Admin Specialist

JOB TITLE

Admin Specialist

LOCATION

Worcester

DEPARTMENT NAME

University Advancement - Fundraising

DIVISION NAME

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

Job Description Summary

The Administrative Specialist provides high-level administrative, operational, and project support to the AVP for Advancement and the AVP for Development Communications & Strategy to advance fundraising, stewardship, and communications goals. This role helps ensure coordinated execution of fundraising, donor communications, engagement initiatives, and strategic advancement priorities. In addition, this position provides administrative and logistical support for key advancement committees and volunteer leadership groups. It also supports special projects, events, and strategic initiatives that advance institutional priorities.

Job Description

Executive Calendar & Meeting Management

• Manage complex calendars for the AVP, Advancement and AVP, Development Communications & Strategy, including prioritization, sequencing, and conflict resolution.
• Coordinate internal and external meetings, including donor meetings, strategy sessions, board briefings, and campaign discussions.
• Prepare meeting agendas, compile briefing materials, and assemble background research in advance of meetings.
• Draft correspondence, meeting summaries, and follow up communications as needed.
• Coordinate logistics for internal and external meetings including room reservations, virtual meeting links, materials distribution, and meeting preparation.
• Maintain organized records of meetings, key decisions, and action items to support executive workflow and accountability.
• Assist in preparing weekly or monthly executive briefing materials summarizing upcoming meetings, priorities, and key initiatives.
• Help manage competing priorities and ensure timely preparation of materials required for meetings, travel, donor visits, and leadership briefings.
  
  

Executive Operations, Travel & Financial Administration

• Coordinate all travel logistics including itineraries, accommodations, transportation, and meeting scheduling aligned with travel.
• Prepare travel briefing materials including meeting schedules, participant background information, and logistics.
• Process and reconcile expenses, PCard transactions, reimbursements, and invoices in accordance with institutional policy.
• Support budget tracking and reporting for the AVP offices, including monitoring expenses and preparing summaries as needed.
• Maintain organized systems for contracts, proposals, and executive documentation.
• Serve as an administrative coordination point between the AVP offices and other Advancement teams including Development Officers, Advancement Operations, Alumni Engagement, and Communications.
• Assist with procurement processes, vendor coordination, and payment tracking related to office activities.
• Handle confidential donor information, financial data, and executive communications with discretion and professionalism.
  
  

Reporting, Research & Executive Presentation Development

• Prepare reports, dashboards, and summary materials to support pipeline reviews, fundraising/communications strategy discussions, and leadership updates.
• Conduct background research and compile prospect or meeting briefings to support proposal development and/or prospect meetings.
• Develop and format PowerPoint presentations and board-ready materials for internal and external meetings.
• Compile and analyze data from Salesforce and other systems to support strategic analysis and campaign tracking.
• Assist with preparation of leadership reports, briefing books, and campaign updates.
• Support the preparation of internal presentations, strategy documents, and briefing materials for executive leadership and trustees.
• Maintain organized repositories of reports, data summaries, and presentation materials for ongoing use.
  
  

Donor & Prospect Engagement Support

• Support preparation and formatting of proposals, concept papers, and other advancement related materials.
• Assist with tracking donor interactions, meeting outcomes, and follow up actions as directed.
• Coordinate with Advancement Operations to ensure donor meetings, proposals, and engagement activity are documented appropriately in Salesforce.
• Assist in preparing donor correspondence including thank you notes, stewardship communications, and follow up materials.
• Provide logistical support for advancement events involving the AVP offices including guest lists, briefing materials, and coordination with event teams.
• Support administrative coordination of campaign planning activities including preparation of campaign materials and leadership briefings.
  
  

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Associate’s degree required with a minimum of four years of progressively responsible administrative or executive support experience.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred with three to five years of relevant administrative or executive support experience, ideally in higher education, advancement, or a similarly complex organizational environment. An equivalent combination of education and professional experience may be considered.
• Experience supporting senior leaders, volunteers, trustees, or advisory boards strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, required.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise excellent judgment, professionalism, and discretion in handling highly confidential and sensitive information, and in communicating with trustees, senior leadership, donors, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Exceptional organizational, coordination, and project management skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently, communicate effectively with diverse internal and external constituents, and operate accurately in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated adaptability and eagerness to learn new technologies and business processes.
• Experience with Salesforce and/or Workday or other enterprise CRM or administrative systems preferred.
  
  

Hourly Rate

The hourly rate for this position is between $23 .80 and $28.41 per hour, depending on experience, for a full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week.

FLSA STATUS

United States of America (Non-Exempt)

WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making. It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.