Job Posting Title:
Administrative Associate, McDonald Observatory----
Hiring Department:
McDonald Observatory----
Position Open To:
All Applicants----
Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40----
FLSA Status:
Non-Exempt----
Earliest Start Date:
Immediately----
Position Duration:
Expected to Continue----
Location:
MCDONALD OBSERVATORY----
Job Details:
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
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.
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 ProCard purchases following University policies and procedures. Manages the department's ProCard and assists with the ProCard 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 paperwork for various events and lodging charges. Enters weekly deposits for the Astronomers Lodge. Prepares and processes payment vouchers for goods and services received at the Observatory in West Texas. Reconciles Mt. Locke, West Texas accounts, and produces detailed monthly reports, including proper use of funds. Must be an authorized signer on the local bank account.
High school diploma or GED and a minimum of five years of clerical experience, or at least one year of experience at the Administrative Assistant level with a bachelor’s degree.
Experience with the Microsoft Office suite, including intermediate skills in Excel and Word.
Ability to adapt, work independently, and be an essential team member.
Proven good judgment.
Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving abilities.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, with strong writing and proofreading skills.
Ability to interact with and maintain productive working relationships with staff, visitors, and residents, while consistently maintaining a positive and professional demeanor.
Ability to evaluate workload, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines to effectively manage multiple projects across different areas with accuracy.
Ability to learn quickly and adapt flexibly.
Experience in taking ownership of projects and guiding them to successful completion.
Ability to undertake and complete tasks with minimal supervision and demonstrate individual initiative in fulfilling the responsibilities of the position.
Competencies for the position include accuracy and attention to detail, decision-making, critical thinking, effective communication, initiative, interpersonal skills, problem-solving, and service excellence.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
One year experience in Procurement.
Experience using UT mainframe, Workday, and UT web applications
Knowledge of the UT policies and procedures
Experience with planning, budgeting, and executing small to mid-sized events, including vendor coordination
Advanced skills in the use of Microsoft Office applications
This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three-year driving record from the current state of residence. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident.
$46,000+ depending on qualifications and experience
Position is located at McDonald Observatory, Ft. Davis, Texas. If you do not live in the surrounding areas, you will need to relocate.
May work in all weather conditions and extreme temperatures. McDonald Observatory is located at approximately 6900 ft. above sea level. Environmental conditions can be unpredictable; temperatures can range from -10˚F and +95˚F. Inclement winter weather can be expected, which requires comfortable driving in wintry conditions on mountain grades.
Working at a desk and computer for extended periods, including repetitive use of a keyboard
Use of manual dexterity
Occasional climbing of stairs and ladders
Occasional heavy lifting and moving 10+ lbs
Occasional work around electrical, mechanical hazards, and heavy equipment
May work in all weather conditions
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Occasional work after hours
Occasional weekends
Letter of interest
Resume/CV
Three work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
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. You will be allowed 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 can 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 into 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 upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) noted above.
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Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.----
Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.----
Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
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Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
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Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.
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Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.