Special instructions to the applicant: Please include a cover letter and resume as part of your application.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The program administrator for Department of Transnational Asian Studies and the Chao Center for Asian Studies is responsible for all front office functions and serves as the problem-solving point person for a variety of matters, under the supervision of the administrator, department chair, and director. They support department faculty and serves as the face of the department/center to all visitors. They coordinate many of the administrative functions for the department/center, its faculty and special events activities. The program administrator interacts on a daily basis with faculty, students, visitors, other university staff, and various individuals and organizations outside Rice University.

The program administrator provides support to the faculty and assists the lead administrator and chair with tasks that include, but are not limited to: the department’s General Announcements, course offerings and course schedules.

Ideal Candidate Statement: 

Ideal candidates should have strong verbal and written communication skills, experience managing events, the ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Workplace Requirements: 

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University’s Herring Hall from 8-5, Monday – Friday. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Participates in occasional evening or weekend events (e.g., conferences, lectures, student events, and commencement events).

Hiring Range: This position is benefits eligible and exempt. It has an expected minimum salary of $55,000, dependent on experience and qualifications

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements: 

Bachelor’s Degree  1 year of related professional experience (not as a student or volunteer) in office administration and event planning and execution. May substitute additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis in lieu of the education requirement. In lieu of the education/experience requirement, additional related education and/or experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis. 

Skills: 

Ability to learn new strategies Written and verbal communication skills  Data analysis skills Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously  Good organizational and time management skills  Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite  Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules  Attention to detail

Preferences:

Rice University experience Experience working in iO modules, such as Expenses, Procurement, and familiarity with the related dashboards Experience with specialized software tools commonly used in Registrar’s Offices, such as Banner, Degree Works, and CourseLeaf products (CIM, CLSS)

Essential Functions:

Daily Operations: ensures public areas and office equipment are maintained. Responsibilities include, maintaining display areas, keeping common spaces organized and stocked. Additional duties include reserving department spaces, submitting work orders, managing listservs, and distributing mail. Faculty & Course Support: assumes primary responsibility for coordinating course scheduling with faculty, manages online submissions and approvals, and General Announcements updates process. Student Supervision: oversees and schedules student workers in the office and coordinate with lead administrator to assign and track tasks. Administrative & Financial Responsibilities: assists faculty with expense reports. Manages procurement by submitting orders, paying invoices, processing student awards, and reimbursements, and tracking departmental expenditures. Event Coordination: assumes primary responsibility to plan and execute department and center events, including student activities, lectures, workshops, faculty searches, and conferences. Organizes event logistics (itineraries, flights, hotel/transportation arrangements, venue reservations, catering). Collaborates with staff to ensure event promotion via flyers, social media, and the Humanities calendar. Other duties as assigned.

Additional Functions

Act as a backup for lead administrator Engage in professional development, including Rice-wide and School of Humanities training sessions and meetings.

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.