Job Details

Administrative Specialist I

Position Number: 6920684
Location: Dallas, TX
Position Type: Other Administrative Positions

Administrative Specialist I

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU's more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University's small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem - paired with entrepreneurial drive - creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU's relationship with Dallas - the dynamic center of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions - offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Department:

The SMU Department of Statistics and Data Science is a nationally recognized department with a strong record of producing outstanding, highly marketable graduates and contributing to cutting-edge research in statistics and data science. The department is also known for its collegial, supportive culture, where faculty and staff work collaboratively and value mutual support.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Department Administrator (DA) is responsible for marketing support for the Department of Statistics & Data Science and management of administrative tasks for faculty, staff and students. It includes daily marketing of departmental social media sites; daily update, review, and management of various departmental databases; support of doctoral and undergraduate programs; management and tracking of faculty and doctoral students; support of undergraduate advising; and management of department and project budgets. The DA initiates financial transactions for the department and is responsible for the appropriateness and accuracy of those transactions and electronic record keeping. The job requires a self-motivated and detail-oriented person with strong technical ability for all aspects of marketing and administration. DA assures departmental compliance with University and College procedures and assists the Associate Director as needed.

Essential Functions:

Departmental marketing management: Initiate and manage social media sites, reply to contacts, and maintain marketing efforts to increase the exposure of the departmental programs online; evaluate and optimize placement of web sites in searches; ensure that all department web sites are timely and accurate; report periodically to faculty.
Educational programs management: Manage enrollment requests/permissions and course enrollment; manage proctoring for exams; process student petitions; assist with scheduling and room assignment; identify and assist teaching assistants, graders, and tutors; advise students on scheduling; organize graduate student orientation; manage book orders and acquire desk copies; other tasks as assigned.
Personnel management: Manage all paperwork for faculty, staff and student hiring; manage recruitment visits; maintain files for recruitment and P&T reviews; process payroll forms; set up new employees in HR systems; maintain up-to-date database of graduate students, including exam completion, research and teaching assistantships, office occupancy, etc.; other tasks as assigned.
Financial management: Manage faculty and student travel and expense reports; monitor and keep up-to-date records of all budgets; manage p-card reports; manage time entries for student workers; manage department and faculty dues and subscriptions; manage graduate student financial assistance, departmental awards and scholarships; maintain records of all invoices; report to chair.
People support: Support the chair and the faculty in administrative aspects of teaching and scholarship; schedule meeting rooms; assign and track student office occupancy; update directories; make photocopies; manage incoming and outgoing mail; maintain electronic department mailing lists and chart of office occupancy; complete administrative reports and surveys for professional and government agencies; order goods and services; other tasks as assigned.
Office and administrative management: Manage, procure, track, store, and distribute supplies, office equipment, and computers; manage facilities and maintenance requests; acquire room keys and office furniture; support emergency management and building evacuation; maintain tidiness of break room, conference room, and other common areas; update hallway bulletin boards regularly; other tasks as assigned.
Events and alumni relations: Manage events and logistics; procure venue, food, parking, awards, and gifts; order faculty regalia for commencement events; publicize and distribute electronic newsletters for department clubs and societies using social media, group emails, and other formats as necessary. Create and maintain up-to-date database and mailing list of department alumni; manage social media to track, interact, and contact alumni.
Occasional evenings/weekends for special events such as commencement, COTS, North Texas ASA, and ASA DataFest.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A Bachelor's degree is required.

A minimum of two (2) years of experience is required. Academic advising and student support experience is preferred.
People support and academic departmental administration experience is also preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.

Candidate must be proficient in all relevant University information systems, including Slate, Interfolio, my.smu.edu and PeopleSoft.

Candidate must possess a strong technical ability for marketing and database management, along with a strong marketing capability on social media and website management.

Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Zoom, DocuSign, Interfolio, Adobe Acrobat Professional and Adobe Photoshop.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by February 25, 2026.

This position is open until filled.

EEO Statement

SMU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas

Job: Office and Administrative Support

Organization: Dedman College

Schedule: Regular

Shift: Staff

Employee Status: Individual Contributor

Job Type: Full-time

Job Level: Day Job

Travel: No

Job Posting: Feb 10, 2026, 5:36:18 PM

To apply, visit https://smu.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=DED00000459&tz=GMT%2B00%3A00&tzname=UTC