Job Description

Be a Pirate!
Be a Pirate!

East Carolina University (ECU) is consistently ranked among the nation’s top public universities for its commitment to research, innovation, social mobility, and public service. Classified as a R1 institution by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, ECU is among the top 5% of research universities in the United States, an elite designation reflecting the highest levels of research activity, funding, and doctoral output.

Founded in 1907, ECU is a public, four-year university located in Greenville, N.C., which and is widely regarded as the cultural, educational, economic, and medical hub of eastern North Carolina. Through education, research, healthcare, community engagement, athletics, cultural enrichment, and service, ECU enhances the quality of life for its students, the state and communities around the world. It is a great place to work, teach, and learn.

ECU’s commitment to impactful scholarship is further demonstrated through its repeated Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (2010, 2015, 2024), as well as its 2024 designation as a Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose institution. These distinctions recognize the university’s leadership in translating research into meaningful community partnerships and measurable societal benefits.

The university supports its workforce through a wide range of professional development opportunities designed to foster career growth and skill advancement. Eligible employees also benefit from a comprehensive benefits package that promotes a healthy work-life balance.
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
East Carolina University (ECU) (https://www.ecu.edu), a member of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System, is committed to being a national model for student success, regional transformation, and public service. Through excellence in education, research, health care, community engagement, and cultural enrichment, ECU enhances the quality of life for our students, our state, and beyond. Located in Greenville, North Carolina (population ~92,000), ECU enrolls approximately 27,000 students each year, including ~ 5,500 students pursuing graduate and professional degrees. ECU is classified as a Carnegie R1 University and is part of a vibrant regional center for education, health, and the arts.

Greenville, situated 80 miles east of Raleigh and within easy reach of the Atlantic coast, offers a college-town atmosphere and exceptional quality of life. The city is affordable to live in and features a lively Uptown district with restaurants, breweries, and shops. Greenville provides abundant recreational opportunities, including access to the Tar River, over nine miles of greenways, nearly 30 parks, and a thriving arts scene. Greenville is located in the most recently recognized global biodiversity hotspot, the North American Coastal Plain.

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences (https://thcas.ecu.edu/) is home to 15 academic departments, multiple research centers—including the Center for Survey Research, Geographic Information Science Center, and Water Resources Center—and a number of interdisciplinary programs (https://thcas.ecu.edu/interdisciplinary-programs/). Harriot College’s vision is to be an engine of access, knowledge, and opportunity for all learners through transformative education, innovative research and creative activities, and meaningful community engagement. The College and ECU’s Department of Biology fosters a welcoming, inclusive environment that supports the recruitment and success of students, faculty, and staff. It is deeply committed to increasing access to higher education by building a culture of care, belonging, and opportunity.

The Department of Biology (https://biology.ecu.edu) serves more than 1,400 undergraduate majors (BS and BA in Biology; BS in Biochemistry) and teaches over 17,000 students annually. Faculty provide high-impact research training for undergraduate, Master’s (https://biology.ecu.edu/graduate-studies/), and Doctoral (https://idpbbc.ecu.edu/andhttps://coastal.ecu.edu/integrated-coastal-sciences/) students. The department encompasses a broad range of biological disciplines and promotes integrative approaches that draw from across the natural sciences. Faculty and students collaborate widely across campus, including with the Department of Earth, Environment, and Planning; the Water Resources Center; the Brody School of Medicine; and the Coastal Studies Institute. Beyond ECU, we have important collaborations with Sylvan Heights Bird Park and with campuses and research centers in the research triangle and along the NC coast.

The Department of Biology and many of its research facilities—including microscopy, genomics, and vivarium suites—are housed in the new Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building, a gateway to ECU’s dynamic downtown district. Additional research and instructional spaces for the department are located in Howell Science Complex, Flanagan and the Science and Technology Building. Howell Science Complex is undergoing a major renovation with one wing of spaces, including teaching labs for courses in organismal biology, opening in Summer 2026. Plans are underway to relocate our teaching labs (including those for Microbiology and Anatomy and Physiology) in Flanagan to a newly renovated second wing of Howell Science Complex within the next few years. The university also provides access to a range of cutting-edge shared research resources, including advanced imaging and sequencing technologies.
Primary Purpose of Position
This position serves as the lead administrative support personnel in the unit. This position is essential to supporting the department chair in carrying out the business operations of the unit. This includes personnel and budget management, maintaining administrative records that support departmental operations, facilitating the processing of travel documentation, facilitating correspondence between internal and external stakeholders and department, engaging in efforts to maximize enrollment and managing student records, navigating university technology systems, and serving as the policy expert for the unit. This position supervises and coordinates efforts of other administrative personnel who support 1) academic services for graduate and undergraduate programs, 2) student success and engagement efforts, and 3) purchasing/receiving and managing office logistics (e.g., mail, supplies, etc.). This position has frequent contact with offices outside of the unit, including the college office, units within the divisions of Academic Affairs, Administration & Finance, Student Affairs, and the Office of Research, Economic Development and Engagement. This position must exercise independent judgement and use discretion and confidentiality, when appropriate.

Minimum Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
High school diploma or equivalency; or demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work.
License or Certification required by statute or regulation
None.
Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
Previous experience with finance, personnel processes, and grant support. Experience with processes/systems common in higher education, or in a comparable setting.
License or Certification required by the Department
None.
Special Instructions to Applicant
Please ensure your full range of knowledge, skills, abilities, experience and education are listed on your application. Do not write ‘see resume’ on your application when completing the job duties section.
If you answer the questions at the end of the application, please ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences to support your answers (see job duties section of previous employment).
Failure to answer the questions at the end of the application will not preclude your application from being considered but may result in your application not receiving full consideration of your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.
Unless otherwise identified in the applicable job posting and consistent with University policy, the University will principally employ individuals who reside in the State of North Carolina to the greatest extent practicable. As such, most positions at East Carolina University require employees to live and work in North Carolina (or live within a reasonable daily commuting distance from their duty station) after hire. Candidates should be prepared to relocate within a reasonable, agreed-upon time after an offer of employment has been made and accepted to meet this requirement.