The Office Manager plays a critical role in supporting the academic excellence and operational efficiency of the School of Public Policy (SPP). By managing key administrative, financial, and faculty support functions, this position ensures a high level of service to students, faculty, and leadership, thereby creating a foundation where teaching, research, and community engagement can thrive.
This role contributes directly to the University’s mission by fostering an environment that promotes leadership, integrity, and academic rigor. It also aligns with the strategic plan by strengthening institutional effectiveness, enhancing student and faculty support systems, and upholding operational excellence across all areas of the school. By coordinating between academic and administrative functions, the Office Manager helps ensure that SPP can continue to prepare principled leaders equipped to make a meaningful impact on public policy and society.

Duties

• Administrative: Manage projects and daily operations for faculty and the assistant dean; coordinate meetings, prepare materials, track follow-up items, and manage the assistant dean’s calendar (with support to the dean’s as needed). Arrange travel and reconcile expenses and credit card activity for faculty, dean, and assistant dean. Process faculty grant funds, including payments, invoices, requisitions, and purchase orders. Oversee rank, tenure, and promotion submissions, and manage faculty hiring via Interfolio. Maintain confidential records and files, including sensitive correspondence, student files, financial data, and databases such as Microsoft Access and Raiser's Edge. In coordination with the assistant dean, support class scheduling and course evaluations (CoursEval). Oversee SPP operations and facilities communications, including room access, maintenance, and equipment replacements. Serve as HR liaison: draft job descriptions, process new hire paperwork and compliance, schedule interviews, and maintain hiring records. Manage office functions such as printing letters, issuing keys and access forms, maintaining computer inventory, ordering supplies, and submitting purchase requests in PeopleSoft.
• Organization: Oversee campus operations and facilities requests (key and building access, maintenance, renewal and replacements, classroom preparedness, and 25Live room reservations); prepare and distribute faculty syllabi; maintain faculty class rosters, student photo rosters, faculty biographies, and curriculum vita; place book adoption orders; maintain syllabi archive; monitor accuracy and update faculty web pages; create and update faculty full-time and adjunct faculty handbooks; conduct annual tuition, fee, and ranking comparison studies; proofread course schedules; proctor exams, setup accommodations; prepare course materials.
• Technical: Approve, monitor, and track all SPP facility room reservations through 25Live; update website; create and maintain information technology inventory list; order computer hardware and software for faculty and staff; manage technology connections; facilitate resolution for information technology issues; order computer hardware, software, peripherals, and port activations for faculty and staff; reconcile and substantiate credit cards for all faculty and deans' office staff; serve as a requester for finance including online requests in PeopleSoft; maintain and update SPP databases including all faculty addresses and prospective faculty Microsoft Access databases; PeopleSoft class schedule updating, prepare photo rosters and class rosters, and manage grading schedule, prepare course evaluations; update Raiser's Edge contact records; setup online courses for Zoom; email course materials to students through use of Courses.
• Communication: Produce written correspondence and forms including faculty data forms, student disciplinary communications; proof and edit SPP publications; manage student Honor Board hearing logistics and student grade petition correspondence; gather faculty articles for Dean's Report; serve as liaison to senior University administrators; collect and prepare material for University Academic Council meetings; facilitate prompt and courteous responses to inquiries; assist in relations with vendors, partners, and constituents as needed; answer phones, providing an excellent first impression to students, donors, and executives; maintain facility requests and follow up.
• Events/Hearings: Plan academic events; assist at SPP conferences and events; plan student Honor Board hearings including room reservations, catering orders, and participant communications; oversee classroom-specific events including guest speaker travel, lodging, ground transportation, and reimbursements; track all facility room reservations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Uphold University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in the areas of business, communications, liberal arts, or related field.
• Training in business writing and proof reading.
• 2-4 years of senior managerial support experience including experience in interacting with a variety of senior executives, alumni, students, faculty, and administrators.
• Superior writing, editing, and proofreading ability.
• Proven financial and budgeting experience.
• Superior organization skills; proven track-record of accuracy; strong communication skills both oral and written, including editing and proof-reading ability.
• Demonstrated professional record of taking initiative; strong interpersonal skills including over the telephone or Zoom.
• Ability to initiate and take independent action.
• Able to give careful attention to detail and accuracy.
• Able to handle multiple tasks, establish priorities, work with staff of varying management styles, and manage change.
• Knowledge of PC environment with word processing, spreadsheet, and database experience essential.
• Extensive experience with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, G-Suite applications products (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Groups), and Adobe Professional; knowledge of standard business machines.

Preferred:

• Education in English and language arts.
• Training in PeopleSoft student and financial modules.
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures.
• Experience with Raiser's Edge, PeopleSoft (Oracle) products including student and financial modules, OpenInvoice, 25Live, CoursEval, Doodle scheduling, and Zoom video conferencing.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

This is a Regular, Nonexempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $26.44 - $28.72 per hour 

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.