University of Florida · 1 day ago
Administrative Specialist II UF/IFAS Blueberry Breeding Program
Gainesville, FL
Full-time
Onsite
Mid Level
3+ years expThe University of Florida is seeking an Administrative Specialist II for the Blueberry Breeding Program within the Horticultural Sciences Department. This role involves supporting departmental administration, managing budgets, and providing executive secretarial assistance, while also serving as a liaison with various university departments.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Support Director of the Blueberry Breeding Research Program with planning, development and execution of research, teaching and extension programs throughout the state and internationally
Prepare and maintain confidential files for all department personnel for review and evaluation as needed
Implement grant projects and policies for efficient departmental function and administration
Represent the Director to the public, clientele, students, administrators and visitors
Collaborate with faculty, staff and students with problem resolution
Makes decisions on how best to address issues, problems and application of departmental policies in the absence of the Director
Update BBP Directory for department and provide updates to IT Specialist as necessary
Manage and execute daily operations related to programs activities within the blueberry breeding program
Keep the Director’s calendar
Advise the Director of all administrative, policy and day-to-day operations in the program, when Director is out of the office
Support Director by preparing documents, correspondence, reports, open mail and route accordingly, sending/receiving documents, coordinating events and liaising with collaborators and international growers to help promote future research and development
Organizes schedules for faculty interviews including making travel and housing arrangements
Coordinate Seasonal hires and events necessary during harvest season
Track department accounts and work with Director on department annual and end year fiscal project analysis
Liaise with IFAS Shared Services (ISS) on department and faculty accounts
Keep up to date with project parameters and deadlines required
Support Director and Faculty with Visiting Scholar requirements and Visa processes mandated by state law and IFAS HR including onboarding
Resolve complex HR issues and serve as point of contact and liaison to the public, collaborators and international interests
Oversee the processing of graduate students with travel authorities, travel expense reports, UFGo coordination and processing as necessary
Provide training and understanding of UF systems for travel and conference attendance
Support faculty and staff in completion of performance evaluation paperwork and forms
Monitor deadline compliance with HOS HR and IFAS HR
Submit information needed for processing
Ensure that all personnel are informed and in compliance with all regulations and policies related to employment and day-to-day performance of duties and tasks
Work to resolve employee concerns and conflicts
Work closely with HOS HR and IFAS HR to prepare letters of offer, promotion, draft position descriptions/announcements and help with reclassifications, OPS employee requirements and recruitments and SPI requests
Prepares and process departmental requests for courtesy faculty appointments and graduate faculty appointments
Handle most of the purchasing for the blueberry breeding program administrative office, laboratories and graduate student project requirements
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree and three years of appropriate experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Strong communication skills are a critical component of this role
Ability to independently organize and manage projects as instructed by the Director/Principal Investigator
Ability to multitask effectively
Ability to supervise within a collaborative team environment
Must independently exercise a great deal of judgment and direction
Must be able to analyze and resolve problems
Preferred
This position is stationed in a very busy work environment and is most suited for someone who seeks multi-tasking, enjoys challenges and can function well in a demanding work environment
Position serves as the representative and spokesperson for the department; incumbent must possess a professional, friendly demeanor and must maintain an excellent attendance record at all times
Ability to work independently
Ability to establish work priorities
Ability to understand and apply pertinent rules, regulations, policies and procedures
Ability to utilize problems solving techniques
Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments
Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
Knowledge of personnel and business practices
Knowledge of UF policies and procedures for HR and fiscal processes
Company
University of Florida
University of Florida is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
University of Florida has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (388)
2024 (307)
2023 (278)
2022 (282)
2021 (169)
2020 (162)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$6.83MKey Investors
Align TechnologyUS Department of EnergyNFWF
2025-06-02Grant
2024-09-17Grant· $2M
2024-09-10Grant· $0.18M
Leadership Team
Sri Kalyanaraman
Co-founder, VR for the Social Good Initiative
Chris Cowen
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
2026-01-17
2026-01-13
2025-12-07
Company data provided by crunchbase