Administrative Coordinator

How to Apply

A cover letter expressing your specific interest in this position is required to be considered for the role. This letter should be attached as the first page of your resume. We encourage you to clearly highlight your skills, qualifications, and experiences that directly align with the responsibilities and required qualifications of this position, as outlined in the job posting.  Candidates that do not include a cover letter that addresses the required qualifications will not be considered for the position.

Job Summary

The Institute for the Humanities is seeking a friendly, proactive, can-do self-starter to join our team.   The chosen candidate will be the welcoming face of the Institute in the office and at Institute events.  This position is a key member of the Institute staff.  We are a socially conscious center for innovative  and collaborative study in the humanities and arts.  We expect applicants to understand and appreciate diverse ideas and activities with a focus on the humanities and beyond. We are seeking a candidate who supports the humanities, the mission of the Institute and is highly motivated to support humanities driven initiatives with the utmost degree of excellence. 

Who We Are

The Institute for the Humanities supports research that explores humanities traditions across various spaces and eras. It fosters connections between the humanities, the arts, and other academic fields at the University while amplifying the perspectives of humanities scholars in public discourse. Annually, we offer fellowships to U-M faculty, graduate students, visiting faculty, and artists engaged in scholarly and creative projects. Additionally, we present a diverse range of public and academic events, such as lectures, workshops, and art exhibitions.

Responsibilities*

See the detailed list of position responsibilities 

1. Assistant to the Director and Chief Administrator (CA):  Provide administrative support to the Director and CA.  Prepare reports, draft correspondence, coordinate visitor/artist residencies, schedule meetings and take minutes as needed.  Coordinate stewardship with institute donors and the application processes for all institute funding.
2. Event Coordination:  Manage all logistical aspects for institute events and visitors, including but not limited to travel arrangements, venue reservations, catering, IT/audio-visual needs, on-site support during events, processing honorariums and tracking event budgets.
3. Fellows Coordination:  Manage and coordinate all aspects of the faculty and graduate student fellow programs. Coordinate the fellowship application processes, facilitate orientation, and handle logistical requirements for fellow meetings and events.
4. General Administration:  Act as receptionist for the office, greeting all visitors in a friendly, professional manner. Update website pages related to fellowships and other institute application awards and events. Directory in the lobby. Order and maintain office and kitchen supply inventories. Ensure storage spaces and kitchen are organized and clean on a regular basis. Process invoices and reconcile Pcard transactions per LSA and unit guidelines. Provide facilities support. Update and maintain mailing lists and archival records/spreadsheets.

Other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties outlined in the job description.

Required Qualifications*

• Three to five years of progressively responsible administrative experience providing support to a Director or equivalent level of responsibility.
• Proven excellence in verbal and written communication. Proven ability to develop professional, original documents.
• At least three years of experience planning events from small to large including scheduling venues, processing honorariums, arranging travel details, catering and ensuring speaker IT/audio visual needs are met.
• Demonstrated high level of organizational skills with acute attention to details.
• Demonstrated high level of critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member to set priorities and handle multiple assignments and deadlines as well as the ability to ensure details are coordinated and timelines are met on projects simultaneously.
• Experience communicating with personnel at all levels of an organization such as students, upper level administration, Chairs and Directors.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive matters/ materials.  
• Demonstrated ability to follow directions as well as demonstrated initiative to see what needs to be done and complete tasks that are not explicitly requested.
• Proven experience handling challenging situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Advanced working knowledge of Google Mail and associated products (docs, sheets, forms, sites) as well as excellent computing skills in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Motivation to provide support to a dynamic unit through energy and enthusiasm for the humanities.
• Commitment to fostering a respectful work environment.
   

Desired Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in a humanities field with at least five years of administrative experience in a University setting is strongly desired.
• Experience working with a project management tool such as Trello.
• Knowledge and understanding of College of LSA policies and procedures, especially hosting and travel rules.
• Detailed knowledge of University procurement, travel, and hosting rules and guidelines especially as outlined in the SPG and procurement website.  
• Experience with Emburse and reconciling Pcards.
   

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

The annual full-time salary range for this position is $47,200 to $59,000, please note a higher salary may be offered for highly qualified candidates. 

Evening and weekend work may be required from time to time. This position is 5 days per week on-site during the academic year.  Some remote work during the summer (May - early August) may be possible based on the business needs of the unit. The weekly work schedule may be adjusted/flexed to ensure coverage for scheduled events and programming.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSAs Mission, Vision and Values, please visit 
lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision
 

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.