Administrative Associate, McDonald Observatory

Job Posting Title:

Administrative Associate, McDonald Observatory ----

Hiring Department:

McDonald Observatory ----

Position Open To:

All Applicants ----

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40 ----

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt from FLSA ----

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately ----

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue ----

Location:

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY ----

Job Details:

General Notes

This position provides administrative support to McDonald Observatory's West Texas operations. The McDonald Observatory is a major astronomical research observatory located 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles from the UT Austin campus), and this position is located at the observatory. This position reports to the executive assistant in the Superintendent's office and works closely with the Austin Business Office.

The University of Texas at Austin provides an outstanding benefits package to staff. For more details, please see https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards .

Competitive health benefits (Employee premiums covered at 100%; family premiums at 50%).

Vision, dental, life, and disability insurance options.

Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

Teachers Retirement System of Texas (a defined benefit retirement plan).

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

This position provides strong administrative support for the McDonald Observatory West Texas operations and works collaboratively with West Texas staff and the McDonald Observatory Austin Business Office.

Responsibilities

Administrative Support. Support the administrative and clerical operations for the Superintendent and office staff. Helps with shipping and receiving packages and mail and ensures the proper recipients are contacted. Maintain site calendar. Process documents per University policies and procedures, including workers comp insurance. Coordinates site-wide university vehicle registrations and insurance. Coordinates travel for Superintendent and staff. Composes and proofreads departmental correspondence. Prepares required documentation for special events and assists with special event staffing. Provide notary services and drive UT vehicles as needed. Ensures confidentiality and maintains a professional manner with staff and the public. Performs other related functions to meet business needs as necessary, including evenings or weekend work.

Financial. Prepares and processes payment vouchers for goods and services received at the Observatory. Receives, records, and deposits payments for the on-site residents. Assists with Pro-Card logs and reconciliations of the ProCard for staff reporting up to the Superintendent. Reconciles bank accounts, including the Imprest Funds, and serves as the petty cash custodian. Maintains and posts purchasing and payment information to the local accounting database. Reconciles Mt. Locke West Texas accounts and prepares detailed monthly reports, including appropriate use of funds. Prepares billing information and invoices for tenant facilities in consultation with the Austin Business Office.

Compliance. Serve as a point of contact for West Texas staff on business procedures in accordance with University policies and procedures, ensure compliance (including for the Superintendent's office), and coordinate with the Austin Business Office as appropriate.

Required Qualifications

High school graduation or GED and at least five years of clerical experience or one year of experience at the Administrative Assistant level with a Bachelor's Degree.

Experience with Microsoft Office suite, including an intermediate skill level in Excel and Word.

Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

Excellent oral and written communication skills, with strong writing and proofreading skills.

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Ability to interact and maintain productive working relationships with staff, visitors, and residents and maintain a positive and professional demeanor.

Ability to assess workload and prioritize tasks while demonstrating attention to detail and accuracy to meet deadlines and manage concurrent projects in multiple areas successfully.

Ability to learn quickly and be flexible.

Experience taking ownership of projects and seeing them through to successful completion.

Ability to undertake and complete tasks with minimal supervision and exhibit individual initiative in meeting the functions of the position.

Competencies for the position include accuracy and attention to detail, decision-making and critical thinking, effective communication, initiative, problem-solving, interpersonal relationships, and service excellence.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience using UT mainframe, Workday, and UT web applications.

Knowledge of the UT policies and procedures.

Experience planning, budgeting, and executing small to mid-sized events, including vendor coordination.

Advanced skills in the use of Microsoft Office applications.

Driving Required

This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license. The applicant must provide a three-year driving record from the current state of residence. If not a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident.

Salary Range

$46,000 + depending on qualifications and experience

Working Conditions

Work at a computer and in standard office conditions with repetitive keyboard use at a workstation.

Use of manual dexterity

Occasional climbing of ladders

Occasional heavy lifting and moving 10+ lbs

Occasional work around electrical, mechanical hazards, and heavy equipment

Occasional work after-hours

May work in all weather conditions, including cold and dark conditions

McDonald Observatory is located at approx. 6900 ft. above sea level. Environmental conditions can be unpredictable; temperatures can range from -10˚F to +95˚F

Inclement winter weather can be expected, which requires comfortable driving in wintry conditions on mountain grades

Work Shift

M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Occasional after-hours and weekends as needed and for special events

Required Materials

Letter of interest

Resume/CV

Three (3) work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Please mark "yes" on the application for required materials. Failure to attach all additional materials listed may affect candidates' consideration for the position.

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upl