Administrative Coordinator - Physics

Job Description:

Administrative Coordinator - Physics

Description

Job Summary

The purpose of this position is to provide administrative support to the Physics Department primarily in the areas of academic personnel, budget, curriculum/enrollment, and in general overall operations. Working independently under general supervision, the Physics Administrative Coordinator provides continuity of operations with respect to the department, college and university goals in the context of rotating Department Chair and committee chairs. It is essential that the person in this position provides a welcoming and helpful environment for department visitors as this position is responsible, while working in coordination with the department’s other support staff, for providing procedural and general support to students, parents, faculty, and alumni. The incumbent operates independently within the general guidelines established by the department and has significant autonomy and decision-making responsibility.

Department Summary

The Physics Department is a major academic unit within the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics (BCSM), and is one of the largest Physics departments in the CSU. Its primary purpose is to offer courses which are required by other technical/science majors such as Engineering, Architecture, Biological Sciences and Agriculture, as well as courses which satisfy GE requirements for other majors. Most courses have laboratory components. The department offers two Physics degrees, the BS and the BA, with a total of about 180 majors and offers three minors in Physics, Astronomy and Geology. The department teaches courses in Astronomy, Geology, Physics and Physical Science. The department is currently composed of a rotating Department Chair, 29 tenured faculty, 7 probationary faculty, 16 full-time lecturers, and 5 part-time faculty (which varies). The department has clerical and administrative support provided by two positions, technical support for labs and shops provided by 3 positions, and about 40 student employees working as tutors, graders and research assistants. For more information about the Physics Department, please see https://physics.calpoly.edu/.

Key Qualifications

• Comprehensive and detailed knowledge of, or the ability to quickly learn, department, college, and university policies, procedures, regulations, and precedents; ability to independently interpret, communicate, and apply these policies and procedures across all aspects of department operations - with particular emphasis on fiscal management and academic personnel.
• Excellent ability to provide administrative coordination across a wide variety of department matters including budget, personnel, facilities, and overall operations; ability to anticipate departmental needs, independently identify issues requiring action, exercise sound judgment, and proceed toward creative solutions.
• Ability to perform business math, analyze budgetary data, and make accurate projections requiring inference; demonstrated ability to track, project, monitor, advise, and oversee departmental budgets.
• Excellent ability to work independently; plan, organize, coordinate, and perform long-range activities while managing multiple priorities and responding to a broad range of varying needs as they arise.
• Ability to identify, examine, and analyze problems and develop creative and workable solutions; ability to understand problems from a broader perspective and anticipate the impact of solutions on other areas.
• 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 experience 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: $52,404 - $66,456 annually

Classification Range: $52,404 - $76,344 annually

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

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.

Advertised: Apr 08 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: