WHAT DOES AN ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT ASSISTANT DO?

Published: Nov 15, 2023 - An Administrative Support Assistant excels in managing logistics for meetings and calls, ensuring efficient scheduling and follow-ups for Prospera’s program staff and management. Provides essential administrative support by drafting contracts, preparing grants, and updating member data with precision on platforms like Airtable. Assists in organizing webinars, offering technical support during events, and actively engaging in feedback collection to enhance program effectiveness.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Administrative Support Assistant

1. Administrative Support Assistant Duties

  • Financial Tracking Skills: Using spreadsheets and standardized reports, track transactions against source documents and monitor funds availability, including end-of-year spend downs.
  • Reconciliation Skills: Reconciling purchase card statements, entering financial commitment data in the financial system.
  • Travel Coordination Skills: Coordinates with staff and travel agents in the preparation and processing of travel orders for division personnel and invitational travelers, processing travel vouchers.
  • Meeting Planning Skills: Planning and support for on-site or off-site meetings.
  • Procurement Request Skills: Drafting procurement requests for supplies and services per program direction and preparing ready-request packages for acquisition requests.
  • Resource Scheduling Skills: Schedules/supports resources for various meetings, coordinating with staff to minimize scheduling conflicts.
  • Communication Coordination Skills: Coordinates flow of written and oral communications between internal managers and constituents.
  • Deadline Tracking Skills: Tracks deadlines and assists management with managing workflows to ensure data calls are completed on time.

2. Administrative Support Assistant Details

  • Event Logistics Skills: Assists in organizing speakers, managing logistics (i.e., catering, A/V, facilities, space, and equipment, etc.), and arranging itineraries.
  • Promotional Material Creation Skills: Creates and manages promotional materials.
  • Event Coordination Skills: Assists with organizing, coordinating, and implementing departmental events such as holiday and retirement parties, special departmental lunches/events, ensuring adherence to UF and State rules and regulations.
  • Webpage Management Skills: Manages and updates departmental webpages.
  • Social Media Management Skills: Manages and provides materials for social media outputs, including material for newsletters and the "EGH in Action" series.
  • Meeting Support Skills: Attends weekly/biweekly faculty/staff meetings, takes minutes, and defines action items for the participants.
  • Calendar Management Skills: Directly manages the Chair's calendar.
  • Faculty Support Skills: Works with faculty to update webpages and ensure CVs are updated.
  • Application Management Skills: Organizes applications and contacts applicants to request missing materials on a regular basis.
  • Inquiry Response Skills: Responds to inquiries regarding EGH programs via phone/email.
  • Advertising Skills: Creates advertisements for semester courses.
  • Collaboration Skills: Meets with the Academic Program Specialist weekly.
  • Visitor Coordination Skills: Arranges student and faculty visits.
  • Program Support Skills: Provides support to the Dean of Faculty Development, Cultural Affairs, and Wellness Programs.
  • Committee Participation Skills: Serves on the PHHP Wellness Program committee, attends wellness program meetings across campus, and reports back to the Associate Dean.
  • Website Update Skills: Updates the wellness.phhp.ufl.edu website as needed and disseminates information to the college community.
  • Administrative Support Skills: Provides administrative support and assistance to education staff and faculty.
  • Email Management Skills: Monitors Global Pathogen Discovery Lab email address and forwards inquiries to the correct lab staff.

3. Administrative Support Assistant Responsibilities

  • Content Development Skills: Develops content for website and manages initiatives.
  • Research Skills: Researches new ideas and gathers data.
  • Event Planning Skills: Interfaces with the Dean's office in planning events related to college wellness and DEI.
  • Calendar Management Skills: Manages calendar for wellness and DEI meetings, takes notes, and defines action items.
  • Website Management Skills: Creates and manages the DEI portion of the PHHP website as needed and disseminates information to the college community.
  • Website Optimization Skills: Updates the design and content of websites (EGH, DEI, Wellness), implements changes to websites, and maximizes website optimization in response to requests by the Chair and Associate Dean.
  • Public Relations Skills: Assists in publicizing activities, educational programs, and research to internal and external audiences.
  • Advertising and Publication Skills: Develops and publishes advertising materials for programs and events.
  • Social Media Management Skills: Assists in the coordination of social media accounts, seeks out, solicits, edits, and posts content to accounts.
  • Stakeholder Engagement Skills: Works with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders to identify content that can be utilized in marketing efforts.
  • News Release Skills: Responsible for gathering and disseminating department submissions for news releases, monthly college newsletter, and website news.
  • Document Archiving Skills: Routes materials for review through UF Health Science Center News & Communications and archives materials in the central repository.

4. Administrative Support Assistant Accountabilities

  • Logistics Organization Skills: Organize logistics for calls/meetings (sending doodles, invites, reminders, follow-ups).
  • Calendar Management Skills: Assist in maintaining the calendars of program staff and management, scheduling appointments and calls.
  • Administrative Support Skills: Provide administrative assistance to Prospera’s support to its members, including drafting and processing contracts, collecting members’ institutional information, preparing grant payments, and monitoring funds.
  • Data Management Skills: With technical inputs from the Prospera PO team, update membership-related information regularly on Airtable and/or other tools used by the team.
  • Report and Presentation Preparation Skills: Support the team with the preparation/drafting of reports and presentations, including layout design, copy-editing, etc.
  • Documentation Skills: Attend and document (note-taking) all necessary external or internal calls.
  • Webinar Coordination Skills: Support POs with the organization of webinars by coordinating the set-up, registration process, member notification, follow-up reminders, and documentation.
  • Technical Assistance Skills: Offer technical assistance during webinars (setting up interpretation or closed caption, moderating chat, sharing materials, etc.).
  • Feedback Management Skills: Follow up on requests for comments and feedback with the program team.
  • Translation Coordination Skills: Coordinate the translation of all communication materials to ensure all members have access to resources within the community.
  • Event Logistics Skills: Provide logistics support for the planning and execution of in-person meetings and other convening opportunities.

5. Administrative Support Assistant Functions

  • Program Tracking Skills: Support in the tracking of program outputs such as attendance and participation rates, number of webinars, number of events/meetings, number of troubleshooting threads opened/closed, number and content of mini-groups, etc.
  • Report Preparation Skills: Support the Prospera team in the preparation of reports and communication materials for different stakeholders.
  • Member Communication Skills: Communicate directly with members to ensure timely receipt of proposals for support, narrative, and financial report templates and other materials.
  • Follow-Up Skills: Track receipt of reports and oversee reminders and follow-up.
  • Administrative Support Skills: Provide administrative backup to other administrative staff.
  • Liaison Skills: Serve as administrative liaison between Institutional Strengthening, Research, and Finance, to ensure smooth communication and information sharing.
  • Travel Coordination Skills: Arrange travel and accommodations for staff and relevant colleagues, including arranging overseas meetings, making flight and hotel reservations, supporting visa processes, drafting expense reports, etc.
  • Meeting Organization Skills: Organize and provide support for internal meetings, including taking notes and providing follow-up on action items.
  • Mission Alignment: Passion for Prospera’s feminist mission and a strong commitment to feminist philanthropy.