Office Administrator (2825)

Position Information

Posting Detail Information

Working Position Title Office Administrator (2825) Classification Office Administrator Position Number 00002825 Open Date 06/23/2026 Close Date 07/14/2026 Priority Review Date Employee Class Staff Full-Time/Part Time Full-Time FTE 1.00 Position Status Regular FLSA Non-Exempt Job code 3253 Union Representation Union Union Code AFC - AFSCME C, Local #1890 Unit/Department Computer Science College/Unit College of LA&S Dean Division Academic Division Location PM 460 Link to Department Website or Custom Search Page www.cs.niu.edu

Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications

Position Summary, Requirements, and Qualifications

Overview

With 18 departments and 5 centers spanning natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the largest of NIU's undergraduate colleges. By nature of our mission, we touch virtually every new student to the university, regardless of their major, through the wide array of general education courses housed within our departments.

The Computer Science Department is home to hundreds of undergraduate student majors and minors, as well as a large population of students in our Master's and Ph.D programs, making us one of the largest departments on campus. This Office Administrator position serves a vital role for our department's large and growing student and faculty populations by providing support for the Director of Graduate Studies, Assistant Chair, and Department Chair. Additionally, it serves as a direct point of contact for all students, faculty, and other visitors in both face-to-face and phone communications.

Position Summary

This individual is responsible for the day-to-day operations and functions relating to the offices of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and Assistant Chair in the Computer Science Department. This position serves by assisting on behalf of, and serving as liaison for, both the DGS and Assistant Chair in conducting business within the department and across the university. This individual also reports to the Assistant Chair for the hiring and management of the department's large student Graduate Assistant population, as well as the selection and award of department scholarships. Finally, this position reports directly to the Department Chair in all job responsibilities related to budgets, inventory, facilities, and building services; and is responsible for a number of other administrative functions necessary for the efficient operation of the department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Primary Resource for Department's Graduate Programs

• Serves as main resource for all department faculty, as well as for students in the Master's in Computer Science, Master's in Cybersecurity, and Ph.D graduate students who are referred to the office for assistance with a wide variety of problems relating to the Graduate program, including course scheduling, program requirements, assistantship assignments, and departmental regulations; independently assesses issues presented, provides direct assistance when appropriate, and refers other issues to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), Assistant Chair, or the appropriate department
• Serves as a direct point of contact to provide information and answer questions from prospective students on all aspects of programs within the department; determines which questions/issues should be referred to the DGS which should be forwarded to specific curricular area coordinators, and which can be answered personally
• Independently monitors completion status of applications; ensures that department admissions committees receive completed Ph.D applications and associated documents; and communicates with the Graduate School concerning application status, policies and procedures. Prepares and maintains confidential departmental records for graduate students

Administration of Student Hiring Programs

• Initiates and manages all budgeting, tracking, and distribution of funds for graduate assistantship assignments, both on- and off-campus. Assists in identifying and expensing additional revenue sources and communicates the funding sources for other Graduate assistantships, start-up funding, interdepartmental and external research grants, Foundation, etc. to maximize budget use efficiency
• Prepares and signs all hiring contracts and other hiring documents for Graduate Assistants on behalf of the Department Chair and the Assistant Chair; and works directly with Human Resources, RIPS, the International Student and Scholar Office, and CLAS on all personnel-related issues. Manages all graduate employment-related processes in PeopleAdmin. Prepares and updates the Graduate Obligation (financial) report for CLAS
• Creates and maintains reports to track Undergraduate Fellow expenses. Tracks and submits Salaried Benefit Usage reports to CLAS and consults with Payroll and/or Human Resources when questions or discrepancies arise
• Works independently with student employees to resolve a variety of problems that arise relating to such issues as course assignments, employment eligibility, international student work documents, pay schedules, contracts, etc.; assesses the complexity of these problems and handles those that can be resolved directly; and refers others as appropriate to the Assistant Chair, DGS, Department Chair, or an office outside of Computer Science

Administrative Management of Department and Facilities Processes

• Facilitates and manages all work order and building services requests from initiation to completion. Manages individual classroom and lab reservations for all department staff and associated groups; and schedules thesis and dissertation defenses
• Manages expense allocations and reimbursements to students, faculty, and visitors of the department (parking, lodging, travel, etc). Prepares, submits, and tracks the progress of reimbursement check requests
• Serves as Secondary Officer and conducts annual physical inventory of department equipment. Receives and catalogs new inventory. Works with Property Control to document and tag new assets. Designs, implements, and updates equipment/inventory documentation for record-keeping purposes
• Works with the Foundation to award scholarships after collaborating with Assistant Chair on selection of student award recipients (both graduate and undergraduate)
• Creates and trains department members on digital tools for use in hiring, textbook, and key requests, as well as room reservations (Digital tools include fillable PDFs and other forms, and surveys using Adobe Acrobat, Qualtrics, Microsoft Forms, and Kuali Build.)
• Leads the selection of, trains, and supervises other office staff such as the Office Support Specialist and student employees. Provides first-line coverage in the reception area and staffs the front desk when needed; handles multi-line telephone inquiries; processes mail and fulfills everyday copy requests for all department members; and makes appointments for the Undergraduate Advisor/Assistant to the Chair in the absence of the Office Support Specialist

Miscellaneous Recurring Tasks and Projects

• Plans, budgets, coordinates, and manages department events (site visits, faculty searches, student recognition, etc.) including announcements; invitations and RSVP correspondence; and transportation, meals, and facilities planning
• Manages the annual "Teacher of the Year" selection process with the Student Advisory Board, including meeting coordination and the creation and assembly of all selection material for consideration (student nomination forms, course and enrollment data); and approves plaque creation for the award recipient
• Creates and executes the online portion of the Teaching Evaluation process from start to finish by creating the online evaluation forms; administering the evaluations; and tabulating the results for analysis by the Assistant Chair
• Works with the DGS, Assistant Chair, and Chair to make curricular changes in Curriculog.
• Maintains the primary department calendar along with all faculty course and office hours calendars

Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Any one of the following from the categories below:
• Four (4) years (48 months) of work experience comparable to the third level of this series.
• Two (2) years (24 months) of work experience comparable to the fourth level of this series.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

• Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.
• Knowledge of administrative and administrative 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, both verbally and in writing as appropriate for 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.
• Ability to provide guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Specialty Factors (Civil Service)

None

Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)

• Ability in communicating effectively with a team in such an environment is strongly desirable.
• Customer service experience working with a wide variety of personalities is exceptionally preferred
• Experience in working with a diverse student and/or faculty population.
• Knowledge of the field of Computer Science, either through work experience or coursework, is a definite plus.

Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Additional Requirements (SPS)

N/A

Preferred Qualifications (SPS)

N/A

Physical demands/requirements

• Sitting, standing, and walking for 7.5 hours per work day in an office setting.
• Occasionally bending, reaching, and light lifting.

Appointment and Compensation Details

Appointment and Compensation Details

Anticipated Appointment Start Date 08/1/2026 Anticipated Appointment End Date Percent of Staff Year 1.00 Standard Hours Per Week 37.50 Working Hours Monday-Friday, 8a - 4:30p, one-hour lunch Salary $37,050.00-$38,025.00 annually; NIU offers a robust benefits package. Hourly or Semi-monthly Pay Rate/Range $19.00-$19.50 hourly Earn Type Hourly

Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Application Procedure

Application Procedure:

• Fully complete the Education and Work History sections of the application. Be specific on your entire work history, including employment dates and duties for all positions held. Applicable part-time work experience will be considered toward qualifying for this position; however, it will be converted to a full-time equivalency to determine combined length of experience. Important: Please upload any unofficial transcript(s) and/or documentation that verifies any education, experience, and/or training you have received.

• If eligible for Veteran's Preference Points, DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256 paperwork reflecting an Honorable Discharge MUST be uploaded to this application to receive the maximum eligible points on the Civil Service examination.

• After the posting has closed, your submission will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the classification, including any specialty factors associated with this position. If you meet the minimum required qualifications for this position, you will receive a score based on your education and experience, and your name will be placed on the active employment register.

• Please monitor your e-mail for further information regarding your application. Emails will be generated from jobs@niu.edu and CivilServiceTesting@niu.edu. Please add these emails to your address book to ensure timely delivery of any future communication.

• Applicants must be a current citizen or resident of the State of Illinois to move forward in the hiring process.

Credentials Assessment Examination:

• The examination for this position is a Credentials Assessment and is based on your application materials as submitted for this posting. A Credential Assessment is a rating by the Human Resources Office of an applicant's/employee's education, experience, and special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.). Applicants are required to upload documentation to verify the minimum qualifications for this position has been met.
• Required documentation noted in the posting, such as a driver's license, licensures, or certifications MUST be uploaded with your application materials.
• After assessment of all qualified applicants has been completed for this position, the names with the top three (3) scores will be referred to the hiring department for interview.

Additional Details:

• Click on Office Administrator for more information including salary ranges, typical duties, minimum acceptable qualifications, and testing requirements.
• Please click on Human Resource Services - Benefits for detailed information about Northern Illinois University's benefits package.
• Employment is contingent upon your passing a criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Special Instructions Quick Link to Applicant https://employment.niu.edu/postings/93381 Is Background Check Required? Yes EEO Statement Summary

In accordance with applicable statutes and regulations, NIU is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, age, disability (physical and mental), marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (identity and expression), political affiliation, or any other factor unrelated to professional qualifications, and will comply with all applicable federal and state statutes, regulations and orders pertaining to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Ethics and Compliance Officer, Title IX Coordinator

Health Services Building Room 230

TitleIXCoordinator@niu.edu

815-753-5560

Visa Policy

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

ADA Accommodation

NIU remains committed to ensuring that its recruitment and application procedures include full opportunities for applicants with disabilities. Employment opportunities will not be denied to anyone because of the need to make accommodations for a person's disability during either the application or interview process. An applicant who believes they require an accommodation to participate in the employment process due to a disability may request that accommodation through the Accommodation Request Form. For further assistance, please contact the office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AAEO) at ada@niu.edu.

Safety Information

NIU provides annual reports on campus security and fire safety.

Read the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

Contact the Ethics and Compliance Office at 815-753-9364 for a hard copy.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter
• List of at least 3 Professional References

Optional Documents

• Transcripts (unofficial with official required at hire)
• Military Discharge Documents ONLY (DD214/DD215/NGB22/DD256)
• Other

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• • Are you currently a citizen or resident of the State of Illinois?

• Yes

• No

• • What is the highest level of education attained?

• GED

• High School Diploma

• Associates Degree

• Bachelors Degree

• Masters Degree

• PHD

• • Have you attached all transcripts to support the degrees you are submitting for consideration?

• Yes

• No

• • How many years of experience do you have in this type of position?

• 0-1

• 1-3

• 3-5

• 5-7

• 7+

• • Please provide the name of the employer and the dates of employment where you gained this experience. Please note that this information must be verified on an NIU application and/or résumé. ("See Résumé" is not an acceptable response.)

(Open Ended Question)

• • If applicable, have you attached a copy of your DD214, DD215, NGB22, or DD256 for consideration of Veterans Preference Points? The copy submitted should reflect the status of discharge in order to be considered.
• Yes
• No
• Not Applicable