Senior Administrative Assistant and Chair’s Assistant, Anthropology

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Overview

Reporting to the Operations Manager, this position serves as the Chair’s Assistant for the Department of Anthropology. The Chair’s Assistant provides comprehensive, high-level administrative support to the Chair, departmental faculty, and postdoctoral appointees, with primary responsibility for coordinating faculty searches and the full appointment lifecycle, including reappointments, promotions, and tenure processes.

Faculty appointment, reappointment, and promotion administration

• Coordinate all aspects of faculty appointments, reappointments, and promotions, including ladder and research tracks, and voluntary, adjunct, and lecturer appointments.

• Partner closely with the Department Chair and individual faculty to ensure cases are prepared and submitted accurately and on schedule.

• Develop and manage timelines; track required steps and approvals; ensure timely reviews.

• Review dossiers and supporting materials for completeness and compliance with applicable policies and procedures.

• Prepare, distribute, and manage electronic and secure documents for committee review, maintaining confidentiality and appropriate access.

• Serve as a primary departmental resource on faculty appointment policies, procedures, and deadlines across the faculty life cycle.

• Secondary appointments & Postdoctoral appointments processing.

Search support

• Support faculty searches by responding to inquiries; screening and triaging requests; and resolving issues for applicants and reference letter writers.

• Review and organize search materials collected for committee review; assist search committees with process questions and documentation needs.

• Coordinate scheduling, purchasing, and expense processing for all aspects of job candidate visits to campus.

OISS/immigration coordination

• Serve as the department’s primary liaison to the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS).

• Support faculty and appointees in preparing visa and pre-appointment documentation.

• Monitor case progress and serve as an information resource regarding visa status, process steps, and timelines.

Chair’s Office and departmental operations

• Provide direct administrative support to the Anthropology Department Chair and oversee day-to-day activities of the Chair’s Office as the Chair’s primary point of contact.

• Schedule and coordinate meetings and appointments; manage complex calendars and competing priorities.

• Organize and/or oversee department-sponsored meetings, lunches, and special events, including logistical planning and on-site coordination.

Travel and event logistics

• Coordinate detailed domestic and international travel, including itineraries and logistics.

• Plan events and meetings end-to-end, including researching venues, obtaining pricing, coordinating set-up, advertising/communications, catering, A/V or technical support, and accommodations to anticipate participant needs. Process related expenses.

• Occasional evening and weekend hours required throughout the year to support department events/meetings.

Reporting and information compilation

• Solicit, track, and compile information from multiple sources for departmental reporting and external associations, including the department’s annual report for the American Anthropological Association (AAA).

The current hybrid work schedule for this position is 4 days on campus with 1 remote workday. You may be required occasionally to work on site more often in a given week due to operational needs. In the event, the university/department transitions to being on campus five days a week, either temporarily or permanently, the hybrid schedule will be suspended or subject to change at management discretion.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Exceptional interpersonal skills and proven ability to interact effectively with a diverse client base.  Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with the utmost discretion.  Sound independent judgement and ability to perform well under pressure. 

2. Exceptional organizational, multitasking and prioritization skills.  Ability to effectively address multiple projects, often with conflicting deadlines, with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to work independently and follow through on a variety of tasks to completion.

3. Well-developed oral and written communication skills. Proven ability to craft correspondence with minimal guidance. 

4. Demonstrated ability to solve problems, take initiative, and anticipate needs independently and as a member of a team.  Perform additional duties incidental to office activities as necessary to maintain highest level of customer service.

5. Proficiency with Microsoft Office, as well as the ability and willingness to learn new technology and systems. Proven ability with financial transactions, such as processing expense reimbursements and invoices.  Exceptional data management skills.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Experience with Yale systems such as Workday, Interfolio, and ISD.

2. Some knowledge of the Postdoctoral appointment process.

3. Some experience with the Visa process and the Yale OISS.

Physical Requirements

Ability to lift 25 lbs.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Oversees and coordinates administrative, program, and office activities. Establishes, selects, implements, and coordinates office procedures and systems.  Serves as principal source of information to students, staff, and faculty on policies, procedures, programs, and office activities.   2. Oversees, instructs, and coordinates activities of support staff.  Oversees the preparation of materials for grants, contracts and budgets. Monitors expenditures and reconciles financial statements.   3. Provides editorial support for a journal/publication.  Proofreads and edits material for grammatical and factual accuracy. Tracks copy through various editing and production stages. Communicates with authors, printers, and others concerned with published work.   4. Determines administrative, facility, and equipment needs for symposia, lectures, seminars, and conferences.  Assembles and arranges for necessary items.  Determines sources of data. Compiles, synthesizes and manipulates data. Summarizes findings and writes reports or portions of reports.   5. Greets visitors. Answers and screens telephone calls. Assesses nature of business. Responds to requests for information and provides assistance.  Screens and responds to mail.   6. Formats, keyboard, proofread, and edits correspondence, reports, manuscripts, grants, and other material. Assembles attachments and corresponding material. Reviews outgoing material for completeness, dates, and signatures.  Composes substantive correspondence and written material.   7. Coordinates travel arrangements.  Schedules and coordinates meetings and appointments.  Orders and maintains inventory of supplies.  Takes minutes or dictation.  Performs additional functions incidental to office activities.

Required Education and Experience

Six years of related work experience, four of them in the same job family at the next lower level, and high school level education; or four years of related work experience and an Associate's degree; or little or no work experience and a Bachelor's degree in a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Job Posting Date

09/02/2026

Job Category

Administrative Support

Bargaining Unit

L34

Compensation Grade

Labor Grade D

Compensation Grade Profile

Hourly Range

$31.83

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

Hybrid

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

The hiring rate of a role is determined in accordance with the provisions outlined in the respective collective bargaining agreement.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through  their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.