Administrative Specialist (Finance)

The Administrative Specialist performs higher level office support duties and provides specialized program support for an administrative department, college, or program. Administrative Specialists perform a wide range of administrative and personal assistant duties including conducting research, preparing statistical reports and spreadsheets, preparing correspondence, reports and presentations, handling information requests, planning conferences and meetings, providing purchasing and payroll support, fulfilling employment administration requirements, making travel arrangements, and maintaining calendars and schedules.

Nature of Work: This position typically reports to a Director, Associate Dean, or Program Director, but may also report to an Assistant or Associate Director or Assistant Program Director if the position requirements are consistent with this class. The Administrative Specialist must perform a wide variety of administrative support duties ranging from general clerical support to complex administrative coordination. Within the USF Office Support series, this is a third level position requiring a higher level of skills and experience than Administrative Clerks and Staff Assistants. This position may assign work to or supervise first and second level office support positions, students and temporary (OPS) employees. To fulfill the job requirements, employees assigned to this class title must be able to do research and extract data from appropriate relational databases such as OASIS, FAST, and GEMS. Administrative Specialists support high-level USF administrators, and must be able to apply judgment with respect to communications and confidentiality. This position requires intermediate or advanced level proficiency in the use of standard desktop applications, including the ability to produce documents and presentations of all kinds using word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software tools.This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with at least four years of experience in an office or administrative support position. Appropriate college coursework or vocational/technical training may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Contact the USF ADA Lead ( hr-ADA-Request@usf.edu ) to coordinate your accommodation request.Working at USF
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With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF's rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida's best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state's 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.
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About USF
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The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF's Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu .

• Respond to and initiate inquiries (questions regarding purchasing, personnel, facilities, administration, specialized programs, etc.) Explain policies, answer questions, and independently resolve problems whenever feasible.
• Prepare presentation materials for use by others, editing content and adding appropriate graphic and design elements. These responsibilities may include creating basic web content.
• Compose and/or prepare correspondence, memoranda, promotional materials, forms, newsletters, manuals, and reports using appropriate word processing and spreadsheet tools. Perform basic statistical calculations on data for reports and presentations.
• Plan, prioritize and schedule meetings and appointments for Directors and other management. Make decisions on a daily basis regarding calendars.
• Assist with grant proposals and serve as a resource for information related to the administration of grants and contracts.
• Perform specialized administrative duties required to support the specific program area, using discretion to make judgments based on operating guidelines. Support purchasing requirements for department, researching items and obtaining price quotes, entering information into university systems, receiving purchase orders, and maintaining P-Card information as required.
• Arrange and coordinate travel and travel reimbursement for staff.
• Compile and maintain information that may require web or library researching, gathering, compiling, and updating data and records.
• Perform other administrative duties as required to support the mission and function of the unit.
• Performs other duties as assigned.