Wilson Lab Administrative Assistant

Cornell UniversityIthaca, MI
$26 - $31Onsite

About The Position

The Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences and Education (CLASSE) is seeking a dynamic and solutions-oriented Administrative Assistant to support CHESS Leadership, CHESS Operations, and general CLASSE administration. This role is crucial in providing a world-class user experience through the established User Office while handling various administrative duties for CLASSE personnel at Wilson Lab. The position reports directly to the CHESS User Office Manager and collaborates with multiple teams to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the lab. Wilson Lab is a world-renowned research facility dedicated to advancing the frontiers of science and technology, home to CHESS (Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source), a national user facility supporting a diverse community of researchers. Approximately 1,500 researchers and students are involved with CHESS each year. The CHESS User Office is the main point of contact for Users and manages workflow tools, including BeamPASS, a custom web application that tracks users and proposals, and is used to coordinate reviewing, approving, scheduling, training, and reporting on scientific experiments. The User Office is also the main point of contact for CHESS staff scientists, the CHESS Safety Committee, and Operations staff regarding the User experience.

Requirements

  • Associate’s degree and 2–4 years of relevant administrative experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
  • Proven organizational and time-management skills and capacity to handle competing priorities and frequent walk-in requests for assistance.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to work with diverse audiences.
  • A strong commitment to quality service, identifying customer needs, and referring/triaging appropriately are essential.
  • Experience that demonstrates sound judgment, creativity, management, and problem-solving skills both individually and as part of a larger team.
  • Propensity to navigate various forms of administrative technology such as Microsoft Office Suite, various databases, and communication software.
  • Detail oriented; capable of accurately managing frequent user-based communications, while also ensuring consistency across multiple sources of data, content, schedules, and more.

Nice To Haves

  • Excellent customer service track record.
  • Experience within a research laboratory with a user program and/or higher education.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with the UO Manager to triage complex administrative, organization and operational needs of the CHESS User Office.
  • Work daily, in person, with CHESS scientific, technical, and operations staff members (a group of more than 50 people) to support 24/7 User Operations.
  • Utilize BeamPASS, our custom-built and internally supported User Database, to maintain experiment details, schedules, and user data to ensure current information, clear communication, and accurate reporting.
  • Provide engaged, personable, and reliable customer service to our Users.
  • Work closely with 15 beamline scientists to help facilitate scheduling changes for visiting User groups.
  • Field, screen, redirect and respond to telephone and walk-in inquiries; answer questions proactively, serve as a reference for policies and procedures, and refer complex inquiries to others.
  • Work with the UO Manager to oversee the UO email inbox. Send standard and non-standard responses, provide instructions, and involve other departments as needed to resolve user issues, often requiring timely responses.
  • Manage building access via ID cards for Users through Cornell AccessIt software, and parking passes through Cornell Transportation Portal.
  • Work with communications group to update pages within a content management system according to pre-established schedules; make changes to the website as directed.
  • Work with Communications group in scheduling and coordinating Wilson Lab tours.
  • Assist Wilson Lab staff with travel arrangements and reimbursements.
  • Assist with facilities and space related needs in Wilson Lab, such as name plate creation, updating monitors and posters, maintaining kitchen areas, conduct space inventory and reporting.
  • Assist with planning and execution of Wilson lab and CHESS events including registration, scheduling presenters, logistics, accommodation requests, food & beverage, marketing materials, program materials, equipment rentals, etc.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health care options
  • Generous retirement contributions
  • Access to wellness programs
  • Employee discounts with local and national retail brands
  • Health and personal leave
  • Three weeks of vacation
  • 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
  • Two additional floating holidays
  • Tuition-free Extramural Study
  • Employee Degree Program
  • Tuition aid for external education
  • Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program
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