Senior Administrator

September 20, 2024

Massey University

Palmerston North

Job Descrip on
Senior Administrator
(Office of the Provost)
Posi on Purpose: To provide comprehensive, high-quality general (non-academic)
administra ve support to the Dean of Pacific and the Director of
Research Opera ons (and their teams) enabling their engagement with
external and internal stakeholders, strategic priori es, and programmes
of work.
To provide technical guidance to Administrators on any aspect of general
administra ve work.
Department: Provost Business Services
Loca on: Palmerston North
Reports to: Business Services Manager
Responsible for: Nil
Delega ons: Band E
Job Title: Senior Administrator
Key rela onships: Internal: External:
VC & Provost, their managers, and External suppliers
their staff External stakeholders
Members of VC/Provost Hub team
University Services staff
e.g. HR, ITS, Facili es Mgt
Massey University: We are a world-leading university in many academic disciplines and fields
of research. Our point of difference is research that is connected to
community and industry. Our researchers are developing exper se and
skills to advance human knowledge and understanding. Working together
across disciplines and loca ons, we solve na onal and global problems
through fundamental, applied and interdisciplinary research, while
culturally and ar s cally enriching our world.
We are deeply commi ed to being a Te Tiri -led university,
demonstra ng authen c leadership in contemporary Aotearoa New
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Zealand as we uphold Te Tiri o Waitangi, the founding document of our
na on, and its principles through our prac ce. We embrace this not just
as an obliga on but as a real opportunity for the na on and its people.
Our educators are preparing a new genera on of global leaders. Our
students are diverse and are a racted to Massey because they want to
achieve their personal goals or make their mark in the world. They
experience world-class learning that recognises their intellectual and
cultural strengths, expands their horizons and prepares them to
contribute to a rapidly transforming world with skills, cri cal and crea ve
thinking and leadership.
We will be renowned for our passion and caring a tude. All Massey
campuses will be innova on ecosystems, ac ng as magnets for smart
enterprises. Wherever we are, we will operate in partnerships founded
on respect, trust and mutual benefit. Massey is not only defined by what
we do, but by how we do it.
About this area The Office of the Provost is responsible for the strategic leadership to the
University across the areas of research, learning and teaching, enterprise
and Pacific student success, in order to drive the development and
implementa on of strategies, policies and standards that underpin the
delivery of quality research and teaching across the ins tu on.
Massey core capabili es
At Massey we are Tiri -led, upholding Te Tiri o Waitangi principles through our prac ce, we:

Demonstrate awareness of Te Tiri o Waitangi and its contribu on to Aotearoa New Zealand

society.

Understand the relevance of Te Tiri o Waitangi in rela on to the work of the University and

the people we serve.

Embracing Te Reo in relevant and prac cal ways in our workplace interac ons and engagement

with external stakeholders, giving expression to Tikanga Māori and protocols that
demonstrates that we respect and value Māori conven ons in appropriate se ngs. At Massey we work together with mutual respect and caring. we:

Act with integrity and trustworthiness and give credit to others for the work they do.
Work coopera vely and inter-dependently to foster and promote the One University approach.
Share knowledge and communicate professionally with courtesy and mutual respect.
Are ethical in all transac ons, working within the parameters of our policies and procedures.
Are direct, truthful and maintain confiden ality.
Seek to understand and appreciate our differences.
Keep ourselves and others safe; work together to embrace with the University's health, safety

and wellbeing policies, procedures and programmes; display commitment by ac vely
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suppor ng all safety and wellbeing ini a ves: and by ac vely engaging in health and safety
improvement opportuni es.

At Massey we are future-focused, results- oriented and strive for excellence. we:

Take ownership and responsibility for delivering results to support achievement of University

objec ves.

Provide the best quality services to our customers (internal and external) ensuring our

students/ stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do.

Deliver or support world-class research, teaching and learning and ci zenship.
Take personal responsibility for our performance, take pride in doing our job well, and commit

to ongoing personal and professional development.
• Are mo vated and create a posi ve working environment where our values are reinforced. •
An cipate and respond with agility and resilience to the changing needs of the University and
the communi es we serve.

