Description

Position Overview

The Administrative Associate Senior provides direct administrative support to the department Chair and manages the department's primary administrative office. This position also provides additional administrative support for department faculty and staff and serves as manager and supervisor of student hourly employees for office administrative support. This position supports the Department graduate student program in coordination with the department graduate program staff and faculty. The Administrative Associate Senior role includes interpreting academic regulations for both students and faculty; providing administrative support for the AE Graduate Program Coordinator and Director; managing Graduate Teaching Assistant appointments and orientations; and supporting the academic needs of in-person and on-line students. The individual is given special assignments by the Chair and has standard assignments which result from the requirements of the Aerospace Engineering Office, Dean's Office, Provost's Office, Graduate School, other university units, KU Endowment, KU Office of Research, and various other state agencies. Except for the necessity of completing these assignments in a timely, accurate and ethical manner (within all pertinent regulations and guidelines), it is up to the employee discretion to select policies/procedures, priorities and strategies and to delegate appropriate tasks to Aerospace Engineering hourly staff which support the overall administrative success of the department.

Job Description

45% - Office Management and Chair Support

• Schedule seminars and help with other room reservations
• Serve as WebSpace coordinator - to inventory and survey usage of departmental spaces
• Assign student offices, manage keys and coordinate access to department spaces.
• Coordinate with department laboratory coordinators and School of Engineering Facility Manager for department facility management including large scale work orders, outfitting offices and labs, and furniture moves
• Support faculty, staff, students, and other walk-in traffic with requested information.
• Support P&T, PTTR, & sabbatical processes by collecting, assembling, and submitting the necessary documentation
• Track textbook requirements for each course, submit textbook requests to the bookstore, and request desk copies as necessary.
• Supervise AE equipment checkout (includes video equipment, cameras, projectors, computers, and office keys).
• Supervise student hourly assistants
• Coordinate with Engineering TSC regarding departmental office computers, telephones, software purchasing, and licensing.
• Coordinate the work of the Department Advisory Board, including maintaining membership records, and scheduling/coordinating meetings.
• Schedule and oversee the annual faculty retreat and Department social events, including contracting meeting space and catering
• Coordinate office supplies orders and office equipment (e.g. copiers) maintenance.

25% - Departmental Purchasing and HR Assistance

• Arrange and process fellowship payments for all students
• Support SOE Finance staff in developing budget reports for the chair
• Coordinate GTA on-boarding and evaluation
• Initiate forms for graduate student appointments utilizing the university 3G system
• Coordinate with HR to hire student hourly positions and other appointments.
• Provide information to SOE payables related to purchasing and funding, and assist with shipping and receiving
• Act as department timekeeper to review, correct student time, and approve student time when delegated
• Coordinate purchases for faculty and laboratory coordinators as needed, and coordinate with student organizations on purchasing procedures and purchase requests
• Coordinate with representatives of KU Office of Research to provide information, facilitate expenditures, allocate funding, and facilitate student hiring.

20% - Graduate Student Program Support

• Graduate Recruitment, Admission and Retention:
  • Develop & apply procedures to respond to prospective student inquiries about graduate program eligibility requirements, application requirements, and enrollment procedures.
  • Monitor departmental email for graduate student related questions and connect to AE Graduate Program Coordinator, Graduate Program Director, or other appropriate staff or faculty.
  • Assist graduate student walk-ins as well as on-line students and connect them to the appropriate graduate staff.
  • In coordination with the Graduate Program Coordinator assist with AE communication campaigns through KU systems.
  • Work with AE Graduate Program Coordinator and School of Engineering to provide support engineering for graduate student recruitment and retention efforts for the department.
• Graduate Student Engagement
  • In coordination with the AE Graduate Program Coordinator oversee departmental events for AE graduate students.
  • Update information and coordinate approvals to the (Courseleaf) Catalog and Graduate Handbook each semester.
  • Work with Graduate Director on student scholarship nominations for University, School of Engineering, Self Graduate program, and other graduate scholarships and fellowships
• Support Aerospace Engineering Department and Graduate Program Coordinator with other duties not described above related to graduate student administration as appropriate

10% - Other Duties as Assigned

• Maintain department image by updating bulletin boards, hiring photographers, etc.
• Assist departmental guests/visitors by making hotel, rental car, airfare, etc. reservations and by creating full itineraries
• Organize departmental events, including annual banquets and meetings
• Process background checks to avoid transactions with restricted parties.

Required Qualifications

1. High school diploma or completion of G.E.D. equivalency and four years' experience in office administration, office management, or accounting, including one year experience with basic office computer systems as demonstrated in application materials.

Additional Candidate Instruction

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

• cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications
• resume
• list of three professional references

Application review begins Monday, January 5, 2026. In order to ensure consideration, please apply prior to this date.

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or using the Title IX online report form and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or using the Title IX online complaint form.