Job Description
The Administrative Specialist serves as a key administrative and operational support professional for the Department of Criminal Justice. This position provides comprehensive support for department operations, faculty, students, and academic programs while serving as a primary point of contact for visitors, current students, prospective students, and university partners.
The Administrative Specialist coordinates a broad range of responsibilities including office administration, budget monitoring and reconciliation, personnel transactions, records management, travel coordination, event planning, and student support functions. The position works closely with faculty, staff, students, and campus partners to ensure efficient department operations and compliance with university policies and procedures. The Administrative Specialist also provides work direction to student employees and assists with communications, outreach, and recruitment activities that support the department's teaching, research, and service mission.
Department Administration
- Assists in the daily operations of the department and serves as the first point of contact for visitors, students, faculty, and the public
- Manages incoming calls, correspondence, and departmental communications
- Supports faculty teaching, research, and service activities
- Processes textbook adoptions, faculty travel requests, course overrides, internship and independent study documentation
- Maintains department records, SharePoint resources, and university compliance documentation
- Coordinates department events, meetings, guest visits, and faculty candidate travel arrangements
- Supports departmental outreach efforts including newsletters, recruitment materials, webpages, social media, and mass communications
- Coordinates purchasing, invoices, honoraria, supply orders, and conference room scheduling
Financial and Budget Administration
- Assists the department head with budget development and fiscal oversight
- Reconciles departmental, foundation, and grant accounts
- Monitors expenditures and ensures compliance with university financial guidelines
- Processes procurement card transactions and account transfers
- Prepares financial reports and maintains scholarship accounts
- Assists faculty with travel, grant expenditures, and related financial processes
- Coordinates purchasing activities and supports efficient office operations
Personnel Administration
- Provides work direction and training for student employees and part-time staff
- Processes payroll and verify employee time records
- Coordinates onboarding and hiring documentation for faculty, graduate assistants, and student employees
- Prepares personnel forms and employment transactions
- Maintains personnel records and supports HR-related processes within the department
Department Liaison and Operational Support
- Serves as a liaison between the department and university offices
- Maintains equipment, computer, and supply inventories
- Coordinates space and physical inventory reporting
- Partners with campus offices including Academic Affairs, Facilities, Information Technology, Foundation, and other administrative units to support departmental operations
The ideal candidate will possess the following (KSA):
- Ability to read, interpret, and apply policies, procedures, and institutional guidelines
- Ability to prepare written reports, correspondence, and official documents
- Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and administrative systems
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain attention to detail
- Knowledge of office administration, fiscal processes, and records management
- Ability to communicate effectively with various audiences in a professional manner
- Demonstrated customer service and interpersonal skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment
- Knowledge of FERPA regulations and university administrative practices is preferred
Application Review
Application review will begin on August 20, 2026, and continue until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to applicants who submit complete applications by the initial review date.
Minimum
- High school diploma or GED
- Experience assisting in the management and operation of an office, department, or program comparable to an academic department in a college or university setting
- Equivalent combinations of education, training, and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered
Preferred
- Bachelor's degree
- Three or more years of experience supporting an academic department in higher education
- Experience with university financial processes, payroll, and personnel administration
- Experience using enterprise administrative systems and Microsoft Office applications
- Experience supervising or directing student employees
Work Location
- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee
- This is a fully on-site position.
Compensation and Benefits
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is in the heart of one of Tennessee’s largest and most dynamic cities. As a national model for metropolitan universities, UTC collaborates with its many regional partners to offer an experiential learning environment with outstanding teaching scholars in 128 undergraduate degree programs and 55 graduate programs—at both the master's and doctoral levels. UTC and Chattanooga—nationally recognized for its downtown redevelopment and wealth of outdoor recreation—are inextricably linked, and the University is central to the workforce and economic development efforts of the region and the state.
Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Engineering and Computer Science; Health, Education and Professional Studies; and the Honors College are home to an array of award-winning programs from Nursing to Computer Science, Entrepreneurship to Veteran Student Support. Innovation is a strategic focus, and UTC research and development in smart city technology is an industry leader. UTC is the first and only university in the country with access to a managed, commercial quantum computing network, and we are introducing an artificial intelligence initiative involving entities across campus and engaging partners throughout the region.
From our deep ties to the city of Chattanooga to our national reputation for innovation and hands-on learning, UTC stands out as a university where students thrive, faculty inspire, and partnerships create real impact.
