Entomology Office Specialist

The Department of Entomology is seeking an Office Specialist to provide administrative and communications support for a 100% time (40 hours per week), 12-month, continuing appointment. This is a hybrid position with at least 4 days in person working in the Hodson Hall, St. Paul campus office (Mondays-Thursday) with Fridays working remotely to start. After an initial training period of 6 months, the position may shift to a hybrid schedule allowing for 3 in-person days and 2 remote work days per week. It may require working occasional evenings when there is a departmental event.
This position will have a wide variety of responsibilities that play a critical role in supporting the day-to-day function of the Department's administrative office. The Department of Entomology strives for a collaborative work environment, and this position will report directly to the Department Administrator supporting administrative functions assisting students, staff including researchers, faculty, and both internal and external stakeholders.

Skills and competencies of a successful candidate:
* Service-oriented with strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skill
* Attention to detail
* Maintain a high level of accountability and confidentiality
* Ability to prioritize, multitask, and execute in a fast-paced environment
* Ability to work independently to initiate and implement tasks
* Proactively solve problems and think critically

Position Duties:
Examples of job duties include the following categories. These duties are not all daily, some are monthly, annually or as needed.

Administrative Office Support (45%)
* Serve as the first point of contact for all incoming email, phone, and in-person inquiries; respond to questions, and direct inquiries to the appropriate personnel
* Prepare and sort incoming and outgoing mail and packages; assist with departmental mailings and special departmental projects involving shipping and receiving
* Conduct office inventory and order supplies for front office and administrative activities, via UMarket and Amazon
* Maintain a Purchasing Card, prepare purchase orders, request check payments, and assist non-employees with expense reimbursement for the department
* Coordinate all department events
* Maintain department listservs and Google groups, update directories, and monitor bulletin boards
* Send out departmental communications through Salesforce Marketing cloud
* Coordinate and maintain department social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), including planning content, publishing posts, and collaborating with the Department Administrator to develop copy for announcements and event promotion
* Assist in creating and updating procedural guides for the department
* Update, maintain, and improve the department's public website and internal intranet, in coordination with the Department Administrator
* Act as the department's DRA and manage and maintain the DRA list
* Assist with validating parking for guests

Operational Support (35%)
* Assist with Departmental IT needs, including departmental computers, the copier/printer, classroom technology, and departmental Zoom/virtual meetings
* Serve as the alternate Primary Building Contact (PBC) and Department Facility Representative (DFR) for Hodson Hall, managing key and electronic access requests, maintaining related records, and overseeing the key database and issuance process
* Assist with the logistics associated with office moves and larger furniture and equipment purchases
* Submit HR Service Request TDX tickets and act as the department's TDX navigator for undergraduate and temporary/casual hiring requests and employment changes
* Use CFANS template letters to create and send approved offer letters to undergraduate with guidance and direction provided by the ENTO Department Administrator and CFANS HR
* Assist with biannual space use audits and related reporting requirements
* First point of contact for all facilities-related requests, issues, and needs; assist members of the department with small-scale facility maintenance requests
* Coordinate the departmental Safety Committee and serve as a member
* Schedule and maintain the schedules for use of departmental conference and seminar rooms (using Google Calendar and ASTRA)

Curriculum Coordinator Management (15%)
* Coordinate annual classroom and teaching schedules in consultation with the Department Head, Undergraduate program Coordinators, and the Curriculum Committee
* Perform administrative processes for course management by using Coursedog, CCS, and classroom reservation systems
* Monitor and facilitate course enrollment
* Schedule courses for enrollment, course times, instructors and room assignments; add syllabi and SLOs as required to comply with campus policy
* Manage course fee budgets and allocations
* Assist in the coordination of scholarships and fellowships for undergraduates in the Entomology minor

Special Projects Coordinator (5%)
* Assist with all non-student seminar event planning, including scheduling, room reservations, and event promotion
* Coordinate guest speaker seminars, include travel and hotel arrangements, meals, refreshments, scheduling, and all other event logistics
* Work with the administrative team and/or faculty on one-time and recurring projects (i.e. event planning on both a small and large-scale, group travel arrangements, etc.)
* Provide input and assist, as needed, with communications-related projects
* Assist with departmental fundraising campaigns, such as Give to the Max Day
* Coordinate annual departmental events, such as the Great Minnsect Show and the Hodson Memorial
* Other special projects on an ad hoc basis as assigned by the Department Administrator

Required Qualifications:
* A high school diploma or equivalent and four years of related office experience; training/education may be substituted for years of experience
* Experience working in an office setting
* Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with faculty, students, staff, and external stakeholders from diverse backgrounds
* Proficient with Zoom, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Workspace, with the drive to learn new systems as needed
Preferred Qualifications:
* Experience working in a reception or customer support role
* Experience working in a higher education or an academic setting
* Demonstrated experience working independently and as part of a team
* Proven experience coordinating complex administrative activities involving multiple stakeholders, with the ability to apply knowledge and skills to recurring tasks with precision and timeliness
* Knowledge of Drupal, Salesforce, Coursedog, and PeopleSoft, as well as social media applications

The Department of Entomology in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) is located on the St Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. It is composed of 16 faculty and 40 staff engaged in research, teaching, and extension related to biodiversity and systematics, ecology, physiology, neurobiology, and functional genomics of diverse insects and other invertebrates, including pollinators, mosquitoes and ticks, and management of pests in residential, commercial/industrial, agricultural, forested, and urban landscapes. The department offers MS and PhD degrees in Entomology, and an undergraduate Insect Science Minor.
Part of our Department culture is working collaboratively with each other. We try to foster this by supporting staff to:
* Develop effective working relationships with other administrative staff within CFANS and across departments
* Serve on collegiate committees and initiatives
* Assist other staff during high volume times
* Participate in training opportunities to develop or hone skills related to the duties of the position
* Support employee engagement activities for the Department
The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences is located centrally within the Twin Cities, which is a major metropolitan region surrounded by the most abundant agricultural and natural resources in the country. This provides a unique opportunity to develop programs in a region with the highest concentration of leading agribusiness and food firms in the country and internationally.

Pay Range: $22.71 - $26.01; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will have the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).