Seek ways to improve our services to deliver in an efficient and effec ve way.
Embrace technology and apply this innova vely to be er meet the needs of those we serve.
Challenge ourselves to reach our poten al and help bring out the best in others.
Understand how what we do contributes to the objec ves of the University.

Accountabili es
Mix of du es may vary  A Senior Administrator may be required to undertake a range and
mix of administra ve tasks to a high level of proficiency and
without significant supervision and may be highly specialised in
one or few administra ve areas, commensurate with the needs of
the college/service which may change from me to me. 
A Senior Administrator is required to provide technical and
professional guidance and advice to Administrator colleagues on all
facets of general administra ve work.
Management Support (as
required)  Ac ng as first point of contact for Department which may include
(but is not limited to) scheduling, monitoring, and responding to
wri en correspondence as appropriate 
Managing the distribu on of materials and documenta on in so
and hard copy as required 
Provision of full administra ve support including workload and
mee ng management and scheduling, no fica on of upcoming
deadlines, coordina ng travel and accommoda on, organising
prepara on of i neraries 
Handling confiden al and sensi ve informa on with discre on 
Undertake planning of Head of Department schedule with due
regard to commitments, priori es, prepara on and balancing the
urgent with the important. Manage overall balance of the working
day, week and year to ensure an appropriate balance of mee ngs,
planning, prepara on, and follow up ac vity
3 

Manage and priori se communica ons received, including
scheduling ac ons to be taken, replies without interven on when
appropriate, dra s responses and items for considera on and
signature 
Iden fy ma ers that require urgent ac on and prepare the
groundwork ready for response. Ensuring ma ers of risk and
important issues are effec vely flagged and resolved and sensi ve
informa on appropriately handled 
In a mely manner and in advance of commitments, prepare
documents and briefing materials required to enable thorough
prepara on for mee ngs and appointments 
Liaise with appropriate staff for ac on in the event of a manager’s
absence 
Provide pro-ac ve support in mee ng deadlines and achieving
commitments 
Respond to, and ac on work on behalf of, the Heads of
Department as appropriate 
Dra ing and forma ng correspondence and reports. This may also
include the collec on, analysis and presenta on of key data or
informa on; leading or contribu ng to special
projects/assignments; edi ng execu ve level documents; preparing
and/or dra ing nonrou ne correspondence, presenta ons, and
papers for and on behalf of the Head of School/Department
Secretariat to Commi ees  Act as secretary to key formal commi ees as required. For each,
(as required) manage the complex tasks such as:
o Provide guidance and advice to staff who seek to submit papers
or proposals for the commi ee mee ng
o Prepare mee ng agenda and associated paperwork on a mely
and accurate manner
o Set and distribute annual commi ee mee ng metable o
Undertake urgent ac ons on behalf of the commi ee/s as
requested by the Chair/s.
o Communicate decisions taken from the mee ngs and follow up
as required.
o Advise Chair/s and commi ee members on adherence to Terms
of Reference and observance of Standing Orders. 
Manage commi ee documenta on in a manner that reflects the
requirements for accuracy, reliability, transparency, and meliness,
including maintaining prac ce which reflects the policy of the
University Offices (including retrieval and archiving), privacy law
and the Local Government, Official Informa on and Mee ngs Act
Rela onship Management  Proac vely liaise with Pacific Student Success and Research
Opera ons teams to ensure current and future support
requirements are understood, and raising any resourcing issues for
administra ve work with the Business Services Manager
4 

