Administrative Assistant

University of California - San Francisco

65,229 - 120,123

United States, California, San Francisco

Jul 06, 2026

The Administrative Assistant serves as an administrative and analytical resource for the Office of the Chair in the Department of Surgery and its senior executives which includes the Department Chair, Associate Chair of Finance and Administration, Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff. The incumbent will be expected to manage a range of duties and responsibilities associated with the administrative functions within the Chair's Office as well as duties related to the administrative, research and clinical roles of the Chair and Chair's Office executives. Some key responsibilities include oral communication on behalf of the Chair and the Department, academic writing on behalf of the Chair including letters of recommendation/support, peer references, correspondence with faculty, official letters & memos to the SOM Dean's Office, SOM Chairs and other high level Campus contacts and Medical Center leaders. The incumbent will be required to independently (with minimal supervision) produce visual aids, i.e., prints and slide presentations of figures and tables, computer graphics, and photocopying of materials for major meetings. Coordinate and support editorial responsibilities for scientific and clinical publications, including library and online searches, manuscript preparation, and management of bibliographic materials using EndNote software (relevant literature, subscriptions to journals, etc.).

They're responsible for orchestrating complex multi-site travel schedule involving both national and international locations. The incumbent will also assist the Chair's Office Administrative Team in planning department wide events, managing the department website and other special projects.

The Administrative Assistant will be called to assist with critical departmental HR & Onboarding responsibilities including credentialing and privileging of its faculty through the UCSF Medical Staff Office, assist in the management of the department's compliance with Medical Staff policies and regulations and assist with human resources activities. In addition, the incumbent will provide assistance in development/fundraising efforts and be the point person for all of our trainee verifications.

The Surgery Chair's Office plays a vital role within the School of Medicine and throughout UCSF. This office and its executives regularly communicate with senior leaders from Campus and the Medical Center to coordinate administrative, surgical, research and academic functions critical to the overall mission of the University. In addition, the Department of Surgery partners with dozens of outside medical facilities and hospital groups throughout San Francisco, the greater Bay Area, Southern California and Hawaii to provide surgical and academic (teaching) expertise. This offices' executives have leadership roles in national and international organizations covering a range of medical & surgical specialties and administrative functions. This position will need to communicate with these groups often representing the executive or the Chair's Office.

Department Overview

The mission of the UCSF Department of Surgery is transforming surgery though creativity, equity and community. Our goals are threefold: to develop the next generation of leaders in surgery; to provide outstanding quality clinical care that is cost effective, yet compassionate; and to make significant advances in scientific knowledge and clinical practice through basic and clinical research. Care of patients is what attracted our faculty and residents to surgery, and it continues to be our main focus.

The Department is comprised of nine divisions: Cardiac Surgery & Lung Transplantation, General Surgery, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, and ZSFG Surgery. Our surgeons provide care at locations throughout greater San Francisco including: UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus (Moffitt-Long Hospital), UCSF Medical Center at Mt. Zion, UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay (UCSF Bakar Cancer Hospital and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco), San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center,San Francisco VA Medical Center, Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland and Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland. Our residents rotate through UCSF Medical Center as well as multiple outside campuses such as Kaiser Permanente and California Pacific Medical Center.

The Department of Surgery Chair's Office is an extremely high profile, fast paced environment with a very diverse range of contacts and needs which require an immediate and accurate response, handled with confidentiality and compliance. The Chair's Office is responsible for management, direction and oversight of over 400 faculty (clinical and research), trainees and staff personnel.

