Administrative Support Supervisor - 135339

Physics is a prominent, highly ranked, and research-intensive department at UC San Diego, with 400+ employees, annual expenditures of roughly $30M, annual course enrollment in the 13-15K range, and over 140K square feet of space in 8 campus buildings. Research and instructional activity occur over an unusually broad range of disciplinary areas, including: astrophysics & astronomy, atomic/molecular physics, biophysics, condensed matter physics, controlled fusion & plasma physics, elementary particle physics, nanoscience, and nonlinear dynamics. Physics houses CAN (the Center for Advanced Nancoscience), a center that focuses on advanced materials and nanophysics, and has close ties to CASS (the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences), an organized research unit that supports both space- and ground-based research in astrophysics and space sciences.

Research activity occurs both on-campus and in multiple off-campus locations, including: U.S. National Laboratories such as Argonne, Lawrence Livermore, and LANL (Los Alamos National Lab); observatories throughout the world; Antarctica; and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland. Research collaborations frequently involve other U.S. and international universities, National Labs, research institutes such as The Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute; and/or companies such as SAIC and General Atomics. Sponsored research activities are funded by 40-50 different funding agencies, including NSF, NIH, DOE, DOD, and AFOSR, and include complex multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multi-PI awards. Sponsored project expenditures run about $20M/year.

Instruction occurs at multiple levels. The doctoral program has a flexible and broad-based curriculum which leads to a Ph.D. in Physics or Physics/Biophysics, with optional specializations in Computational Science or Quantitative Biology. With nearly 400 Physics majors, the undergraduate major program is one of the most productive in the nation. Students may obtain B.S. degrees with optional specializations in Astrophysics, Biophysics, Computational Physics, Earth Sciences, or Materials Physics, or B.A. degrees with an optional specialization in Secondary Education. A special 5-year integrated program leading to a B.S./M.S. in Materials Physics is also available. Lower division courses allow students to satisfy their general education requirements and serve as foundational courses for students majoring in the sciences and engineering.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the Administrative Support Supervisor is responsible for providing high-level oversight and management of the administrative support unit serving the Department Chair, Leadership Team, Staff, and Faculty. Supervise the administrative support teams, including student employees, and overseeing the Physics Business Office's physical location, including ordering, upkeep, and general management.

Supervise key administrative functions such as keeping faculty meeting notes, drafting correspondence, updating policies and procedures, maintaining the department website, managing mailing lists, and other essential duties. Play a crucial role in supervising the faculty assistant team, which coordinates academic and research operations, logistics for faculty recruitment, new faculty transitions, departmental meetings, and seminar organization. They will also oversee procurement, faculty expenses, and support for faculty travel and relocations, in addition to supporting instruction through materials ordering, copying, uploading, and distribution.

This position requires collaboration with the CAO, Department Chair, Committee Chairs, Faculty Leaders, and other groups on administrative staffing issues and concerns. The Supervisor will define department-wide policies and procedures, provide strategic planning, and offer guidance to the CAO and Department Chair on administrative support matters. The role includes conducting monthly staff meetings, attending regular management meetings with senior leadership, and orienting and training new team members.

• Demonstrated experience in overseeing day-to-day office operations, including managing supplies, maintaining equipment, and coordinating activities to ensure a well-organized and efficient work environment.

• Proven experience in managing executive faculty support tasks, such as organizing meetings, seminars, and events, including logistics, scheduling, and vendor communications.

• Minimum of 1-2 years of supervisory experience in an administrative setting, including the management of administrative support teams and student employees.

• Experience in the successful recruiting, supervising, motivating, and leading of staff; in analyzing workflow and determining optimal staff configurations to meet operational and service needs; and in resolving performance problems and other personnel issues.

• Demonstrated administrative, leadership, and organizational skills in an educational setting

• Demonstrated ability to manage a complex calendar with frequent changes in a fast paced environment, including completion of meeting documents and back-up with attention to detail.

• Strong understanding of university administrative policies, including purchasing, travel, and payment authorization, with the ability to explain, defend, and apply policies to ensure compliance.

• Working knowledge of the organization's processes and procedures, rules and regulations.

• Working knowledge of common organization-specific and other computer application programs. Strong experience in business application software including: MS Word, Outlook, Access, On-Time Calendar, Excel, PowerPoint, web-based programs, browsers, electronic mail, databases, and word processing with fast, accurate key entry skills.

• Interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication, active listening, critical thinking, persuasiveness, advising, and counseling to effectively motivate others. Strong skills to communicate effectively with all levels of staff, faculty, alumni / donors, students and external constituencies, both verbally and in writing. Possess skills of tact, poise, diplomacy, and hospitality with a diverse population of staff, faculty, industry, and the community in a high pressure and demanding environment.

• Skills to evaluate issues and identify resolutions. Solid analytical / problem-solving skills. Proven ability to work independently and effectively with minimal supervision; make decisions; accurately anticipate needs; take initiative; learn quickly; demonstrate flexibility; and maintain professional composure while working under pressure of frequent interruptions and changing priorities.

• Strong service orientation with the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities. Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes. Demonstrated experience in setting priorities, producing timely results, and meeting deadlines, in a varied demand work environment while maintaining an extremely high level of attention to detail and accuracy.

• Ability to work well as a team member, foster positive professional relationships and resolve conflict with co-workers.

• Ability to use high-level discretion and maintain confidentiality. Ability to act independently and exercise sound judgment, with the acumen and sensitivity to identify decisions and activities that require confidentiality and/or higher-level consultation and/or group collaboration. Ability to maintain poise in delicate situations and clarify and resolve ambiguous or conflicting needs.

• Strong skills in problem identification with a proven ability to research and analyze situations, identify existing or potential impacts, develop and recommend innovative solutions, determine and implement procedures for effective resolution, and evaluate results or progress.

• Ability to develop, implement and maintain computerized and paper records and filing systems that allow for easy retrieval of information by self and others.

• Strong writing, proofreading and composition skills with the ability to draft, edit and finalize various forms of communications using proper grammar and writing styles, with accuracy and attention to detail.

• This position requires a background check clearance prior to starting employment.

• This position is designated as a mandated CANRA reporter.

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