Administrative Support Assistant, UT Extension Eastern Region Office: UTIA

The UT Extension Eastern Region Office is currently seeking applications for an Administrative Associate to join the administration team, providing essential support to county staff and clientele. The role involves managing calendars, coordinating travel, handling expense reports, ordering supplies, maintaining office organization, and supporting various programmatic projects and events. This position reports directly to the Region Director.

• Office Support:
  • Interact with clients, stakeholders, county personnel, other departmental staff and UT/TSU administration.
  • Greet visitors, answer phones, respond to e-mail inquiries, route requests, and distributes mail.
  • Prepare and ship UPS, USPS and FedEx packages to UT departments and county offices.
  • Coordinate with other UTK departments, UT and TSU personnel, and county staff to respond to technical needs and resolve problems.
  • Communicate with donors and sponsors and create follow up correspondence.
  • Initiate and draft correspondence to support regional staff.
  • Produce posters, handouts, reports, documents, signage, and newsletters for region staff.
  • Maintain a list of participants and sponsors and complete correspondence to assist agents and programs assistants with various types of programs.
  • Maintain reports, documentation, and operational or procedural manuals.
  • Maintain COVID-19 compliance sanitization, safety procedures and supplies.
  • Maintain, procure, and disperse UTIA marketing promotional items to county/region personnel.
  • Interact with supply and service vendors and serve as point of contact for space, equipment, or facility issues.
  • Manage equipment and space inventories.
  • Order office supplies and postage as needed and make sure proper care and maintenance is given to all equipment.
  • Initiate and draft correspondence to support regional staff.
  • Produce newsletters materials, maintain list of participants and sponsors, and complete correspondence to assist agents and programs assistants with various types of educational programs.
  • Maintain reports, documentation, and operational or procedural manuals.
  • Responsible for the maintenance and service of region-owned vehicles.
  • Create and maintain tip sheets for county administrative staff.
  • Provide technical and administrative support for national professional association meetings, Extension conference, and Middle Managers conference.
• Human Resource Support:
  • Assist in on-boarding new employees and training county staff.
  • Perform data entry in IRIS and SUPER as directed.
  • Enter personnel and program information.
  • Serves as backup data entry for county programs.
  • Enter event data into Best of Showare (4-H judging software) for all regional 4-H events and activities.
  • Enter Child Protection data in SUPER and compile county Minors on Campus reports.
  • Review leave certification and ensure compliance on a monthly basis.
  • Mentoring county administrative staff.
  • Conduct educational programs at county director meetings/administrative support trainings on new processes and procedures.
  • Plan and conduct county administrative support retreats and trainings.
  • Conduct monthly audits for compliance for Minors on Campus including volunteers and employees.
  • Onboard new county/region support staff.
  • Conduct training and technical support for WordPress, SharePoint, IRIS, Concur, Ag Store, Employee Self Service, Quicken, SUPER, DocuSign, Microsoft Teams, Mural, Zoom, QuestionPro and others.
  • Maintain and distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies for region staff and facilitate the distribution of PPE items to county offices.
• Financial Support:
  • Financial responsibilities include, but not limited to accounts receivable, cash deposits, accounts payable, financial accounts reconciliation (using Quicken Program), equipment inventory, time entry, annual and sick balances using IRIS and travel reports.
  • Prepare budgets, reconciles accounts and assists with contract management.
  • Collect payments, sponsorships, donations and verifies billing information.
  • Perform invoice verification.
  • Verify pCard reconciliation statements in IRIS.
  • Enter and process guest travelers in IRIS.
  • Obtain and manage group travel cards for regional and county staff.
  • Maintain departmental files including pCard, ledgers, travel and leave.
  • Support county staff in obtaining travel advances.
  • Receive and compile deposits for UT/4-H Foundation accounts as well as Quicken and R accounts.
  • Invoice counties for regional programmatic events.
  • Solicit bids and cost information from vendors for purchases and repairs involving building maintenance, buses, and region owned vehicles.
• Logistical Support:
  • Compile yearly calendar, schedule of events and maintain calendar for conference room and meeting rooms.
  • Schedule and organize meetings including recording and distributing minutes.
  • Coordinate and book travel plans and create itineraries.
  • Manage and update WordPress region website and maintain SharePoint website for internal staff resources.
  • Maintain region cell phone and personnel directory for county and region staff.
• Additional Regional duties as required.

Required Qualifications:

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Office type environment work of 1-3 years.
• Prior experience or background knowledge of Extension.
• Experience working with the public.
• Must have a valid driver’s license

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Computer knowledge in Microsoft Office, Quicken, SUPER, DASH, Zoom, QuestionPro, Sharepoint, Adobe and WordPress.
• Office skills and abilities including typing and bookkeeping.
• Be a self-starter and have the ability to maintain good public relations with counties, stakeholders, sponsors, local community, and UT and TSU administration.
• Knowledge of office equipment and building maintenance. Knowledge of working with budgets and /or bookkeeping.
• Ability to multi task, ensure effective communication and maintain office efficiency.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Classes from a community college or vocational/business school in computer and office skills are a plus.
• The CAP certification is preferred
• Training in accounting, office management, office technology, and business administration.

Work Location:

Onsite at the UT Extension Eastern Region Office in Knoxville, TN.

About UT Extension:

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. It is a statewide educational organization, funded by federal, state and local governments, that brings research-based information about agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and resource development to the people of Tennessee where they live and work.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!