Administrative Assistant 2

Central Washington University is recruiting a Administrative Assistant 2 to join our Student Engagement and Success team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $43,980 - $58,584annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~8,300 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the academic year. In addition, for seven out of eight years, CWU was a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. RentCafe has also named CWU #13 of the Top 20 Best College Towns in the U.S. in 2025.

Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here.

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave and Total Rewards Calculator.

The Role:

The Administrative Assistant 2's primary responsibility is to provide complex administrative support to the Associate Vice President of Student Engagement and Success, to the Office of the Vice President of Student Engagement and Success and the SES Executive Directors, as needed. The majority of work is administrative duties such as calendaring, answering phones, correspondence, records retention, minutes, website updating, and travel arrangements. This position involves confidentiality and in-depth knowledge of a multi-faceted and diverse department as well as university policies and procedures. This position relates effectively and positively with the people with diverse backgrounds, Student Engagement and Success staff, students and parents, and the public. The Administrative Assistant 2 also supervises three to four student staff on an ongoing basis. The position works in a high-paced office with many contacts. The Administrative Assistant 2 directly affects the vision, mission, and values of Central Washington University by creating and promoting a welcoming environment where students, faculty, and staff feel supported. All employees are expected to uphold and contribute to CWU's vision, mission, and values, fostering a culture of student success and institutional excellence.

Administrative Support:

• Administrative support to Executive Assistant, Associate Vice President of Student Engagement and Success, and Executive Directors of SES as needed, including scheduling appointments, managing the AVP's calendar, drafting correspondences, filing, reports, and special projects.
• Consistently and competently updates websites of SES to maintain information and provide the most up-to-date
• Oversees the incoming telephone calls to the Office of the VP of Student Engagement & Success ensuring inquiries by students and guests are properly addressed and handled and referred to the correct department or staff member.
• Retrieve, screen, and distribute mail and messages, office supplies, and other materials for SES staff and other offices.
• Maintains files and records in the administrative area. Assists with tracking of dated material, correspondence and pending files and assists with record retention policies.
• Coordinates inquiries and manages the quarterly fee appeal process, adhering to policy and procedure. Delivers detailed data to the Waiver committee for review, and once reviewed, emails specific responses to students based on the committee's decision.
• Supports meetings with scheduling and note taking, including the Services & Activities meetings once a week, which could include evenings, throughout the academic year.
• Performs travel processes and make travel arraignments, as needed, using department and university guidelines for SES staff/candidates, ensuring that all documents and back-up are reported to the budget recordkeeper.
• Tracks and maintains semi-annual equipment inventory using established tracking systems.
• Tracks department funding approval requests for SES departments. ensuring requests are completed properly.
• Assists as a courier for time sensitive or secure correspondence with other university departments.
• Prepares meeting notices and agendas, reports, schedules, correspondence for supervisor's signature, etc.; proofread material; take notes; maintain all minutes and agendas for meetings, uploading to websites as warranted.
• Responds to inquiries regarding FERPA questions, the release of information process, fee waiver requests, rules, regulations, policies, and department procedures.
• Manages the student committee appointment process, verifying student eligibility, and completing reporting memos, and letters of appointment to students and faculty for positions under VP of Student Engagement and Success and the campus.
• Processes departmental transactions: apply departmental/university policies and procedures as they relate to areas such as: payroll, travel, fiscal operations, financial/human resource systems.
• Establishes and maintain manual and electronic filing systems, webpages under Student Engagement and Success.
• Participates on committees and/or meetings.
• Performs word processing tasks; use spreadsheets and database software to develop and maintain records; prepare and maintain spreadsheets, etc.
• Research issues as needed.
• Serves as back-up support to the office, to purchase supplies and other items as needed for the staff offices, with purchasing card. Reconciles monthly purchasing card log reviewing and verifying reports for accuracy and ensuring compliance with established procedures and policies; uses basic arithmetic to perform computations.

Supervisor Responsibilities:

• Actively engages in recruitment and hiring up to four student employees each academic year to work up to 20 hours per week.
• Clearly defines performance expectations, ensure accountability, and provides ongoing informal feedback, coaching, and mentoring.
• Conducts formal performance evaluations.
• Ensures employees have necessary resources.
• Oversees and directs the work of staff; serves as mentor, coach and leader, and resolves complaints or issues.
• Promotes professional development opportunities.
• Develops and fosters supportive working relationships, motivation and engagement.
• Communicates information to staff on an ongoing basis to influence staff engagement and to be a part of a larger community.
• Recognizes and rewards employees for good performance.
• Takes corrective action in a timely manner.
• Schedules employee work hours/shifts; monitor hours worked; approve payable time and absence requests.
• Adjusts leadership style as needed to achieve results.

• Recognizes value of and promotes diverse workforce. Values and encourages diverse perspectives, creativity, and teamwork.Serve on occasional search committees as administrative support or committee member as needed, assisting the search chair, and acting as liaison to candidates and committee members.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Increasingly responsible clerical/administrative experience or an equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education which clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Experience with website updating and development.
• Experience or training that demonstrates proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, e-mail and/or similar software applications to produce written correspondence, create and maintain spreadsheets, receive and respond to e-mail inquiries, tasks, etc.
• Excellent communication (oral and written), interpersonal and organizational skills (ability to walk individuals through complex processes via phone).
• Ability to provide excellent customer service including listening to customers, identifying issues, providing options, fulfilling services and exercising knowledge of procedures to assist others.
• Ability to effectively organize multiple work assignments in a busy office setting; assess competing priorities to produce work products which are accurate and high quality while meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrated willingness and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and strong time management skills.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree.
• University related experience with student data systems such as PeopleSoft and/or other systems, university financial, human resources, travel, payroll, and purchasing systems.
• Experience with social media.
• Supervisory experience.
• Extensive customer service experience communicating effectively and diplomatically with a variety of internal and external clientele inclusive of handling difficult customer service situations and resolving conflict in a professional manner.
• Experience that demonstrates the ability to work effectively with all students, colleagues, and the community.
• Ability to incorporate multicultural perspectives and issues into everyday conversations.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines, and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Belonging: Values the uniqueness of every individual and fosters an environment where everyone feels respected and empowered to thrive.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU, we're committed to creating a welcoming and genuine workplace. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. This could be the opportunity you're looking for

Salary: This position is based on the range 41 of the Washington State Classification Listing, which has a minimum annual salary of $43,980 and maximum annual salary of $58,584. In accordance with RCW , the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave and Total Rewards Calculator .

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: .

To apply for this position, you must complete the on-line application and attach:

• A detailed cover letter clearly demonstrating how your education and experience: (a) meet the required (and, as applicable, preferred) qualifications, and (b) demonstrate the ability to perform the responsibilities as described by the posting;
• Resume including work history, education, training; and
• Contact information for three professional references.

Screening Begins: December 8, 2025

**Priority will be given to applications received by the screening date. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Name: Peggy Eaton
Title: Executive Assistant
Email:
Phone:
Website

Please contact Human Resources at or if you require technical assistance with the on-line application process.

Background Check/Reference Check Process:

Prior to employment, final candidate(s) will be required to sign a Sexual Misconduct disclosure in pursuant to RCW 28B and submit to a background check. All information obtained through background investigations will be strictly confidential and revealed only to those required to have access.

Notice to Prospective Employees:

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Statement

Central Washington University is an EEO/AA/Title IX Institution. Central Washington University's policies and practices affirm and actively promote the rights of all individuals to equal opportunity in education and employment. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, disability, or status as a protected veteran is prohibited. The university provides an internal procedure for reporting discrimination and affords protection against retaliation for participating in the complaint process. Central Washington University complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and executive orders including when soliciting bids and in the fulfillment of all contracts with governmental agencies. Direct related inquiries to Civil Rights Compliance, 202 Barge Hall, Ellensburg, WA ; Telephone ; or email

Reasonable Accommodations

Central Washington University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact Human Resources at or call This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)

For the Central Washington University Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (i.e. Clery Report) which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, available online here or call CWU Police and Parking Services at for a paper copy.