Administrative Assistant II

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary:

The Administrative Assistant provides front desk reception and administrative support for the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing. This full-time position serves as the first point of contact for students, faculty, staff, university leadership, and external visitors and helps ensure a professional, welcoming, and well-organized office environment. The role supports daily office operations through reception duties, communications, scheduling, and general administrative assistance for the school.

Ideal Candidate Statement: 

The ideal candidate is a professional, dependable, and service-oriented individual with strong communication and organizational skills. They will be comfortable interacting with a wide range of constituents, maintaining a welcoming front office presence, and supporting daily administrative operations with accuracy, responsiveness, and a positive attitude.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person Rice University Campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $19.74 to $22.69 per hour, based on a full-time schedule of 40 hours per week.

*Non-Exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• High School Diploma 
• Two or more (2+) years of experience in reception, customer service, or administrative support in a professional office environment. 
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.   

Skills: 

• Proficiency in office software, email applications, and other standard administrative tools
• Demonstrated ability to complete routine administrative tasks with accuracy, follow-through, and attention to detail
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to provide a professional, welcoming experience for a wide range of constituents
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and manage competing demands in a fast-paced office environment 

Preferences:

• Experience supporting administrative or student-facing operations in a higher education environment, preferably at Rice University. 

Essential Functions:

• Serves as the primary front desk receptionist for the school, greeting and assisting students, faculty, staff, university leadership, and visitors in a professional and welcoming manner.
• Answers, screens, and directs incoming phone calls, emails, and in-person inquiries, providing information or routing questions as appropriate.
• Maintains the front office environment to ensure it is organized, professional, and responsive to visitor and office needs.
• Provides general administrative support for the school, including preparing correspondence, filing, data entry, copying, scanning, and maintaining records.
• Assists with scheduling, calendar support, meeting coordination, and other routine office logistics.
• Receives, sorts, and distributes mail, packages, and deliveries.
• Supports office operations by ordering supplies, monitoring shared resources, and assisting with routine administrative processes.
• Assists with special projects, events, or other office support needs as assigned.
• Performs all other duties as assigned. 

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 
Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University 

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.