Job Details

Department Administrator, English

Position Number: 9754912
Location: Philadelphia, United States
Position Type: Other Administrative Positions

Department Administrator, English

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Department Administrator, English

Job Profile Title

Manager B, Academic Affairs, Academic Administration

Job Description Summary

Penn English's Department Administrator will be responsible for the overall administration of a highly interdisciplinary and diverse humanities department. The Department Administrator directs the budget, financial, and course rostering operations of the English department, serves as liaison to English faculty, students, staff, alumni, and other departments in the School and University, and manages all aspects of events, workshops, conferences, and communications for Penn English, including website and listserv technicalities, graphic design for posters, and management of classroom and office space in Fisher-Bennett Hall. The Administrator will provide executive level administrative support for the Chair, assist the Graduate and Undergraduate Chair, and supervise other department staff; in assisting with faculty hires and academic appointments, the Administrator will also work closely with the Business Coordinator and Dean's office. The Administrator handles sensitive data including access to grant funds, budgets, and salary information, and purchasing cards for the department.

Job Description

Penn English is a top-ranked, highly interdisciplinary, and diverse humanities department made up of 33 standing faculty and 23 affiliated faculty, and 84 non-standing faculty, including Ph.D. graduate workers. The department offers B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, with strengths in British and American literature, Poetry and poetics, Critical theory, Gender and sexuality studies, Visual studies, and Comparative race and empire studies.

Responsibilities:

The Department Administrator oversees every aspect of the following general operations for Department of English:

Manages Department Operations/Administration/ Academic Support.
Supervises the Graduate Coordinator; Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies; Business Coordinator; Student Workers.
Manages Academic Appointments, Reappointments and Promotions.
Budget and Financial Management
Departmental Communications Management
Manages Fisher-Bennett Hall spaces for Faculty and non-standing faculty, staff, and classrooms.
Manages Departmental Events/Programs/Workshops/Conferences.
Oversees and maintains multiple departmental listservs.
Supervises and maintains department website.
Does graphic design work for faculty and staff

Further specifications of duties:

Supervising, training, and conducting performance appraisals of department staff, including full-time staff, temps and students.
In collaboration with the Chair, Business Coordinator and the Dean's office, assisting with faculty hires and promotion and reappointment dossiers and managing the appointments of lecturers.
Directing the budget and financial operations of the English department with Business Coordinator, weekly meetings over the academic year.
Serving as liaison to English faculty, students, staff, alumni, and other departments in the School and University.
Overseeing department support for workshops and conferences.
Giving direction to new faculty, staff, postdocs, lecturers, adjuncts, and visiting professors and scholars with respect to policies/procedures.
Overseeing the integration of Workday and the Faculty Interfolio program: becoming the subject matter expert on these for the department.
Overseeing and providing guidance to the Associate Chair, with annual Teaching and Student Awards for Provost, SAS and Penn English.
Overseeing and maintaining multiple departmental listservs.
Supervising and maintaining the department website.
Managing all aspects of offices, and classrooms for faculty, students and staff for Penn English.
Managing all aspects of multiple annual events for Penn English, including events, communications with department and programs in FBH for room scheduling.
Overseeing distribution of incoming and outgoing mail and packages for ALL occupants of FBH.
Course rostering:
Creating entries for Independent Studies, courses, recitations.
Approving all courses for English in Curriculum Manager, Course Leaf, and Annex.
Administering and reviewing tasks in Pennant@Penn, Advising Penn, Courses@Penn, for Department of English and Penn Community.
Scheduling the courses and leaves for Standing Faculty, Lecturers and Graduate students in Curriculum Planner (one year) Workbook and inputting the budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.
Overseeing courses added by Graduate Coordinator and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Completing graphic designer work for courses, events and assisting faculty with posters and small graphic tasks

Qualifications:

Required:

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts and 2 to 3 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Candidate must demonstrate strong organizational and administrative skills, with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively, including handing sensitive data related to budgets, purchasing, and personnel.
The role requires excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to interact professionally with a range of stakeholders, including students, faculty, university administrators, alumni, and Penn communities.
Strong attention to detail and proficiency in administrative processes related to academic programs, and event coordination are essential.
Proficiency in standard office software and systems, particularly Mac computers, as well as a demonstrated ability to learn and adapt to new technologies, is necessary.
Candidate must exhibit a collaborative approach to teamwork, the ability to work independently as well as supervise other staff, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment.

Preferred:

Familiarity with academic environments and knowledge of higher education policies, particularly related to graduate and undergraduate programs is preferred.

*For consideration, please submit a cover letter as well as a resume in the CV section of your application. You can upload multiple documents to the "Resume/CV" section.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$58,506.00 - $80,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Fisher-Bennett-Hall/Department-Administrator--English_JR00124014