Department Administrator, East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures

About the role

The Department Administrator of East Asian Languages (EALC) and Civilizations and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELC) oversees every aspect of leading two departments including managing finances, hiring, letter writing, appointing/reappointing lectures, overseeing academic and facilities.

Independently serves as the primary contact for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as providing leadership support to the two department chairs, 24 standing faculty and 26 LFL (Lecturers in Foreign Languages) and eight language programs.

The position is responsible for advising, leading, directing, and managing the academic, administrative, and financial sectors of the departments of MELC and EALC.

Responsibilities

• Handles the general office administration for the Departments of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and East Asian Languages and Civilizations and serves as the primary contact for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as providing administrative support to the two Department Chairs, 24 standing faculty and 33 LFL (Lecturers in Foreign Languages).
• Fields inquiries and guides both students and faculty through a variety of University policies, resources, and procedures.
• Coordinates student activity coordination and provides guidance to students and support to faculty as related to academic and curriculum planning.
• Assists with faculty and staff searches, appointments, and maintains and organizes all records with strict confidentiality acting as a liaison with the SAS Dean’s office on personnel matters.
• Aware of and effectively communicates the scholarly and teaching missions of the department.
• Liaison with the International Student and Scholar Services and processes all international visas for the departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Experience providing administrative support in an academic environment strongly preferred.
• Ideal candidate must possess strong organizational skills, strong written and oral communications skills, and the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Must exercise professional judgement with the ability to provide excellent customer service to a diverse audience.
• Ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of scholarly resources across the University that are available for both students and department faculty.
• Financial experience, event-planning experience, and an understanding of academic and curriculum planning are preferred.
• Familiarity with Penn’s financial application strongly preferred.