Assistant to the Director, School of Architecture

Assistant to the Director
-------------------------

### School of Architecture

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

#### Job Summary

The Assistant to the Director serves as part of the School of Architecture administrative team. This position is responsible for planning, organizing, coordinating, and executing various administrative functions while providing advice to the Director, and supervising office support staff. The position works independently, exercising judgment and discretion.

 

**School Administrative Duties**

• Provides a high level of expertise and
operational leadership in the Director’s Office to help determine and
accomplish the organization’s goals and objectives effectively.

• Serves as the Director’s liaison between
departmental faculty, college office, and campus departments; communicates by
telephone and/or in person with other offices on and off campus regarding
School business for exchange of information, clarification, and discussion, as
duties require.

• Manages, coordinates, and conducts a variety
of special projects on behalf of the Director.

• Supervises office administrative staff,
delegates tasks, and monitors workflow. This also includes responsibilities to
interview, select, and train staff, as well as conducts annual performance
reviews.

• Counsels staff on matters of significance
related to policy, rules, and procedures involving significant discretion and
judgement. Provides guidance and interpretation regarding the administration of
other guiding principles and governance structures as they relate to the
college and campus.

• Coordinates and attends
school Executive Committee meetings, as well as school Faculty meetings,
preparing agendas and taking minutes. Coordinates membership with Director and
Executive Committee for all School committees. Serves as a member of other various
school committees and decision-making groups and attends all meetings to report
back to Director.

• Works closely with the Director on the
facilitation of faculty development and evaluation processes. Serves as a
primary resource regarding guidelines, format, and interpretation of policy for
annual procedures such as promotion and tenure, annual reviews, annual CV
reports, sabbaticals, conflicts of interest (RNUA), academic integrity, and
faculty hiring.

• Gathers and analyzes reports and data,
performs research and analyses, establishing timelines and guidelines, and
participating in implementing goals.

• Assists office staff with the coordination
of events, including conferences, retreats, and other special events in the
School.

• Coordinates the academic program review
process for the School. Includes working with external reviewers (coordinating
itinerary and travel planning), working with the Dean’s office and the Office
of the Provost to ensure compliance with campus policy.

• Manages planning and coordination as
directed for the Annual and Five-Year Architectural Report for Accreditation
with National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB). Keyboards material for
Director and faculty assigned special sections of report when necessary.

• Reviews and acknowledge bi-weekly time
sheets submitted in web time for Architecture support staff.

• Reviews faculty absence requests via the
AVSL academic vacation and sick leave reporting app.

• Serves as the administrative secretary for
faculty search committee meetings. Coordinates the schedule for candidate
interviews and on-campus visits of faculty candidates. Prepares and distributes
candidate itineraries.

• Maintains overall School calendar of
operative and administrative deadline dates for planning. Notifies appropriate
staff, faculty and administrative personnel of deadlines.

• Coordinates the School of Architecture
Lecture Series. Arranging travel and lodging for lecture guests, faculty
dinners, receptions for opening exhibits, payments (including honorariums and
reimbursements), arrangements for printing of lecture series poster and mass
mailing. Prepares all correspondence related to the Lecture Series, including
items for inclusion on the school’s website.

• Arranges itineraries for special visitors to
the Illinois School of Architecture, including travel arrangements, lodging,
agendas, etc.

• Coordinates gift letters on the director’s
behalf, sent from the college advancement office.

• Conducts school elections for school
Executive Committee, Faculty Grievance Committee, College Executive Committee,
College Promotion and Tenure Committee, and campus Faculty Senate Committee.

• Maintains confidential, individual faculty
files and other academic records for the School, adding information/material to
each file as necessary from Director's and/or Assistant to the Director’s
office.

• Coordinates various alumni fellowship awards
such as the Francis J. Plym Traveling Fellowship, Clyde Lee & Cecilia Baker
Fellowship, and the Oscar E. Leidenfrost Memorial Prize. Works with committee
on review and selection of winner, coordinates award letter to recipients, and
works with individuals on preparation of their travel.


**Director’s Assistant**

• Serves as executive assistant to the
Director of the School of Architecture. Keyboards letters, and confidential
correspondence, reports and statistical material of a complex nature for the
Director of the School including watching for errors of fact and using
judgment, where appropriate, for format, grammar, etc., maintaining
confidentiality in all instances.

• Maintains the Director’s schedule for daily
meetings between faculty, students, staff, Deans, Directors and Department
Heads and high-level campus and university administrative staff and outside
agencies; conferences, committee meetings, lunch and dinner engagements, and
keeps him up-to-date on his appointments as they approach. Compiles material
for meetings, pulls necessary files as needed prior to meetings, invites and
notifies participants. Manages complex and highly dynamic scheduling tasks.

• Coordinates the Director’s travel
arrangements, preparing itinerary, contacting possible meeting associates as
necessary, compile appropriate backup documents.

• Handles Director’s expense reports and
reimbursements, via Chrome River.

• Establish procedures and initiates routines
to facilitate responsibilities to the Director of the School.



**Collaboration with Associate
Directors**

• Assists with the Associate Director for
Research, Marketing, and Communications with marketing and communication
efforts as well as the special projects that are developed in relations to
these.

• Works closely with the Associate Directors
to advise and set priorities for the presence of the Director’s office members
at internally and externally focused events and meetings; direct the planning
and scheduling of appointments.

• Works with the Director and Associate
Directors to establish and unify the School’s messaging.

• Works with the Associate Directors on other
projects as they develop.

**Other Duties as Assigned**

 

####

#### Minimum Qualifications

1. High school graduation or equivalent

2. Any one or any combination totaling five (5) years (60 months) from the following categories:
A. college course work in business, finance, accounting or a related field:
• 60 semester hours or an Associate's degree equals one (1) year (12 months)
• 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
• 120 semester hours or a Bachelor's degree equals three (3) years (36 months)
• Master's degree or higher equals four (4) years (48 months)
B. progressively more responsible general or specialized office experience which included aspects of supervising staff or a job function, organizing, and performing duties that lead to knowledge of generally accepted office principles

#### Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional organization skills.

• Above average typing skills (speed and accuracy), ability to format, and above average grammar/spelling skills enabling completion of Director’s typing or to advise and instruct others when necessary. Accurate proofreading is essential.

• Good judgment in making decisions in the absence of the Director or Assistant Director.

• Strong interpersonal skills to maximize interaction with co-workers, other School contacts, persons outside the School.

• Good working knowledge of University, College, and School regulations and policies; understanding of organizational structure of University.

• Basic math skills for salary computations and other statistical duties that arise.

• Maturity with respect to handling confidential matters, personnel files, and other School matters that require discretion.

• Flexibility and ability to handle constant distractions and interruptions.

• Knowledge of Microsoft products (including Outlook), as well as other office equipment.

#### Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 0058 - Administrative Aide position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date.  The salary range for this position is $60,000- $70,000. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints.

This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.   

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at <https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx>.

#### Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on September 30, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through <https://jobs.illinois.edu> will not be considered. If required