Senior Administrative Assistant - Center for Bioenergy Innovation

Requisition Id 14291 

 

Overview:  

We are seeking a Senior Administrative Assistant who will support the Center for Bioenergy Innovation.  This position resides in the Biosciences Division in the Biological & Environmental Sciences Directorate, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  

 

The Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), led by ORNL, is engineering feedstock plants and microbes to create a sustainable bioeconomy.  CBI builds on a robust legacy of scientific understanding to provide breakthroughs for a new generation of cost-effective, environmentally positive, and industrially relevant bioproducts and biofuels.  CBI is a fast-paced organization with over 250 researchers from 17 partner organizations throughout the US, with a budget of $27.5 million per year.

 

Successful performance requires more non-routine or sensitive solutions, a depth/breadth of knowledge of the administrative function, and the ability to understand and integrate solutions with other departments and functions.  CBI is a unique program within ORNL’s organizational structure and requires a senior person to perform the duties and responsibilities listed below.

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Supports professional CBI staff, the entire CBI Management Team, and our members from over 17 different organizations.  Supports more complex functions, projects, or management systems.  This person is key in planning CBI’s Annual Science Meeting and Annual Department of Energy (DOE) Review.  Must be competent with standard and advanced equipment, computer systems, and software programs, including project management software. 

• Has both depth & breadth of knowledge of policies, procedures, work methods, and systems & greater experience in a range of work situations.  Seeks to develop new knowledge and to develop new methods for accomplishing tasks.  Learns & applies new processes & methods that impact the department.  Recommends & implements solutions to the division and directorate.

• Monitor and maintain Microsoft Office Outlook electronic calendar by scheduling appointments, arranging meetings, resolving scheduling conflicts of personnel, conference rooms, vehicles, and other resources, organizing and prioritizing as needed, and maintaining background information for calendar items.  Monitor e-mails for the CEO (and others within the CBI as required), following up on action items as needed.

• Provide consistent phone coverage and backup administrative support to the division office and other group offices as needed.  Handle incoming telephone, email, walk-ins, and correspondence in a responsive and courteous manner.  Route phone calls to responsible personnel in an efficient manner; initiate calls to obtain, verify, and exchange information and disseminate information as appropriate or refer information/callers to other staff members.

• Maintain a professional office atmosphere; greet and receive visitors (in person and over the phone) in a businesslike, courteous manner; establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal staff members and external contacts; and perform administrative duties as assigned.

• Assist in planning and coordinating on and off-site meetings, workshops, conferences, and related services. 

• Assist in communication with attendees and coordinate with the ORNL Conference office utilizing ORNL guidelines. 

• Verify that all necessary elements are scheduled (AV, room reservation, catering, transportation, lodging, travel, agendas, presentation uploads, etc.).

• Prepare site access requests for all CBI-related visitors, students, and interviewees, as well as attendees for CBI on-site and off-site meetings. etc.