Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistant
Van Andel Institute (VAI) has an opening for a full-time Administrative Assistant reporting to a faculty member in the Department of Structural Biology. In this role, you will support multiple faculty members (laboratory heads) and their personnel, including research scientists, technicians, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. This position will also work with several other departments to support the function of the entire Institute.
Upon joining VAI, you can expect to:
- Schedule and coordinate seminars, meetings, and presentations; this may include inviting attendees, preparing agendas for one-on-one meetings with faculty members, and travel arrangements for speakers/guests.
- Coordinate travel arrangements, update memberships, submit registrations, and prepare travel itineraries for faculty and/or laboratory personnel to attend conferences and meetings.
- Establish and maintain departmental filing and archiving systems; this may include maintaining manuals, records, publications, and personnel files while safeguarding their confidentiality.
- Compile data from a variety of sources; this may include the coordination, preparation, and submission of technical or scientific proposals, manuscripts, grants, annual report information, marketing materials, and other documentation or presentations.
- Answer phones, manage mail and email, prepare correspondence, coordinate multiple calendars, etc. These duties include exercising independent judgment and tact with respect to handling requests, resolving problems, and carrying out confidential matters.
- Initiate the on-boarding, off-boarding, or transfer of faculty and laboratory personnel.
- Prepare monthly expense reports and track budget for faculty members and laboratory personnel.
- Maintain appropriate levels of office supplies, equipment, work orders, etc.
This job might be for you if you:
- Have administrative experience working in a laboratory, research, or similar environment.
- Be able to work independently and as a team member with other research administrative assistants to complete administrative tasks in support of VAI faculty.
- Have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a sharp focus on efficient completion of tasks.
- Be able to anticipate needs and suggest proactive measures to lessen the administrative burden on faculty members.
- Be able to communicate efficiently both verbally and in writing.
- Be able to effectively prioritize tasks to efficiently manage multiple projects and requests.
- Have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent, plus 3-5 years of college training, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Expectations:
The following are what we would expect you to be able to achieve within the first 6 months.
- 1 month – calendaring, preparing agendas
- 3 months – expense reports, tracking budget, travel arrangements
- 6 months – scheduling/coordinating seminars
Joining the Van Andel Institute team will allow you to interact with over 200 of the most passionate and impactful scientific minds in the world; all while providing you experiences to assist you in growing your career.
How to Apply:
If you possess these attributes and enjoy working with motivated and driven people; we would welcome speaking with you and encourage you to apply today!
In your application, provide us the following:
- cover letter outlining your administrative support experience, future career goals, and how these factors fit with the position described;
- current resume
- names and contact information of 3 professional references
If you have any difficulty uploading your application or any questions, please email Natalie Rinaldi at natalie.rinaldi@vai.org
VAI is actively striving to diversify its workforce and strongly encourages qualified individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. Van Andel Institute is an EEO and Affirmative Action Employer.
As Van Andel Institute is a drug and alcohol-free employer, all prospective new employees undergo a urinalysis/drug test as part of our pre-employment process. This is a 7-panel drug screen and it includes testing for Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opiates, PCP, Barbiturates, and Benzodiazepines.
At Van Andel Institute, the health and safety of our people is our number one priority. As a condition of employment at Van Andel Institute, all employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. “Full vaccination” is defined as two weeks after both doses of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks since a single-dose vaccine has been administered.
About Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Research Institute is located in downtown Grand Rapids, MI which is the second-largest city in Michigan and the largest city in West Michigan. Grand Rapids offers a remarkable combination of cosmopolitan atmosphere and small-town warmth, is known for its philanthropic and sustainability-driven community, and is ranked one of "America's Top 100 Places to Live."
Located on the banks of the Grand River, Grand Rapids offers all the big-city excitement you'd expect from a million-resident metropolis, featuring hundreds of restaurants and nightspots, theatres, museums, sports and concerts. The safe and clean downtown is surrounded by an eclectic mix of walkable neighborhoods.
With a medical and life sciences industry boom, strong entrepreneurial activity, dedication to green building and living, and innovative employers, Grand Rapids' diverse economy continues to grow, offering endless career opportunities.