Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425?acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Department of Economics offers a wide variety of courses, with focuses such as economic development, health and health care, international trade, the environment, macroeconomics, game theory, finance, econometrics, industrial organization, labor markets, and race and gender. Within a flexible program of practical relevance, Swarthmore's economics curriculum emphasizes intellectual exploration, analytical rigor, and the use and interpretation of statistical evidence. Students develop a portable set of skills, making the economics major a pathway to a rich array of careers in business, law, journalism, public policy, government, and academics.

The opportunity:

Reporting to the Department Chair, the Administrative Coordinator provides high level administrative support to the large, but friendly and efficient, Department of Economics. The position requires skilled autonomy, excellent communication and collaboration with the Department Chair, and knowledgeable assistance of faculty and students in the Economics department and staff in the College’s Social Science Quantitative Lab.

Essential Responsibilities

Administrative Support

• Plan, organize, and execute office support operations for the department to ensure smooth and effective services and operations, including, but not limited to:
  • Proactively keeping the Chair informed about upcoming events and administrative tasks, and working cooperatively and efficiently with the Chair in person and by email.
  • Providing receptionist duties greeting visitors, answering phones and email, and responding to inquiries and other requests for information in a prompt manner.
  • Using excellence in written English and technical knowledge (e.g., mail merge, email lists, email organization) to produce timely and clear email communication on department processes and events to send to faculty and students at Swarthmore and to external parties such as Honors examiners, external reviewers, and job candidates.
• Perform routine clerical responsibilities, such as, but not limited to:
  • Photocopying, filing, printing, collating, distributing, and mailing documents
  • Making student documents accessible.
  • Ordering supplies and maintaining office equipment and spaces.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with other administrative staff and offices across campus, and serve as a liaison between the department and college offices, including:
  • Staying up-to-date on Swarthmore policies and procedures, and advising faculty and students on proper procedures and policies
  • Understanding where to find information and how to make requests to help meet department needs.

Records and Information Management

• Maintain, coordinate, and regularly update effective hard copy and digital filing systems (using Google Drive and Google Sheets) to ensure efficient access to relevant records and information, often including confidential files.
• Compile information and data, summarize information, and create reports using word processing and spreadsheet software (including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace applications).
• Take advantage of ITS training opportunities to learn new systems and software as necessary.

Academic Program Support

• Perform a variety of tasks that require a thorough understanding of the Economics department’s curriculum and academic requirements and College platforms (including Banner), including, but not limited to:
  • Assisting with course registration for approximately 500 students per semester, including checking students’ prerequisites for courses, conducting pre-registration lotteries, and adding students to courses and seminars in accordance with the department’s policies.
  • Managing and communicating with all students majoring or minoring in Economics, approximately 100 students per graduating class, assign academic advisors, and assist the Department Chair in monitoring that students are meeting all requirements as they pursue their major and minor degrees and prepare for graduation.
  • Helping organize and report all information related to the departmental curriculum (including course offerings, schedules, and lists).
  • Engaging regularly with students to provide curricular or other information relevant to the department and identifying issues that need the Chair’s attention.
  • Supporting the evaluation of transfer and off-campus study credit.
• Maintain and ensure the accuracy of the academic information that appears across print and online platforms at the College, including updating program and course information in the catalog using Acalog and on the department website using Drupal.

Financial Management

• Serve as primary budget support for the department’s budget and restricted funds, using digital bookkeeping methods (including ChromeRiver and Google Sheets) to track accounts and budgets.
• Complete, distribute, and monitor for accuracy a variety of accounting documents for the department and its faculty, such as invoices, travel forms, internal requisitions, vouchers, receipts, and purchase orders in order to ensure appropriate billing, reimbursement, payment, and budget reconciliation.
• Engage in purchasing and spending in consultation with the Chair and according to the department’s needs.
• Review monthly income and expense statements, reconcile account activity, investigate discrepancies, and share information with the Chair, in order to ensure accurate charges and control expenditures.

Events and Activities

• Support the planning, scheduling, and execution of special events (such as lectures, receptions, conferences, and department retreats) and ongoing activities (such as department gatherings, meetings, and makeup exams), including the coordination of logistics, travel arrangements, housing, catering, space reservations, vehicle reservations, and set up of audiovisual equipment, among other related tasks.
• Help to design and arrange awards, gifts, signs, and other promotional items.
• Manage the visits and examinations of honors examiners and arrange associated events.
• Support department searches, including placing advertisements, managing candidates’ application materials, scheduling interviews, and making arrangements for on campus visits.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• As part of executing the above responsibilities, the position requires regular supervision of a group of student workers, including:
  • Advertising open positions, collecting applications for faculty review, and then hiring and orienting approximately 40 student teaching assistants (TAs), research assistants (RAs), and Coordinators of Community-Building Events in Economics (CCBEEs) per semester.
  • Coordinating with both faculty and student workers to schedule appropriate times and reserve rooms for TA clinics and study halls to meet the pedagogical needs of faculty and the availability of student workers.
  • Working with CCBEEs to plan and execute community-building events.
  • Working to identify and hire existing or new student workers who can serve as tutors when students request tutoring.
  • Collecting and checking student timecards for accuracy and timely submission to payroll.

 Who you are:

• Strong organizational abilities. Attention to detail and ability to handle multiple and varied tasks independently, while also working collaboratively and knowing when to consult others.
• Demonstrated willingness and ability to learn new technologies, platforms, and software
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to work effectively with students, faculty, visitors, and other administrative staff.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent with five years of job-related experience working in an office environment, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Suite and Google Workspace applications and using spreadsheets to track budgets, spending, and student counts correctly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred.
• Experience with College platforms including Acalog, Drupal, SwatCentral, eMarket Portal, Argos, AppGarden, the Major/Minor Portal, JobX, and Chrome River.
• Experience working in an academic department.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for several hours at a time and to work a desk using a personal computer.
• Documents may occasionally be stored in physical form and require positioning oneself to access file cabinets, remove files, and transport them, as well as light-weight boxes.
• May occasionally need to traverse across campus to support events.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit your application, with an updated resume and a cover letter that describes how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position, by May 20, 2025. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

PA Criminal Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

About Swarthmore College

Since its founding in 1864, Swarthmore College has given students the knowledge, insight, skills, and experience to become leaders for the common good. Offering a liberal arts and engineering curriculum, the College is private, yet open to all regardless of financial need. It is also decidedly global in outlook, drawing students from around the world and all 50 states. The diversity of perspectives represented by Swarthmore students, faculty, and staff - including different viewpoints, identities, and histories - contributes to the community's strong sense of open dialogue and engagement with ideas and issues.

Connections working at Swarthmore College