Location: Syracuse, NY
Category: Research Foundation
Job Type: Full-time
Posted On: Tue Aug 11 2026
Job Description:
Title: SeniorClerical Specialist
Unit: Office of Research Programs (ORP)
Salary: $53,000 - $55,000 annual DOQ
Brief description of duties: This position coordinates departmental projects, research administration related initiatives, and program activities by managing schedules, tracking milestones and deliverables, supporting stakeholder communications, monitoring compliance obligations, and organizing project documentation. The role additionally supports office operations through purchasing, reporting, and event coordination activities..
Project Coordination & Administration:
- Coordinates departmental projects and special initiatives by tracking timelines, deliverables, action items, and reporting requirements.
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Maintains project plans, status reports, tracking tools, and supporting documentation to ensure projects remain on schedule.
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Coordinates communications among faculty, staff, campus leadership, the SUNY Research Foundation, and external partners regarding project activities and deadlines.
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Schedules project meetings, prepares agendas, documents outcomes, and tracks follow-up activities.
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Assists in gathering, compiling, and organizing data and information for project reports, presentations, and compliance submissions.
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Tracks progress on departmental initiatives and provide updates to project stakeholders.
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Supports implementation of process improvement initiatives through documentation, coordination, and follow-up activities.
Program & Research Support:
- Coordinates research administration - related programs, workshops, training sessions, meetings, and campus-wide initiatives.
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Assists with office level event logistics including scheduling, registration, communications, materials preparation, and post-event follow-up.
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Assists with research communications initiatives, including website content updates, promotional materials, and outreach efforts.
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Supports post-award activities through coordination of subrecipient documentation, reporting schedules, and compliance tracking.
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Compiles participation, activity, and performance data and prepares reports that support program assessment and decision-making.
Administration & Office Operations:
- Provides administrative support to the Assistant Vice President for Research
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Maintains calendars, schedules appointments and meetings, and coordinates office communications.
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Processes purchasing transactions, invoices, procurement card documentation, reimbursements, and related records for the RF@ESF general office operations.
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Maintains office files, databases, records, and departmental documentation.
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Coordinates student employment activities, including onboarding, scheduling, timekeeping, and record maintenance.
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Maintains inventory records and assists with tracking office equipment, supplies, and departmental assets.
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Serves as a primary point of contact for visitors, faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
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Assists with the development and maintenance of administrative procedures, forms, and workflow documentation.
Job Requirements:
Required Qualifications: Minimum of 3 years' progressive experience in an office setting or a combination of higher education and experience. Advanced skills with complex computer applications (Microsoft products and software, e.g. Outlook, MS Teams, Word, Excel). Highly organized and detail oriented, strong communicator (verbal and written), efficient at managing time, customer focused, technologically savvy, problem solver.
Additional Information:
In accordance with the "Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" institutions of higher education are required to prepare an annual report containing information on campus security policies and campus statistics. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by SUNY-ESF; and on property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a printed copy of this report by contacting SUNY-ESF University Police at 315-470-6667 or by accessing the following web site: https://www.esf.edu/safety/annual-security-reports.php https://www.esf.edu/safety/annual-security-reports.php
SUNY ESF is a Smoke and Tobacco Free campus and is dedicated to providing a healthy and safe environment for the entire campus. For more information you can visit our Tobacco and Smoke Free Policy at https://www.esf.edu/employees/policies/policy-smoking.php
As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy-related conditions, reproductive health decisions, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic characteristics/genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, military status or service, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state or local law.
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York offers exceptional benefits such as healthcare, dental, vision, pension plans, competitive pay, generous paid time off, life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
The Research Foundation for the State University of New York is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. The Research Foundation for the State University of New York operates under a contract with The State University of New York and receives no directly appropriated state funding.
SUNY-ESF and the Broader Community
ESF is a specialized college within the 64-campus SUNY system, and a Carnegie R2 "High Research Activity" Institution that consistently earns high rankings in US News and World Report, Forbes, Princeton Review, and other national college guidebooks. With a total enrollment of about 2,200 undergraduates and 400 graduate students, combined with the immediate proximity of Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University, ESF provides an intimate, small-college atmosphere within a vibrant, large-university setting. ESF's extended campuses include more than 25,000 acres of forest properties, both close to Syracuse and across the Adirondack Park, which provide numerous opportunities for experiential coursework, research, and public outreach.
Located on the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region, Syracuse is a small city in a rural region offering a diversity of natural and cultural amenities, a low cost of living, and a high quality of life - ranking among the top 10 percent of "Best Places to Live" in "The Places Rated Almanac." Syracuse is situated with easy access to New York City, the Adirondack Park, Lake Ontario, and many other points of interest in the eastern United States and Canada.