Proac vely liaise with administra ve colleagues in other
colleges/services as necessary. 
Maintain posi ve and collabora ve professional rela onships and
networks across the university.
 Seek out and respond to direc on from the Business Services
Manager and communicate any emergent issues or needs arising
within their assigned area
 Maintain awareness of knowledge, skills and capability of
administrators and other general administra on team colleagues
and provide informa on to the Business Services Manager to
enable planned capability development of the Hub Administra on
team
 Promote awareness and adop on of new and emergent university
approved technologies, tools and processes for undertaking
administra ve work 
Provide administra ve support for department managers and staff
General Administra on to support them in achieving their objec ves, as agreed with the
Business Services Manager on standards and provisions 
Establish and/or maintain an efficient electronic filing/retrieval and
archiving system for department informa on and data, in
conformance with university standards 
Organise authorised business travel for staff, and others, as
directed. Delega ng work to administrators as required. 
Demonstrate manaakitanga in hos ng visitors 
Support successful and compliant organisa on of any department
or other por olio events 
Demonstrate excellent customer service through reliable, efficient
and mely execu on of service deliverables 
Adopt and embed customer-centred service standards for assigned
Department and deliver to those standards
Administra on Management  Establish and facilitate smooth process and informa on flow within
the area and with other Departments and College/Service offices. 
Translate university, processes, standards and ways of working into
opera onal prac ce within the assigned area. 
Liaise with managers and staff at all levels, to establish and
maintain personal in-depth understanding of the university and
area structures, func ons, priori es and prac ces 
Ac vely iden fy areas for process improvement and provide input
to the Business Services Manager on priori es for pan-university
development 
Develop comprehensive understandings of key university policies
and business systems and be the local expert on their opera on
and consistent applica on to the area’s processes and procedures 
Co-ordinate area events and mee ngs in conjunc on with
leadership teams
5 

Establish and manage record-keeping requirements in accordance
with university policies and standards 
Assist with area communica ons and informa on dissemina on 
Assist with audit programmes and processes when required
Technical Guidance  Maintain awareness, understanding and proficiency in all aspects
of general administra on, establishing and maintaining effec ve
rela onships with central service providers and external providers,
and providing technical and professional support to Administrators
and other roles in the administra on team. 
Exercising non-posi onal influence on colleagues in the
administra ve team and with managers and staff in the
Departments
HR Processes •  Support staffing approval processes as required 
Promote adherence with all people-related processes and policies 
Coordinate new staff induc on and exit procedures for permanent
and contract staff in the departments when required
 Support Heads of Department and managers of staff, to ac vely
manage taking of annual leave
 Maintain Hazard Register / H&S Plan for Departments and maintain
bring-up system for management ac ons to support adherence to
the plan and engagement with university health and safety
compliance prac ce within the Office 
Support HSW incident repor ng and inves ga on 
Support HSW Reps and HSW plans / ac on schedules
Finance Administra on  Promote awareness and adop on of policy/procedure adherence.
Maintain knowledge of financial policies and processes to support
the school/department and ar culate the benefits of conformance
with university Policy and Procedure. Be an advocate of new
process and systems. 
Assist managers and staff with financial administra on,
reconcilia on of staff credit cards, electronic internal transfers –
correc ons, interdepartmental charges, recoveries and
adjustments.
Project Administra on and  Support business hub manager and department managers. This
Management may include developing project plans for projects not necessita ng
a project manager, defining work breakdown, milestones,
dependencies, risks, and resourcing requirements 
Ensure adherence to project policies and processes.
Contract coordina on and  Establish and maintain familiarity with University Contract
management Management Policy, Procedures, and prac ces 
Provide support to contract coordina on and management as
directed 
Liaising with Procurement to maintain central register of contracts
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Communica on and
Marke ng  Support maintenance of Share Point site(s) within a university
framework and standards 
Plan and manage area events 
Co-ordinate and support Department newsle ers and
communica on to our communi es as required. 
Assist in preparing promo onal collateral as required
Other Du es Assist in Other du es / project work as may be required by the Business
Services Manager.
Qualifica ons and Experience
Qualifica ons: Higher educa on qualifica on (Bachelor’s degree preferred)
Experience: • Significant administra on experience and the ability to manage
mul ple projects/ini a ves at the same me (essen al)

Familiarity with Microso 365 Outlook, Word, & Excel (essen al).

Experience in business services and process improvement (preferred)

Experience in servicing formal and complex commi ees (preferred).
Experience in suppor ng academic research management func ons

(preferred)

Experience in Microso Share Point, Power Point, Power BI, Visio

Microso Power Automate (preferred)

Experience in Tech One, Rapid, Student Management

System(preferred)
Capabili es - Behaviour
Communica on • Conducts discussions in a respec ul manner, that are sincere and fully
Essen al expressed.

Develops a clear, complete understanding of needs and problems

through careful listening, probing, reflec ng, and summarising.

