Administrative Specialist

About The Work Unit

The Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts & Science is a recognized world leader in mathematical research and education. The faculty includes several International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) speakers and about a third of the faculty are Fellows of the AMS. The department has leading research groups in several areas of mathematics including biomathematics, combinatorics, geometry and topology, group theory, PDEs, universal algebra & logic, and harmonic analysis.

The research achievements of Vanderbilt mathematics faculty have been recognized by invitations to speak at prestigious mathematics conferences such as the International Congress of Mathematicians and the AMS-MAA Mathematical Meetings.

• Assist in the administrative day-to-day operations of the department.
• Provide administrative support to the Administrative Officer, Administrative Manager, Program Manager, and Department Chair, as needed.
• Serve as Departmental Procurement Requester, processing procurement orders such as office and break room supplies.
• Serve as a departmental One Card holder for procurement and travel purchasing.
• Serve as Guest Travel Coordinator for all departmental seminar speakers and other invited guests, including lodging, airfare, parking, and travel expense reimbursements.
• Plan events for guest speakers and lecture series, including catering orders.
• Reserve campus rooms via EMS as needed.
• Update the department website and other communication platforms (displays, newsletters).
• Submit facilities work orders and process key and new phone number requests.
• Apply strong time‑management skills: operate independently, prioritize, and accomplish complex initiatives within deadlines. Adjust to changing priorities on short notice and self‑manage multiple projects with varying deadlines.
• Maintain confidentiality and use discretion.
• Demonstrate excellent professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Screens department phone calls and administrative email inboxes as needed.
• Maintain access to selected calendars to schedule meetings involving multiple participants related to departmental and program events.
• Act as point of contact for communication regarding website updates, calendars, and REDCap forms related to department events, colloquium and other program activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position does not have supervisory responsibility. It reports administratively & functionally to the Department Administrative Manager.

• A high school diploma is required.
• An associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.

• Working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Strong organizational skills and detail orientation with an emphasis on self‑managing multiple tasks and proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Experience with administrative systems, policies, and procedures.
• Enjoy working independently and as part of a team.

• High proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word), Adobe Acrobat, Slack, Zoom, and standard website interfaces.
• Experience managing multiple calendars and/or complex calendars.
• Proficient user of Vanderbilt systems including, but not limited to, Concur, Oracle, and REDCap.
• Experience with Box and One Drive.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.