Senior Administrative Specialist - Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research

Join Our Team!

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Administrative Specialist primarily based onsite at the Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This role is perfect for a resourceful administrative professional who thrives in a warm, positive, and collaborative team environment and can provide high-level support to multiple faculty members. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional written and verbal communication skills to engage people across all levels—from executive leaders to individual contributors. We are looking for someone who embodies St. Jude’s values and is eager to contribute to a supportive community dedicated to advancing cures for childhood neurological diseases.

The Senior Administrative Specialist will work together with an established Administrative Coordinator to provide comprehensive support, including office management, vendor coordination, report and document preparation, departmental visitation and recruitment assistance, faculty support, and handling communication and telephone calls. The successful candidate will excel at managing and prioritizing multiple tasks with keen attention to detail and a proactive approach. Being a team player and having initiative and the ability to anticipate needs and drive effective solutions are highly valued in this role. Join this dynamic team and be part of St. Jude’s mission—a place where you can make a meaningful impact while collaborating with passionate colleagues in a positive, nurturing environment.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital offers a remarkable opportunity to perform cutting-edge research with outstanding institutional support and exceptional shared core facilities in an environment of open collaboration, educational advancement and training opportunities. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital consistently earns a Glassdoor Employee Choice Award and is named to its "Best Place to Work" list. We are located in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, a vibrant and friendly city at the historic American crossroads of music, trade, food, and culture. Mild winters and beautiful green outdoor spaces are part of the reasons why Forbes recently named Memphis the 4th happiest city in which to work. Cost of living and high quality of life are other attractions; Money magazine listed Memphis as one of the least expensive cities in which to raise a child. St. Jude facilities and salaries are highly competitive.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day administrative support like responding to calls, managing/tracking office supplies, document formatting & editing, mails, tracking and maintaining vendor contracts, scheduling meetings, etc., independently.

• Coordinate with external vendors to support event organization for own team/department.

• Manage standard communication with internal/ external members on routine matters.

• Create standard reports related to budget and variance, expenses, etc., ensure documentation and data management while protecting confidentiality where needed.

• Support a faculty member or leader(s) with activities related to scheduling, communication, managing lab setup, grants, etc., as appropriate within own scope of work.

• Support in recruitment process by developing & coordinating itineraries for departmental visitors or new recruits.

• Perform other duties as assigned to meet the goals and objectives of the department and institution.

• Maintains regular and predictable attendance.

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• High school diploma/GED required.

• Bachelor's degree preferred.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum Requirement: 4+ years experience in administration or related areas.

• Experience Exception: Bachelor's degree with no experience required.

• Some experience with activities involving planning, organizing and coordinating is important.

• Experience with tasks that involve managing routine or repetitive activities, high attention to detail and clear communication are critical.

• Demonstrated experience working with office technologies including Microsoft Office (Word/ Excel/ Power p