Administrative Specialist
The Administrative Specialist will work closely with the Vice President (VP) of Informatics and the Senior Director of Cohorts and Biorepositories to support the needs of both the Informatics team and the SFARI Data and Biospecimen Repository (SDBR) team within the Autism and Neuroscience Division. The Administrative Specialist must be able to proactively anticipate the needs of the teams they will support, be comfortable working in a collaborative fast-paced environment and be accountable to multiple stakeholders. The Administrative Specialist reports to the Senior Director of Finance and Administration, SFARI, Neuroscience and Informatics, and will divide their time approximately evenly supporting the activities of the Informatics and SDBR teams.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES
• Take proactive responsibility for the coordination of work-related activities for VP of Informatics. Be knowledgeable about activities to ensure that the VP’s calendar is effectively maintained, that appointments are appropriately scheduled and that travel and conference arrangements are properly made.
• Act as the first point of contact for the VP of Informatics, including preparing and responding to routine correspondence, screening telephone calls, fielding inquiries and requests, and responding to or referring as appropriate.
• Attend meetings and take meeting minutes, documenting the outcomes and action items/next steps.
• Assist with organizing meetings, ensuring that the VP is prepared with required materials.
• Ensure that tasks and boards on project management software tools are up to date and that communication within and among teams across the Simons Foundation and Autism & Neuroscience occurs effectively with respect to the activities of the Informatics and SDBR teams.
• Provide administrative support for special projects and assist with project coordination as needed at the direction of the VP of Informatics.
• Perform various other administrative tasks, such as expense reporting, archiving, routing documents for signature, etc.
• Be knowledgeable about activities to ensure that the SDBR Senior Director’s calendar is effectively maintained, that appointments are appropriately scheduled and that travel and conference arrangements are properly made.
• Provide administrative support to the SDBR team, including creating agendas, taking meeting minutes and support of overall activities of the team.
• Follow-up with outstanding institutional compliance signatories and update the compliance step-tracker, as relevant.
• Serve as the point of contact for assigned inquiries via the Zendesk ticketing system. Escalate or follow up as needed to resolve all inquiries in a timely manner, with assistance from the SDBR Senior Director and Project Manager as needed.
• Foster and build good working relationships and strong networks with a variety of people both externally and internally within the foundation.
• Perform any other duties or tasks as assigned or required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Exposure to scientific terminology is a plus.
Experience
• Minimum of 4-5 years of experience in high-level administrative support, including project coordination.
• Minimum of 4-5 years of experience coordinating travel, handling complex calendars for various high-level personnel, scheduling, planning events and handling confidential information is necessary.
• Previous work in a scientific research or academic setting is a plus.
• Experience with helpdesk/ticketing systems
Related Skills & Other Requirements
• Sound judgment and discretion
• Punctual and reliable
• Excellent interpersonal skills with all levels of the organization and external communities
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently
• Strong administrative and organization skills with attention to detail and ability to balance workload under deadlines and multiple commitments while proactively anticipating needs
• Strong experience with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Solution-focused and able to solve problems effectively
• Ability to work well with and adapt to diverse personalities and communication styles
• Commitment to the mission of the Simons Foundation to advance basic science and mathematics
• The full-time annual compensation range for this position is $74,000 – $85,000, depending on experience.
• In addition to competitive salaries, the Simons Foundation provides employees with an outstanding benefits package.
REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS
• Please submit a résumé and cover letter stating your interest in the position.
To Apply, visit:
THE SIMONS FOUNDATION’S DIVERSITY COMMITMENT
Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences, and we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment. The Simons Foundation actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status, or any other protected category under federal, state and local law.