Executive Assistant
The University of Chicago

Job Info

---

Department

PME Administrative Support Team

About the Department

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) was established in May 2019, having evolved from the Institute for Molecular Engineering, which was founded in 2011. The PME integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. The PME's rigorous academic and research programs are made possible in part through the University of Chicago's unique partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, which constitutes an important aspect of PME's operations. The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is the first new school at the University of Chicago in three decades and the first school in the nation dedicated to molecular engineering. In the next phase of growth as a School, the PME will continue to expand its team of world-class faculty researchers and empower students from diverse backgrounds to collaborate with faculty in cutting-edge facilities. The PME aims to bring solutions for urgent societal problems to the forefront, while training the next generation of scientific leaders and entrepreneurs.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for providing exceptional customer service to students, faculty, and staff, and reports directly to PME's Administrative Support Manager. This position independently handles a diverse range of administrative tasks to coordinate the unit's day-to-day operations, special events, and seminars. The individual who holds this position must exhibit excellent customer service, professionalism, and alignment with the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering's mission, vision, and values. The job requires independent judgement and discretion to provide best-in-class confidential administrative support for high-profile faculty and senior leaders through myriad complex workflows and processes and under time, budgetary, and brand-reputational constraints.

Responsibilities

• Provides advanced, diversified, and confidential administrative support for one or morefaculty members..
• Updates and maintains faculty member's CV, publication/bio-sketch, and other information, as required by Federal and Non-Federal granting agencies.
• Triages emails and telephone calls for action. Resolves routine and complex inquiries. Refers inquiries to the appropriate person and follows-up to ensure complete and timely responses. Exercises professional judgment to interpret and communicate office policies and procedures.
• Provides sophisticated, multi-platform calendar management. Prioritize inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts; makes judgments and recommendations to ensure smooth day-to-day engagements; follows up with all parties to optimize engagement time.
• Schedules and coordinates meetings and conferences, using discretion and judgment to ensure that the faculty member is prepared through compiling data, statistics, and other relevant information and materials.
• Uses discretion and judgment to coordinate complex travel arrangements (hotel and airline reservations; prepares itinerary) ensuring that all necessary files, materials, and supplies are assembled. Often, travel arrangements span multiple research institutions, industrial or corporate partners, national labs, and international entities.
• Actively participates in monthly procurement meetings, manages financial and budgetary activities, including preparing financial statements, projected lab spending, expense reconciliation, memos, invoices letters, and other documents.
• Serves as liaison for postdoctoral researchers, research staff, and students within the labs including purchasing requests, reimbursements, and accounts payable.
• Arranges and handles or directs logistics for meetings and events including scheduling meetings; drafting agendas; creating, compiling, and distributing presentation materials, reserving space, validating health and safety protocols, and bears responsibility for successful event execution.
• Maintain familiarity and relationships with local vendors, ranges of services provided, and actively acquire and pursue knowledge of events industry standards and trends, nationally and internationally.
• Prepare event expense summaries and arbitrate any disputed charges.
• Complete post event activity plan, and include feedback received in vendor and event files and database.
• Post event follow-up communications to attendees, speakers, vendors and other stakeholders.
• Completes a broad variety of administrative tasks including assisting with significant special projects and events; designing, producing, and copy-editing complex documents, reports, and presentations; collecting and preparing information for meetings with staff and outside parties.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the faculty, including those of a highly confidential or critical nature.
• Prioritizes and determines the appropriate course of action, referral, or response, exercising judgment to reflect UChicago/PME policy and procedures.
• Evaluates and assists in developing office policies and procedures for improved workflow and anticipating future needs.
• Assist in the selection of vendors and purchased equipment, services, and supplies necessary for research operations.
• Manages technology acquisition for labs and faculty including hardware, software, desktop support, internal telecommunications, and strategic systems development and planning; facilitates adherence to HR and IT policies regarding the same.
• Facilitates sensitive Human Resource matters including onboarding and off-boarding of lab personnel with a high level of confidentiality and discretion.
• Provides leadership to build relationships crucial to the success of the lab, PME, and UChicago, and manages a variety of special projects, some of which may have organizational and research impact.
• Manages or leads high-profile projects to successful completion, often with deadline and reputational pressures.
• Using discretion and judgment, drafts and edits documents including internal/external correspondence. Creates and maintains files, reviews drafts and finished documents for accuracy and grammar, including documents of a sensitive or confidential nature.
• Prepares special reports and summaries, assists in managing daily operation of the office, and may assist in developing administrative goals and policies. Maintains the leader's calendar, exercising considerable discretion and judgment as to priorities and effective use of the leader's time.
• Coordinates special projects as directed by the leader. Prepares write ups for recommendations for operational and administrative problems and prepares financial and/or administrative reports. May manage a portion of the leader's budget, monitoring and reconciling accounts.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).
---
Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
---
Certifications:

---

Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• Experience in a fast-paced, large non-profit or public or private sector organization supporting an executive-level individual or team.
• Grant support experience.

Preferred Competencies

• Superior research, analytical, planning, organizational skills, and detail-orientation.
• Strong customer-service orientation.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, and competing priorities while adhering to deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, exercise mature professional judgment, and use discretion.
• Comfortable in a team-oriented environment based on open, transparent, continual communication, information sharing and inclusive decision-making.
• Must be open to feedback and professional development.
• Capable of managing up to ensure deadlines are met and priorities kept.
• Must demonstrate utmost integrity, respect for confidential information.

Working Conditions

• Office environment, hybrid/remote working environment.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Reference List - 3 (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Frequency

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement

Yes

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Posting Statement

Employees must comply with the University's COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

This job has expired.