% of time	Essential Function (Yes/No)	Key Responsibilities (To be completed by Supervisor)
40%	Yes	Administrative Support to Associate Chair & Operations Manager: Executives within the Surgery Chair's Office juggle a robust and complex set of responsibilities. They require support in maintaining comprehensive calendars (including OR and clinical appointments for the Dept. Chair), report preparation, scheduling high level meetings with surgeons and senior leaders inside and outside of UCSF and coordinating plans/logistics for meetings, conferences and events (including catering, venue selection/booking, formal invitations). Provide administrative support to the Department Chair; work would include the following: Schedule meetings for the Chair, with multiple internal and external groups and individuals. Resolves scheduling conflicts and other demands. Coordinate arrangements for on and off site meetings and conferences, make room and catering reservations and communicating with parties as necessary. Arrange travel including transportation, lodging and association meetings and events. Research on travel visa requirements to the various counties and ensure that all arrangements are made in compliance with the UC and other applicable rules & regulations. Will involve consultation with foreign consulates or embassies. Prioritize, screen, direct place phone calls and draft emails and memoranda on a variety of topics; representing the Associate Chair. Must be able to work with various groups, including senior management level staff, faculty, fellows, residents, and students to ensure the timely resolution of affairs. Reports/Publications/Presentations: Work in conjunction with the Chair and senior administrative personnel to prepare regular and complex reports for internal and external distribution which report on department activities (i.e. faculty achievements, programmatic activities). Research for publications/presentations; compiling and editing various types of information, producing appropriate visual presentations, preparations of tables, charts, organizational charts and high resolution graphics form a variety of sources. Assisting in gathering of materials to support the production of the department's quarterly publication, "Inside Surgery".
25%	Yes	Office Administration: Maintain a solid working knowledge of the University as well as the Department - including the department's faculty, structure and services to be able to respond to issues effectively with guidance from the Chair's Office Manager. Maintain a solid working knowledge of key University departments, basic functions and contacts (offices such as Human Resources, IT, Facilities & Central Administration and the Medical Staff Office). Provide assistance to Chair's office personnel in areas of accounting, purchasing, reimbursement, travel, account reconciliation facilities, information technology and other administrative tasks. Prioritize, screen, direct, place phone calls and draft emails on a variety of sensitive and non-sensitive topics; representing the Chair's Office. Triage matters to other departmental faculty, administrative staff, health care professionals or other appropriate internal and external sources. Maintain multiple, complex departmental distributions for faculty, staff and trainees. Under the direction of the web manager, assist with Surgery website content & maintenance.
10%	Yes	Risk Management & Human Resources: Assist the AOIII by Initiating yearly certificate renewals by contacting division administrators and requesting information to submit certificate requests, receive one time/ECMO certificate requests and ensure they are reviewed by Chair and processed in timely manner. Back up credentialing analyst in all matters related to medical staff privileging, credentialing and risk management.
5%	Yes	Chair's Office Training Verifications: Coordinate the timely and accurate verification of trainees, period of training and type of training for legally sensitive requests from state licensing organizations, third party payers and medical staff offices from separately licensed medical centers, academic institutions and organizational and governmental agencies. Includes writing complex letters verifying past training. Ensure that the data provided is consistent with UCSF policy on release of confidential information. Working with research teams to draft complex support letters on behalf of the Chair and the Department for grant and fellowship applications.
20%	Yes	Event Planning & Special Projects: Responsible for all aspects of planning events sponsored by the Department. Participate in the planning of meetings, conferences, seminars, events, and annual functions. Manage the event budget and negotiate with vendors In accordance with UCSF brand identity standards as posted at identity.ucsf.edu, design and prepare marketing materials to include brochures, posters, flyers, invitations, coordinate mailings and guest lists Arrange for facilities and catering, audiovisual, transportations and other required services Provide on-site management during events.
100%		(To update total %, enter the amount of time in whole numbers (without the % symbol - e.g., 15, 20) then highlight the total sum (e.g., 1%) at the bottom of the column and press F9. The total sum should add up to 100%.)

Required Qualifications:

* BA/BS with a major in a related field and one year of experience in administrative analysis or operations research; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
* Two (2) years of experience providing executive level administrative support to directors/faculty/executives.
* Excellent analytical and communication skills; ability to interact and communicate with high level administrators, faculty, trainees and members of the public with tact, diplomacy and discretion; and work in an environment which involves handling confidential, highly sensitive and potentially distressing situation/matters with respect and good judgment.
* Advanced computer skills (MS Office, including Word, Access, Excel, Outlook, Email, and PowerPoint).
* Prior experience with event planning, complex domestic & international travel.
* Ability to interact and communicate with high level administrators, faculty, trainees and members of the public with tact, diplomacy and discretion.
* Demonstrated experience working independently with minimal supervision, using initiative and resourcefulness in performing job duties in areas of responsibilities and in the execution of additional duties as assigned; Ability to use sound judgment in responding to issues and concerns.
* Ability to meet deadlines in a timely an accurate manner with excellent attention to detail.
* Mature judgment required to interact effectively with a broad range of people, including faculty and administrative staff, individually and in groups.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Minimum 3 years of related administrative experience.
* Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks; ability to meet deadlines and follow through on assigned duties; ability to work well under pressure; ability to maintain a service-oriented approach.
* Prior experience with reconciliation of general ledgers and reimbursements.
* Website development skills.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world's leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence - also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity - both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available here.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

Required Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications: