Office Support Specialist - Department of Statistics - College of LAS

About the Role

The Department of Statistics is seeking an Office Support Specialist to assist with financial and administrative activities, providing essential support for departmental operations.

Responsibilities

• Travel & Reimbursements:
  • Serve as the primary contact for department purchases and travel reimbursements.
  • Prepare and process university business documents and travel reimbursements for allowable expenditures incurred by faculty, staff, students, and non-employee visitors.
  • Review and analyze forms to ensure adequacy and acceptability of information.
  • Communicate with faculty, staff, students, and visitors to address questions and resolve issues from initial request through completion.
  • Process vendor payments, invoices, miscellaneous expense reimbursements, student payments, scholarships, awards, honorarium, cash/program advances, and foreign national payments in accordance with University policy.
  • Assist with purchasing travel expenses (airfare, hotel, train), business meals, and catering using the Travel Card (T-Card) or iTravel.
  • Perform all required functions in Chrome River.
  • Assist the Events Coordinator with visitor itineraries and coordinate schedules with stakeholders.
  • Review departmental pre-approvals for University allowability and track backup documents (e.g., conference programs, comparable flights).
  • Reconcile Pcard and Tcard transactions for the business office.
• Purchasing & Finance:
  • Coordinate departmental office supply needs, submitting requisitions via iBuy, Amazon Business, P-card, or T-card while adhering to University purchasing rules.
  • Track and purchase departmental equipment (e.g., computers, laptops) and work with the Facilities Coordinator to update inventory.
  • Assist event staff with purchasing needs (room reservations, catering, A/V) and ensure vendor paperwork is submitted and payments processed.
  • Support the Marketing Office with purchasing departmental swag items for undergraduate, corporate relations, and events.
  • Process check deposits, journal vouchers, and credit card payments, including Illinois Statistics Office payments, Career Forum payments, reimbursements, sponsorships, and overpayments.
  • Assist with monthly reconciliation by downloading reports, organizing documentation, and printing F&S and Illini Union vouchers.
  • Stay updated on changing policies and procedures for travel, reimbursements, and purchasing from OBFS, SPA, and other University sources.
• Departmental Responsibilities:
  • Act as the main point of contact for the business office, handling routine inquiries and directing individuals to appropriate personnel.
  • Maintain department faculty email lists.
  • Exercise purchasing authority up to $9,999 using P-card, T-card, I-Buy, or Banner.
  • Provide backup support to business office staff as needed.
  • Perform additional duties to support the unit’s mission.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Any one or combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the following:
  • College coursework in any curriculum (30 semester hours = 1 year, 60 semester hours/Associate’s Degree = 18 months, 90 semester hours = 2 years, 120 semester hours/Bachelor’s Degree = 3 years).
  • Work experience performing office/clerical activities, including the use of computer systems.
  • One (1) year (12 months) of work experience comparable to the second level of this series.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse internal and external constituents, including students, faculty, staff, and parents.
• Commitment to creating an inclusive environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students from various disciplines.
• Strong multi-tasking, organizational, and time management skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to exercise initiative, confidentiality, discretion, and sound judgment in business matters.
• Working knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word and Excel.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
• Life Insurance.
• Retirement Plan.
• Paid Time Off.
• Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Pay

The collective bargaining agreement sets a wage of $42,872.70. The final pay offered will be determined based on factors such as experience, qualifications, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable roles.

Schedule

• 100% full-time position, appointed on a 12-month basis.
• Hybrid work options may be available after an initial on-site training period, with the ability to work on-site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus as needed.