Delivers wri en and oral communica ons that engage audience

par cipants, respond to their ques ons and concerns, and produce
specific outcomes and impact.

Communicates in a mely manner using the appropriate style and

method.

Able to address broad audiences and stakeholder groups, working with
communica on plans and a mix of communica on methods.
Able to present informa on clearly, concisely and logically. Varies

content, style and form to suit the subject.
Working Together • Establishes and maintains produc ve working rela onships with key
stakeholders internally and externally. Essen al • Establishes and maintains credibility and appropriate confiden ality
with stakeholders

Proac vely iden fies and addresses poten al issues with stakeholders.

Leverages partnerships to improve the performance of programme or

por olios and works to resolves conflict and other obstacles to team
performance. Con nuous • Implements new systems, procedures and tools efficiently when
Transforma on changes occur in the work environment.
Essen al • • Works with agility, adjus ng current working processes or adop ng
new approaches in response to changes in the organisa on
environment.

Seeks challenging opportuni es or assignments to grow and develop

one's own knowledge, skills and abili es.

Uses digital tools to innovate programme, processes, systems or

services.

Communicates and analyses assump ons about a par cular issue with
colleagues to gain new perspec ves or more effec ve solu ons.

Delivering Results • Maintains focus on cri cal work and expecta ons.

Essen al • Able to track and complete agreed work in planned meframes.

Takes responsibility for escala ng issues that impact on planned work

and outcomes.

Documents how results were obtained to support knowledge transfer

and best prac ces.

Supports self during change by remaining flexible, focusing on the

posi ves, and proac vely seeking out opportuni es to get involved
Capabili es - Technical
Communica on • Excellent wri en and oral communica on skills, including strong
Essen al command of professional presenta on of wri en documents.

Skilled in minute taking.
Always communicate in a respec ul manner.

Accuracy and A en on to • Describes consequences of errors within own unit or func on.
Detail • Processes large quan es of detailed informa on with high levels of
Essen al accuracy.

Produc vely balances speed and accuracy.
Implements a variety of cross-checking approaches and mechanisms
Evaluates and makes contribu ons to best prac ces

Digital Skills • Working knowledge and confidence in using core Massey systems
Essen al Demonstrates intermediate to advanced levels of knowledge and

experience in the use of Microso 365 so ware.

Uses preferences and other tools to customise computer so ware /

hardware appropriate for func on.

Intermediate experience in the use of Share Point, can coach others in

the use Share Point and Teams

Iden fies and resolves common so ware and usage problems.

Office Administra on • Iden fies common administra ve ac vi es and tasks.

Performs all aspects of administra ve support for the VC & Provost

Essen al office. Manages current equipment service agreements and support
services. Processes and documents requirements for equipment or
staff requisi ons.

Develops and maintains physical and electronic filing systems.
Coordinates prepara on and distribu on of standard

Assists in developing administra ve process flow to and from other

func ons and departments Calendaring • Helps others understand the wide range of func ons available with
calendaring so ware (MS Office)

Essen al

Creates mul -level and repea ng tasks for self and others.

Adds notes, a achments or reminders to tasks or appointments for

self and others.

Prints using varied and complex setup, designs and page combina ons.
Manages mul ple calendars using features such as 'scheduling

assistant’, ‘recurrence’ and adding rooms.

Compares and contrasts func onality among different releases

Document • Iden fies major document management categories and func ons.
Management Checks documents thoroughly according to standard processes and

Essen al procedures.

Follows security and version management guidelines and prac ces.

Creates, stores, retrieves and archives electronic documents
Uses so ware tools and technologies for document management.
Tracks document management's exis ng issues and best prac ces.

Priority Se ng • Describes team or unit priori es and how they relate to roles.
Desirable • Demonstrates an expecta on that there will be ongoing shi s in
demands and priori es.

Clarifies and handles mul ple concurrent and diverse ac vi es.
Addresses poten al conflicts that impact current delivery

commitments.

Works with or leads others to re-priori se work and reschedule

commitments as necessary.

Responds to shi ing priori es while maintaining progress of regularly
scheduled work.

Problem Solving • Describes problem repor ng and escala on prac ces.
Desirable • Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnos c tools to iden fy problems.