Job Summary

This position reports to the department head and independently supports the day-to-day operations of the NRES Department and ensures departmental office alignment with university, college, and department policies and procedures. Administrative support includes but is not limited to department head, faculty, and student support; budget support; retention promotion and tenure processed for the department; faculty recruitment processes; department event planning; facilities usage; and external relations with prospective students and parents, alumni, employers, and the NRES Industrial Advisory Council. 

Department Summary

The Natural Resource Management and Environmental Sciences (NRES) Department offers B.S. degrees in Environmental Earth and Soil Sciences, Environmental Management and Protection, and Forestry and Fire Sciences, and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Management. The programs enroll approximately 850 undergraduate students and 30 graduate students and are supported by 19 tenure-line faculty.  The department has access to a variety of on campus and off campus field and lab resources to support hands on instruction and research, including multiple ranches and agricultural fields on campus as well as Cal Poly’s 3,000-acre Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz County.  The department also supports strong interdisciplinary collaboration across campus including faculty participation in Cal Poly’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire institute and the new Center for Organic Production and Research, among other programs. 

Key Qualifications

• Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures independently and use judgment and discretion to act when precedents do not exist.
• Ability to take initiative, plan, organize and prioritize work (multi-tasking). Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Ability to work independently, exercise critical judgment, and anticipate problems and address them proactively.
• Ability to understand problems from a broader perspective and anticipate the impact of office administration problems and solutions on other areas.
• Ability to analyze operational and procedural problems and develop, recommend, and evaluate proposed solutions.
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, on-line systems, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
• Ability to perform business math, analyze budgetary data, and make accurate projections requiring some inference.
• Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with a diverse clientele of people, both in public and private organizations. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or its equivalent. Type 45 wpm. Five years of general office support or technical experience. Training at a vocational school or full-time college education may be substituted for two years of the required experience on the basis of one year of college education for 6 months of experience.

Salary and Benefits

Anticipated Hiring Range: $4,247 - $5,544 monthly 

Classification Range: $4,058 - $6,653 monthly

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information. 

Cal Poly

Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, and known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. Each year more than 20,000 top-tier students come to San Luis Obispo to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands-on philosophy, small class sizes and close student-faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit calpoly.edu.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Positions are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days.