Staff Assistant

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is one of the fastest rising, highly ranked engineering schools in the nation. The school consists of four departments with 130 tenure-track faculty members, 1,250 undergraduate students, 1,400 master’s students, and 600 PhD students. Housed within a university renowned for its programs in the liberal arts, medicine, business, and law, Pratt prepares future engineering leaders to address complex challenges with solutions that account for the complexities and nuances of implementation. Pratt takes a whole-student approach to education, ensuring students are well-supported throughout their journeys and graduate with the grit and determination required to persevere in their careers and lives. Pratt is dedicated to the values of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and community in its pursuit of knowledge and service to society.

Position Summary

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is seeking an energetic Staff Assistant to support its growing and busy department. The Staff Assistant will be part of a team that manages the daily responsibilities of the front office, providing essential support to the department. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Key Responsibilities:

• Organizing events, seminars, and workshops for the department, assisting faculty hosts with their guests, providing support to other staff members, backing up office staff, processing procurement card receipts and reimbursements, and serving as the front desk representative for the department.
• Directing visitors to the appropriate locations, reserving rooms, making copies, ordering supplies, and answering phones.
• Leading the arrangement of ECE seminars (sending invitations, advertising, making travel arrangements, preparing agendas, setting up for seminars, and processing reimbursements), and coordinating joint seminars with other departments.
• Providing backup support for departmental events, including the holiday party and annual retreat.
• Assisting with department celebrations, such as birthdays, team-building activities, and offsite service events (20%).
• Supporting faculty with tasks such as room reservations, calendar confirmations, copying tests, and other miscellaneous requests.
• Supporting faculty search processes and interviews, including tenured/tenure-track and PoPs positions (agenda planning, calendar management with PIs, seminar coordination, travel, and meal reimbursement).
• Supporting faculty event sponsors and centers (20%).
• Managing facilities requests and tracking.
• Maintaining breakroom supplies inventory.
• Ordering and maintaining office supply inventory.
• Updating and managing the picture bulletin board.
• Preparing FedEx labels, managing mail, and handling packages (10%).

Additional Responsibilities:

• Managing reimbursements for students and faculty (16-20 hours per week), including reviewing and processing reimbursement requests (50%).

Skills and Qualifications:

• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and work efficiently in a busy environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills to interact with faculty, staff, and visitors.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and other office-related software.
• Attention to detail, especially when handling event logistics, faculty support, and reimbursement processing.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires a broad knowledge of clerical and accounting principles and practices normally acquired through two years of post-secondary education in administrative support or a related business field.

Experience

Work generally requires three years of related secretarial/clerical experience to acquire skills necessary to administer complex office functions related to office management, communications, and budgetary/accounting activities. OR and equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.