Sr Administrative Associate, Biochemistry

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

7h • Onsite

About The Position

The Sr Administrative Associate will work as an Executive Assistant providing high-level administrative and operational support to the Department Chair and Administrator. This role requires exceptional organizational skills, discretion, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced academic environment. The Executive Assistant plays a key role in coordinating departmental operations, supporting faculty recruitment, assisting with research/lab administration, and managing special projects that advance departmental goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of executive or senior administrative support experience
• Strong organizational, time management, and multitasking skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High level of discretion and professionalism
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) or similar tools
• Bachelor's Degree In Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or directly related field.
• 5 years related experience.
• May consider additional years of experience in lieu of minimum qualifications.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in higher education or academic research environments
• Familiarity with grant administration and research compliance processes
• Experience supporting senior leadership
• 2 years Previous supervisory experience or experience in a lead role.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex calendars, scheduling meetings, appointments, and travel arrangements
• Serve as a primary point of contact, handling inquiries and communications on behalf of the Chair and Administrator
• Prepare, edit, and manage correspondence, reports, presentations, and briefing materials
• Coordinate leadership meetings, including agenda development, documentation, and follow-up actions
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive information
• Oversee day-to-day administrative functions of the department office
• Develop and maintain organized filing and record-keeping systems
• Assist with budget tracking, expense reporting, and procurement processes
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, procedures, and deadlines
• Coordinate onboarding activities for new faculty and staff
• Provide administrative support for faculty research activities and laboratory operations
• Assist with grant proposal preparation, submission coordination, and documentation tracking
• Monitor grant timelines, reporting deadlines, and compliance requirements
• Coordinate purchasing and inventory of lab supplies and equipment
• Support financial tracking of research accounts and reconciliation of expenses
• Liaise with research administration, compliance offices, and funding agencies as needed
• Assist with IRB/IACUC or other regulatory documentation and submissions (as applicable)
• Coordinate onboarding for research staff, postdocs, and student researchers
• Plan and execute special projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of department leadership
• Conduct research, analyze data, and prepare reports to support decision-making
• Monitor project timelines, milestones, and deliverables
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure project success
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement solutions
• Coordinate administrative aspects of faculty recruitment processes
• Schedule candidate interviews, campus visits, and presentations
• Serve as liaison between candidates, search committees, and leadership
• Prepare recruitment materials and maintain applicant tracking documentation
• Ensure adherence to hiring policies, equal opportunity guidelines, and documentation requirements
• Support onboarding and transition for new faculty hires
• Draft and distribute departmental communications and announcements
• Support planning and execution of meetings, seminars, and special events
• Build and maintain positive relationships with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders
• Manages and directs administrative and business functions of division or unit with responsibility for establishing, reviewing, and revising internal procedures, interpreting policies of division, department, or university for unit's personnel, supervising clerical operations, managing workflow for maximum efficiency, evaluating work progress, and determining work priorities.
• Prepares or assists in preparing annual budget for division or unit for approval by department management, including analyzing financial status, projecting income and expenditures, and allocating funding sources for division faculty and staff. Monitors budget, including income and expenditures.
• Maintains or coordinates maintenance of budgets and grants of division or unit, including approving expenditures and preparing financial reports as needed. Reconciles accounts on monthly basis; conducts overall review for overdrafts and appropriateness of expenditures.
• Supervises staff members and provides training. Coordinates faculty and classified staff recruitment for division or unit. Exercises decision making authority regarding hiring, disciplinary action, and terminating staff. Approves online forms or paperwork to appoint, terminate, change titles and/or salary, or accomplish other personnel changes. Coordinates and/or prepares staff performance evaluations and recommendations for merit increases.
• Coordinates space needs, renovations, and all division operational services. Coordinates and recommends purchase of capital and noncapital equipment.
• Assists in preparation of major grant applications or status reports on current grants by coordinating gathering of information from principal investigators or other appropriate personnel; ensures timely submission of grants.
• Ensures division/unit patient billing is submitted accurately and timely, including charge capture and coding. Reviews patient account receivables, third party payer denials, and billing appeals.
• Prepares or coordinates preparation of complex reports, which require significant contact with other departments and outside organizations.
• Designs and executes system of internal controls which provides reasonable assurance that operations are effective and efficient, assets are safeguarded and, financial information is reliable.
• Ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100%25 coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees