Administrative Associate, McDonald Observatory

Job Posting

Title:

Administrative Associate, McDonald Observatory

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- Hiring Department:

McDonald Observatory

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- Position Open To:

All Applicants

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- Weekly Scheduled

Hours:

40

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- FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

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- Earliest

Start Date:

Immediately

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- Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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- Location:

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY

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- Job Details:

General Notes

This position is onsite at the McDonald Observatory, 16 miles from Ft. Davis, Texas (440 miles west of the UT Austin campus). The administrative associate provides administrative support to McDonald Observatory's West Texas operations. The administrative associate will report to the executive assistant for the Superintendent and works closely with the Austin Business Office.

UT Austin, recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers, provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

* Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)

* Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options

* Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays

* Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan with employer-matching funds

* Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs:
Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)

* Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses

Purpose

Provides administrative support for McDonald Observatory's West Texas operations, including procurement of goods and services, contracts, inventory management, accounting, reporting, and other administrative tasks. This position reports to the executive assistant and work in collaboration with the Austin Business Office.

Responsibilities

* Administrative Support. Assist with the administrative and clerical operations for the Superintendent's office and staff. Help with shipping and receiving packages and mail, ensuring the proper recipients are contacted. Maintain site calendars. Compose and proofread departmental correspondence. Prepare documentation for special events and assist with staffing as needed. Serve as a backup to the administrative staff and the Astronomers Lodge.

Uphold confidentiality, maintain a professional manner, drive a UT vehicle, and perform other related tasks to meet business needs.

* Physical Plant Administrative Support. Assists the Physical Plant Manager and Technical Trades Supervisors with administrative tasks, including, but not limited to, purchasing research, fuel reports, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reports. Provides quarterly account reconciliation reports to the managers. Performs radio dispatch, sends faxes, copies, scans, and other job-related duties.

* Procurement. Serves as the primary contact for West Texas staff regarding procurement and ensures adherence to University purchasing policies and procedures in coordination with the Austin Business Office. Procures goods and services, assigns department transaction numbers, and sets up vendor IDs. Obtains quotes, posts and maintains the purchasing database, and processes purchase orders and Pro Card purchases following University policies and procedures.

Manages the department's Pro Card and assists with the Pro Card logs for the Superintendent's staff. Coordinates all communication and services with suppliers and vendors regarding purchase orders. Oversees and monitors all purchases made through contracts between UT and the West Texas site. Builds relationships with suppliers and vendors to improve access to resources that meet or surpass project requirements.

Monitors all purchasing requests and escalates issues with internal customers and vendors to the appropriate managers.

* Inventory and Surplus. Assist with West Texas inventory, including issuing and maintaining inventory tags, entering data into the database, and preparing inventory reports. Coordinate West Texas surplus activities, track returns on spreadsheets, take photos, and arrange for vehicle and trailer use to deliver items to UT's Surplus site, in collaboration with the Austin Business Office.

* Accounting. Prepares payment vouchers, including interdepartmental transfer…