Office Assistant Job at George Mason University in Fairfax

Department: Col of Engineering and Computing

Classification: Admin Office Specialist 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 03

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Statistics is the science of data; and it has influenced virtually every discipline, including AI, where evidence-based decision-making is crucial. The primary purpose of the George Mason Department of Statistics is to educate undergraduate and graduate students in statistical science; conduct research in statistics and data science, and interdisciplinary research where Statistics and Data Science matter; and administer B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. programs in statistical and data science.

About the Position:

An Office Assistant is an essential position in an academic department. This position reports to the Chair of the Department of Statistics. The incumbent will work with the Office Manager and other staff and will be responsible for a broad range of tasks critical to the Department's administrative integrity and procedures relative to the needs of the faculty and the students. Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to serving as liaison with other administrative offices of the School and the University, interacting with departmental faculty, and assisting with organizing various events sponsored by the department. The individual in this position represents the department professionally and is a resource regarding the university and the department's rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

* Please note that this is not a 100% remote/virtual position, but it is telework friendly. Depending upon your department/office, with the chair's approval, you may have the ability to telework 1 day per week.

Responsibilities:

Office Assistant

* Led by office manager or work independently

* Serves as an assistant to the department chair and associate chair(s);

* Completes day-to-day office tasks, including screening and routing phone calls and emails, filing, typing, mailing, copying, and shredding;

* Schedules rooms for seminars, student exams, and other departmental functions;

* Answers questions and routes in-person walk-in requests;

* Provides administrative support for faculty, and for graduate student assistants, in collaboration with the office manager;

* Collaborates and communicates with administrative support in other departments to maximize best practices and mutual support;

* Responds to requests/questions from students seeking information on the Department's graduate programs, certificate programs, and undergraduate courses, and routes student inquiries to appropriate faculty;

* Processes book orders for all classes;

* Keeps the administrative office and conference rooms neat and tidy;

* Ensures that visitors are welcomed into an orderly professional environment; and

* Supports departmental events, such as bookings and supply orders for holiday, summer, and retirement parties.

Administrative Assistance to Graduate Programs

* Assists the PhD program director and MS program directors in the following areas:

* Filing;

* Providing forms to students and faculty;

* Entering exam results into the university digital system; and

* Maintaining and updating files and forms.

Administrative Assistance and Advising for Undergraduate Programs

* Supports the undergraduate program coordinator in advising activities, including advising, attending orientations and recruitment activities when asked by the coordinator;

* Creates and maintains all records for the new undergraduate program; and

* Provides basic information to undergraduate students and routes them appropriately.

Digital Support

* Provides administrative support to departmental webpage, social media, listserv or other digital communications, including moderate assistance to newsletters and presentations as suitable;

* Provides support to filing/filling on-line or dynamic forms; and

* Extracts data and information from university systems.

Back-up to Office Manager and other related duties as assigned

* Backup telecom coordinator, asset coordinator, and space coordinator;

* Covers office management activities when office manager is away;

* Makes appointments for the department chair, as needed; and

* Other duties as assigned by the chair or associate chairs.

Required Qualifications:

* Experience working in an office setting;

* Experience as a front office first point of contact;

* Experience in managing sensitive and confidential materials;

* Knowledge of general office practices and equipment;

* Knowledge of and prior experience with Microsoft Office, Google, or similar products for word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, web-related applications;

* Excellent personal or customer service skills;

* Excellent written and verbal communication skills;

* Demonstrated problem-solving skills;

* Ability to coordinate a variety of activities and prioritize items of importance with and without supervision;

* Ability to exercise independent, sound judgement with accuracy and attention to detail;

* Ability to deal effectively with diverse clients including students, parents, faculty, and staff; and

* Aptitude to learn new software and internet applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in related field;

* Work experience in higher education;

* Experience with event planning;

* Experience with Banner, eVA, MicroStrategy, and Patriot Web;

* Prior experience updating websites;

* Experience in creating marketing materials;

* Knowledge of academic policies and procedures;

* Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; and

* Familiarity with processes at GMU.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Office Assistant at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume. Full consideration will apply to applicants who submit their completed application by November 21, 2024; however, review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

Posting Open Date: November 7, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: November 21, 2024

Open Until Filled: Yes

A Force for Innovation in the Heart of Northern Virginia's Technology Corridor

About the College

The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) at George Mason University is a fast- growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the CEC enrolled a record high of 10,933 students in fall 2023. The college has 34 undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs including several first-in-the-nation offerings. Of its 320 full-time faculty, 93 are tenured, 77 are tenure- track, 90 are term faculty, and 60 are research faculty. As part of a nationally ranked research university, CEC research teams expended $65 million in sponsored research awards in the past year and had projects with over $119 million in current and anticipated awards. The college stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architectures, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, statistics and more. The college encourages and supports multidisciplinary research and provides ample opportunity for faculty to work with other disciplines.

About the University and the Region

George Mason University is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students studying in over 200 degree programs. Mason is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. It was classified as an R1 research institution in 2016 by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education. The university has campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William County. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides unmatched geographical access to federal agencies and national laboratories. Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-tech firms in the nation, providing excellent opportunities for interaction with industry. The region is consistently rated as being among the best places to live in the country and has an outstanding local public school system.

About the Future

In conjunction with Amazon's decision to establish a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing. As a result, Mason has committed to accelerate its plans to grow its capacity in computing and high-tech fields. Among the university's exciting initiatives are the launch of the Institute for Digital Innovation-a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy-and the expansion of Mason Square home to its Arlington facilities. In 2025,

Fuse a new 355,000 square foot building, will open to students, faculty, and research teams. This net-zero facility will house the Institute for Digital Innovation, state-of the-art classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces. It will also include retail space, and leasing opportunities for local businesses. These initiatives reflect hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment by Mason that will rapidly elevate the university's already leading national position in computing and related areas.