Senior Administrative Assistant - SSRI

Penn State University • Benner Township, PA

8d

About The Position

The Social Science Research Institute is currently seeking an Administrative Assistant - Senior Support Level. The Administrative Assistant supports the general administrative functions of a wide variety of academic or administrative units. SSRI’s strategic mission is to foster interdisciplinary research that addresses critical human and social problems at the local, national, and international levels. This role will report to the SSRI Research Operations Manager.

Requirements

• Proficient use of Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Teams, etc. is required.
• Excellent interpersonal, organization skills, and attention to detail.
• A dedication to and understanding of the skills required to build relationships with broad communities.
• Strong proofreading, written/oral communication and customer service skills.
• The ability to work on several projects at once, while prioritizing appropriately in a fast-paced, research-focused academic environment.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, self-motivate and work both independently and as part of a team.
• A commitment to professional development, learning and being mentored.
• Associate Degree
• 4+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Nice To Haves

• Experience in other databases and systems (such as financial system SIMBA) is preferred.
• Prior experience in an academic research context/unit and familiarity with research grants is highly desired.
• The successful candidate will be able to coordinate and complete a range of business functions within the operations core, as well as across the Institute’s units and workgroups, research support programs, and events.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate business functions for the Institute’s Operations Core, various units, advisory boards, committees and workgroups. This includes functions such as scheduling meetings, maintaining information, coordinating calendars and preparing agendas, documents and reports.
• Greet visitors and provide information; review, respond to, and direct inquiries.
• Organize and coordinate the events and academic workshops for the Institute. These events include open houses, workshops, faculty talks, annual unit events and other events as scheduled.
• Manage, coordinate and track the Institute’s various research programs, such as seed grants, fellowships, and endowments. This includes advertising research opportunities, managing the process of requests, application reviews, award distributions/tracking, annual progress reports, and collecting outcome data.
• Work with the Institute’s leadership and operations staff to collect information, create and distribute information for internal and external stakeholders, such as the Unit and Administrative reports.
• Assist with managing SSRI’s listservs and contribute content to website updates, as needed.
• Collect, organize, research, and analyze information and data to prepare reports, presentations, summaries, contracts, and proposals.
• Create and maintain files and databases.
• Monitor and maintain budget, process financial transactions, track expenditures, process budget revisions, and assist with budget preparation and projections.
• Assist with coordination of various human resource activities. These activities include the co-fund and non-tenure line faculty reviews.
• Assist with coordination of facilities management within SSRI.
• Ensure compliance with work unit and/or University policies and procedures
• May perform non-routine and confidential administrative duties, and proxy responsibilities as authorized.
• Compose, review, and distribute internal and external communications.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree