilities:

Documents & Databases

• Independently responds to and composes correspondence.
• Creates and maintains standard spreadsheets and/or databases.
• Prepares queries, reports, statistics, tables, charts, etc. based on information compiled from various sources.
• Determines format, elements, trends, etc.

Website

• Maintains websites and/or blogs.
• Creates new web pages and/or updates standard information/data within the application's content management program.

Accounting

• Approves appropriate expenses, purchases and reimbursements per budget.
• Creates and maintains financial records.
• Prepares forms.
• Verifies appropriateness and accuracy of charges.
• Processes and reconciles expenses, accounting transfers, and/or appropriation changes.
• Updates financial transaction spreadsheets and databases.
• Generates summary reports and statistics.
• Processes routine payroll actions.
• Maintains accounting balances for grants/contracts.

Coordination

• Manages supervisor's and/or dept calendar.
• Manages registration and travel.
• Organizes and coordinates events which may include creating timelines.
• Collects agenda items and background materials.
• Creates registrant profiles.
• Coordinates complex itineraries involving domestic and/or international travel, etc.
• Prepares annual event, conference and/or meeting budget.
• Verifies invoices and expense reports; and/or reconciles to budget.

Contacts

• Screens and prioritizes incoming calls.
• Responds to inquiries.
• Provides basic interpretation of policies and procedures.
• Researches information to resolve problems or issues.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or equivalent required.
• 4 years of administrative support or other relevant experience required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Intermediate knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and database software programs is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree or higher
• 3 or more years administrative experience
• 1 or more years NU Financials experience

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Good communication skills
• NU Financials (PeopleSoft)
• Database maintenance
• Website maintenance/modification i.e. Cascade, Word Press
• 4-5 years of solid Windows (Word/Excel) experience
• Financial background
• Attention to detail essential.
• Quick learner
• Follow through

Target hiring range for this position will be between $21.00-$25.00 per year or per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

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