Administrative Specialist

About the Position

Administrative Specialist

School of Humanities, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi,

Position Type:
Staff, Employment Status:
Full Time, Pay Grade: N04, Posting Close Date:
February 9, 2026

Job Summary:

This position is for Academic, Operational, and Budgetary Support of the School Director, faculty, staff and students. The position is essential as it is the first point of contact for anyone within the School, public and university community.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without the need for visa sponsorship. The University will not sponsor applicants for work visas (e.g., H-1B).

• Acts as academic support for the School to include, but not limited to, corresponding with prospective students, coordinating on-campus student visits, preparing and sending necessary student forms, maintaining appropriate student files and working with faculty, staff, students and university community to assure student success. Liaises with offices/departments/programs that offer courses through ISPD, e.g. all Student Affairs courses, Luckyday Scholarship Program, Center for Faculty Development.
• Assists with preparation of and inputs course schedule, room reservations and student scheduling needs. Manages all class enrollment permissions. Oversees textbook ordering. Organizes summer programs, including conferences.
• Develop and monitor the school's annual operating budgets through consultation with School Director, including planning and preparing justification statements for budget requests. Prepares analysis of budget data for the director and assures that expenditures stay within the established budget for the school; monitors personnel accounts. Maintains and reconciles all school budgets in a timely/monthly manner. Assists with Course Fee Audits. Assists university units and external agencies with budget requests.
  
  Prepares budgetary forms, initiates processes in SOARFIN, obtains appropriate signatures and routes to appropriate entity. Initiates all Foundation non-scholarship withdrawal requests.
• Serves as facility and inventory point of contact. Maintains and tracks school inventory. Conducts regular inventory audits. Assists in state mandated audits. Orders course and lab supplies and coordinates delivery, as requested. Coordinates lab maintenance with off-campus technicians and appropriate lab coordinator or faculty. Assists with lab clean-out. Processes necessary forms for school maintenance, supply purchases, awards, etc. through the University and Foundation.
  
  Serves as building liaison, enters work orders and interacts with physical plant on building maintenance and service.
• Manages personnel actions under supervision of director, including creation of job requisitions, onboarding and off-boarding of staff, faculty, graduate assistants, temporary non-students. Prepares appropriate HR hiring paperwork for faculty, staff, adjuncts, student employees, etc. Prepares credentialing paperwork for instructors. Hires, assigns duties, and supervises the work of student employees. Prepares semesterly paperwork for Graduate school, includes tuition waiver requests, offer letters, and Personnel Action Forms.
• Provides administrative support for the Director including, but not limited to: gathering, analyzing, and/or inputting data; event planning and public relations; website management, calendar/scheduling and facilities reservations; correspondence, preparing reports for accreditation and funding agencies.
• Serves as back-up and support to fill in as needed by successfully completing cross training on all job duties and responsibilities outlined in this position; performs other duties as assigned by the School Director.

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) and two years of office experience - OR - an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Proficiency with a PC and keyboard to perform data entry, manipulation, and analysis.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to maintain cooperative relationships with colleagues.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to exercise discretion, confidentiality, and judgment in dealing with sensitive issues.
• Ability to problem solve under direction of school and campus administrators.

• Experience working in academia.
• Minimum three years in a full-time office administration position.
• Knowledge of SOAR, SOARHR, SOARFIN, Cornerstone, Black Baud, University Foundation Go! System, Astra, and Faculty Enlight.

Since our founding in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi has remained…