Senior Administrative Assistant

JOB SUMMARY : Join NORC at the University of Chicago as a Senior Administrative Assistant in our Strategic Communications & External Affairs department.

Provide a broad range of administrative support to the senior-level leaders as they collaborate with NORC’s senior leadership and colleagues throughout the organization to create and execute outstanding external and internal strategic communications initiatives to drive NORC’s mission, disseminate our work, and support and engage our staff.

Take ownership of the administrative challenges associated with supporting a leadership team in a rapidly evolving and fast-paced research landscape.

Leverage your experience in handling a wide range of administrative and executive support-related tasks, while demonstrating the ability to follow through in a timely manner, close the loop with stakeholders, and apply attention to detail even under tight deadlines.

This is an opportunity to showcase your resourcefulness and efficiency, while exhibiting a high degree of professionalism.

Quickly adjust based on changing priorities when necessary and proactively address administrative issues and needs.

The ideal candidate will be a customer-service focused, experienced administrative professional who thrives in an environment where team members are asked to bring their authentic selves to each task in order to deliver consistently high-quality work.

Join a cohesive and motivated team that likes to have fun, and support one another’s long-term career development, while advancing NORC’s mission and research.

DEPARTMENT : Strategic Communications & External Affairs

Strategic Communications and External Affairs supports the entire NORC organization with expertise in corporate communications and creative services, external affairs, internal communications, digital communications, events management, marketing, writing, and select project-level communications.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Coordinate complex scheduling, travel arrangements, and expense reporting
• Coordinate and traffic contracts, invoices, purchase request, and other crucial internal process to ensure timely and accurate execution, payment, and purchasing.
• Plan, coordinate, and prepare for department meetings, business meetings, events, luncheons, and dinners involving both internal staff and external vendors / partners including scheduling, material preparation, and logistics / technology needs (video conferencing, presentations, Zoom,
• Develop and design improved administrative procedures to promote the timely processing and submission of administrative deliverables and increase the efficiency within the department
• Prepare and / or integrate information needed to compose both routine and non-routine correspondence, reports, documents, and presentations
• Build strong relationships throughout the company to support and facilitate the collaborative team environment
• Assist communications assistant with conference logistical tasks such as packing and receiving NORC’s exhibit booth, developing and maintaining an inventory tracking system
• Review documents to ensure accuracy and quality, and revise as needed
• Attend meetings, capture notes, and outline follow-up items
• Register and greet visiting vendors and external guests
• Independently perform varied administrative duties

REQUIRED SKILLS :

• High school diploma or equivalent required, plus a minimum of 3 years supporting senior or executive-level management
• Strong organizational skills, with proven experience prioritizing work and coordinating multiple projects at one time;

willingness and ability to be flexible

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; proficiency or familiarity with Wrike and SharePoint Online is a plus
• Polished demeanor and comfort working with staff at all levels in the organization
• Strong skills in creating and maintaining document management systems including using SharePoint
• Excellent communication skills, including stellar interpersonal skills and basic writing skills
• A strong focus on detail, accuracy, and work quality with the ability to take full ownership of assigned tasks
• Well-developed problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Discretion in handling sensitive and / or confidential material
• Interest and ability to work on a team in a highly collaborative environment, while also being comfortable working independently with little direct supervision

SALARY AND BENEFITS :

The pay range for this position is $58,000 $93,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to :

Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment

Dental and vision insurance

A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program

Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance

Benefits that promote work / life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC’s Approach to Equity and Transparency

Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings.

At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC).

WHAT WE DO :

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions.

Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration.

Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE :

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings.

But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team.

With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.