Program Administrative Specialist

Salary Grade

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary for this position at the time of its posting. The starting wage rate is $19.32 per hour, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

Job Description

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Program Administrative Specialist serves as the primary operational and administrative coordinator split equally between the 11000 Cedar startup incubator (0.5 FTE) and the Translational Fellows / I-Corps Programs within the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) (0.5 FTE). This role executes day-to-day building and member logistics for early-stage healthcare and technology companies at 11000 Cedar. Concurrently, the position handles the scheduling, recruitment coordination, event logistics, and routine financial/payroll paperwork for CTSC Translational Fellows cohorts, ensuring smooth operational support for innovations moving toward commercialization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Execute routine member onboarding and offboarding tasks, including processing checklists, assigning keys and badges, setting up building access, and coordinating move-in/move-out logistics. Route, track, and organize member license agreements, renewals, amendments, and certificates of insurance. Maintain accurate database logs of member contacts, space assignments, agreement timelines, and billing adjustments. Submit and follow up on facility maintenance, climate control, and custodial tickets with university teams and property management. Serve as the daily point of contact for basic member inquiries, room reservations, and visitor protocols, while monitoring shared spaces to ensure general workspace cleanliness and compliance. (45%)
• Coordinate day-to-day logistics for I-Corps and Translational Fellows Program (TFP) cohorts across the academic year. Schedule multi-party calendar invites, book meeting rooms, and order catering for workshops, orientations, and final presentations. Administer the annual cohort recruitment cycle by updating application portals (InfoReady and Google Forms), compiling applicant files, and organizing reviewer panels. Process routine payroll documentation, stipends, and funding allocations for active Fellows by coordinating directly with departmental administrators. Handle travel bookings, expense reimbursements, and honorarium paperwork for program consultants. Working closely with the CTSC Evaluation and Communications Teams, distribute evaluation surveys, log participant data into tracking software, collect and report program metrics, and update program web pages with standardized program descriptions and news highlights. Facilitate investigator and trainee interest in commercialization efforts and consultations. (45%)
• Attend weekly administrative hub meetings and bi-monthly steering committees to track operational milestones and note action items. Monitor inventories for office, kitchen, and meeting room supplies, initiating routine purchasing requests as needed. Ensure standard flyers, forms, and presentation slides utilize approved templates and properly reference required funding citations. (6%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Perform other duties as assigned. (4%)

CONTACTS

Department: Regular contact with the Associate Vice President for Research, Director of the Incubator, the CTSC Deputy Director, and members of the core research administration/sponsored projects teams.

University: Regular contact with CWRU faculty researchers, departmental administrators, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), Facilities Services, and University Technology (UTech).

External: Daily contact with incubator startup founders, external corporate members, corporate sponsors, and national program consultants.

Students: Occasional contact with graduate fellows, student researchers, and student building workers.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

No supervisory responsibility.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: 2 to 3 years of related experience (may include administrative, operational, or project coordination, navigating complex tracking systems, contracts, or program logistics).

Education: High school education required. Bachelors degree preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Strong organizational skills and acute attention to detail; proven ability to manage multiple tracking workflows simultaneously with high fidelity and follow-through.
• Strong interpersonal and professional communication skills; ability to interact diplomatically with a diverse mix of startup founders, university executives, academic faculty, and facilities staff.
• Comfortable solving routine operational problems independently, exhibiting professional judgment regarding when to deploy a local fix versus when to escalate issues to senior leadership.
• Technical proficiency utilizing Airtable, InfoReady, Google Workspace (including Sheets/Forms), Microsoft Office, shared calendar systems, and simple databases or visitor management portals.
• Strong desire to learn and work with AI to improve process and administrative efficiency.
• Ability to maintain strict operational confidentiality, meet consistent attendance requirements across a split schedule, and interact face-to-face daily within a busy, shared building environment.
• Prefer exposure to a laboratory, life science, healthcare, research facility, or startup incubator environment; basic familiarity with wet lab spaces or general research facility workflows.
• Willingness to learn and work with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies.
• Ability to demonstrate successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
• Ability to meet consistent attendance.
• Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Normal office and startup incubator environment. The position requires a consistent, physical, on-campus presence split between the 11000 Cedar incubator facility and the CTSC administrative offices. No heavy lifting required, but regular movement between different wings of the facility to audit shared lab/office spaces is expected.

EEO Statement

Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodations

Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CWRU Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicants will be made on a case-by-case basis.

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