Administrative Assistant to Chief Engineers & Scientists

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory•Laurel, MD

6d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Administrative Assistant to help us perform office administration and provide support to the Asymmetric Operations Sector (AOS). As a member of our team, you'll contribute to the Sector's success in providing operational services. We are passionate about support and with your help, we will remain a valued partner to the Sector.

Requirements

An Associate's degree or equivalent level of experience with a minimum of 5 years of relevant administrative experience.
Proven ability to identify and resolve administrative issues independently and collaboratively through use of internal and external resources.
Initiative and persistence in pursuing administrative needs, meeting quick turnaround demands, and resolving problems with a sense of urgency and demonstrated capability to anticipate, prioritize and expedite numerous tasks from multiple sources.
Decorum commensurate with executive level engagement demonstrating the ability to interact with all levels of staff and visitors with discretion and tact, and discretion in handling sensitive personnel and organizational information. Must be able to lead informally.
Demonstrated critical thinking skills and ability to resolve conflict.
Excellent interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), and organizational skills.
Demonstrated advanced proficiency in use of applications including Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Are able to obtain a Top Secret level security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

Nice To Haves

A Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics or other related discipline, with 10+ years of administrative experience in DoD program support, including administrative support to Program and Program Area Managers.
Comprehensive knowledge of APL practices and procedures, travel processes, purchasing, budgetary, and security interactions.
Strong understanding of requirements needed to work classified programs.
Hold an active Top Secret (TS) security clearance.

Responsibilities

Independently manage the flow of people and information in support of four Sector-level chief engineers and scientists; primarily responsible for coordinating and expediting activities for a driven set of leaders in a fast-paced environment, executing day-to-day activities.
Proactively anticipate needs and takes swift action with limited direction to ensure leadership stays focused on high level objectives.
Manage complex calendars for Chiefs, coordinate and prioritize scheduling, develop and distribute meeting agendas, and provide comprehensive support in planning, leading, and executing internal and external meetings and events.
Manage the production of presentations and documents from preparation through distribution of materials to the appropriate recipients to ensure the Chiefs and technical staff are equipped with appropriate materials necessary to successfully conduct their presentations or meetings.
Lead internal efforts by defining project timelines, coordinating cross functional teams, tracking deliverables, and managing action items to ensure goals are met and on schedule.
Develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of AOS (including types of work, unique needs, professional environment, skillsets) and recommending initiatives that support and further the Sector goals.
Interact with sector, branch, and other Laboratory offices to monitor data requests and data calls for timely completion. Review and organize information into official correspondence such as, executive briefings, letters of justifications, status reports, nomination letters, certifications, and memos.
Proactively identify operational challenges and develop innovative ideas, workflows, and process improvements that enhance executive efficiency, productivity, and organizational effectiveness.
Communicate effectively and professionally with Chiefs, Sector staff, personnel across the Laboratory, and external sponsors to facilitate collaboration, coordination, and the timely exchange of information.
Coordinate with staff to provide seamless assistance to Sector Chief’s activities to include, but not limited to, scheduling of Propulsion Grants (PGs), Independent Research and Development (IRAD) event, and Research and Technical Awards.
Work closely with the other AOS executive administrators to coach and mentor branch and group administrators to ensure a professional collaborative work environment that is responsive to the needs of the technical branches. Conduct special projects and develop solutions to complex administrative matters. Partner with department administrative staff to form a seamless team across AOS, including backfill and sharing of workload.
Perform additional duties to assist in operations, infrastructure, and logistic department activities as needed.