Job Summary

The incumbent is responsible for the daily administration of the office, oversees the workflow of the office staff, and works in conjunction with the department chair to administer, coordinate, and evaluate departmental operations and fulfill the administrative responsibilities of the program. This position handles a wide variety of operational issues, including, but not limited to budget, hiring and personnel, and departmental policies and procedures. In consultation with the Department Chair and Executive Committee, develops, interprets, and implements policies and procedures related to the operation of the department office. This position researches, interprets and ensures compliance with university, college, and department policies by chair, faculty, staff, and students relating to budget, personnel, travel, and other aspects of departmental administration. Because the department chair position comes up for reelection every three years, the person in this position provides continuity for these various complex departmental operations.

Department Summary

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) consists of 18 academic departments and programs, with approximately 350 faculty and 70 staff, serving 3,500 students in 18 undergraduate majors, 4 graduate programs, and over 30 minors. The CLA includes disciplines that represent five broad areas of knowledge: the fine and performing arts, communications, the humanities, the social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. In addition to offering courses for its own majors, CLA offers a significant proportion of courses in general education, as well as courses that support minors and serve as electives for all majors throughout the university. The CLA is also home to the foundational disciplines that form the scholarly bases for cultural awareness, knowledge and skills, making the college’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion central to the college's curriculum and identity. Further, the CLA plays a significant role in providing activities that enhance the cultural and intellectual environment of the campus, including exhibits and performances offered by our academic departments (e.g., Art, Music, Theatre & Dance) and Cal Poly Arts, cultural programs and lecture series offered by all of our departments, and co-curricular programs such as Mustang Media, Debate, and Model UN. The college's degree program offerings combined with its general education offerings comprise approximately 30% of the university’s instruction. The College of Liberal Arts has the largest general-fund operating budget of all the colleges on campus (about $45 million). The College is also the home of Cal Poly Arts and Spanos Theatre. The college employs about 175 regular full-time tenured/tenure track faculty, with approximately 1/3 of those hired in the last 5 years. In addition, it employs another 175 full-time and part-time lecturers and approximately 70 staff members in various support roles and classification categories.

Key Qualifications

1. Ability to learn, interpret and apply policies and procedures independently, and use judgment and discretion to act when precedents do not exist.
2. Demonstrated competence in understanding and communicating procedures, policies, information, ideas, and instructions.
3. Ability to understand problems from a broader perspective and anticipate the impact of office administration problems and solutions on other areas.
4. Ability to analyze operational and procedural problems and develop, recommend, and evaluate proposed solutions.
5. Ability to apply independent judgment, discretion, and initiative to address problems.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or its equivalent. Type 45 wpm. Five years of general office support or technical experience. (Training at a vocational school or full-time college education may be substituted for two years of the required experience on the basis of one year of college education for 6 months of experience).

Salary and Benefits

Anticipated Hiring Range: $46,224 - $60,348 per year

Classification Range: $44,172 - $72,408 per year

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information.

Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu.

Diversity Statement

At Cal Poly, we believe that cultivating an environment that embraces and promotes diversity is fundamental to the success of our students, our employees and our community. Bringing people together from different backgrounds, experiences and value systems fosters the innovative and creative thinking that exemplifies Cal Poly's values of free inquiry, cultural and intellectual diversity, mutual respect, civic engagement, and social and environmental responsibility.

Cal Poly's commitment to diversity informs our efforts in recruitment, hiring and retention. Cal Poly is an equal opportunity employer.

Supplemental Information

Following a conditional offer of employment, a background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate may start work with Cal Poly. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may result in the withdrawal of the offer of employment. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is not a sponsoring agency for staff positions (i.e. H-1B visas).

Positions are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days.