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Administrative Coordinator: Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development - UTK

University of Tennessee Athletic Marketing Department

University of Tennessee Athletic Marketing Department

Administration
Knoxville, TN, USA
Posted on Nov 20, 2025

This position is an administrative coordinator on the Division of Research Administration Shared Administrative Services (DRA-SAS) team in the Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development (ORIED), at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT), reporting to the DRA-SAS administrative team lead and ultimately to the associate vice chancellor for research administration (AVCRA). DRA-SAS provides operational and financial administrative support for the work of the 75+ people within DRA, and provides on-site support for all ORIED staff based at Cherokee Mills (CM). The administrative coordinator provides efficient, accurate, and timely support for the work of the division. DRA-SAS takes a shared services approach to supporting the operational and financial needs of the division, and the team has the flexibility to refocus support to respond to current and emerging needs and priorities. DRA-SAS administrative coordinators operate in a dynamic environment and are committed to supporting the workload of the entire division in a positive, equitable, and flexible manner. The position works in person in ORIED’s Cherokee Mills (CM) location.


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 to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

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!

This position is an administrative coordinator on the Division of Research Administration Shared Administrative Services (DRA-SAS) team in the Office of Research, Innovation, & Economic Development (ORIED), at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT), reporting to the DRA-SAS administrative team lead and ultimately to the associate vice chancellor for research administration (AVCRA). DRA-SAS provides operational and financial administrative support for the work of the 75+ people within DRA, and provides on-site support for all ORIED staff based at Cherokee Mills (CM).

Required Qualifications

  • Education:
    • High School diploma or GED
  • Experience:
    • Five years of experience as an administrative assistant in an office environment.
  • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
    • Exceptional customer service approach to all interactions with UT faculty, staff, and administrators as well as external guests;
    • Commitment to supporting the workload of the entire team in a positive, equitable, and flexible manner;
    • Strong personal initiative to proactively manage assigned tasks and meet deadlines under minimal supervision;
    • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail;
    • Ability to multi-task and prioritize assignments;
    • Professional writing and proofreading skills;
    • Proficiency with the Microsoft Office software suite, especially Outlook;
    • Professional integrity, including a thorough understanding of confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Education:
    • Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree
    • Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential
  • Experience:
    • Experience working in an academic environment; Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential.
  • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
    • Experience with software programs and tools used at UT or in other academic institutions, such as IRIS/DASH, Cayuse/DASH Research, 25Live, etc.

Work Location

  • Location: Knoxville, TN
  • Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

  • UT market range: 06
  • Anticipated hiring range: 06
  • Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
  • Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • List of 3 Professional References

OPERATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: Like all of DRA-SAS, the administrative coordinator shares the work of managing the operational administrative needs of the division. Assignments may include but are not limited to the following:

• Supports workflow processes that are critical to meeting compliance requirements, including timely processing of proposal, award, and accounting assignments.

• Updates proposal information in the DASH Research database.

• Establishes and updates electronic accounts for principal investigators and DRA staff.

• Facilitates creation of user ID profiles in numerous systems for to ensure all faculty have access to submit proposals for external funding and associated progress reports.

• Processes incoming awards and award-related documents by identifying the applicable proposal, logging documents into multiple digital systems, and distributing to appropriate coordinator to ensure timely negotiations for external funding.

• Manages DASH Research roles and access levels to ensure faculty and staff across the Knoxville campus can use DASH effectively for sponsored projects activities.

• Manages intake and triage of foundation proposals and awards, collaborating with colleagues at the UT Foundation and the AVCRA to produce regular reporting on foundations workflow.

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT: Each member of DRA-SAS is expected to be an active participant in meeting team objectives and goals, and improving work outcomes. Under the general supervision of the DRA-SAS administrative team lead, administrative coordinators analyze information and interpret situations to determine how to solve a problem or complete an assignment effectively, and share these solutions and best practices with other members of the team. They also make recommendations to the team lead to create and change office-level procedures.

ON-SITE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: Like all of DRA-SAS, the administrative coordinator provides on-site administrative support for ORIED’s CM-based staff (not limited to DRA staff). That support may include, but is not limited to:

• Answers the door and welcomes guests to ORIED’s CM suite.

• Manages reservations for CM conference rooms and workspaces.

• Manages parking tag reservations.

• Interfaces with ORIED business staff and CM building manager on facilities concerns.

• Manages incoming and outgoing mail and package and service deliveries.

• Manages onsite activities for external vendors accessing CM.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED: Includes (but is not limited to) temporarily assuming additional operational and financial administrative duties in the event of a job vacancy on the team, until the position can be filled.