Assistant to the Asociate Executive Director of Clinical Science

About the Role

Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a world-renowned academic research institute of Louisiana State University, is seeking an Assistant to the Associate Executive Director of Clinical Science. The Assistant to the Associate Executive Director (AED) of Clinical Science provides high-level executive administrative and operational support to the Associate Executive Director's office. This position serves as a key administrative liaison for the AED, coordinating complex schedules, meetings, travel, communications, documentation, special projects, and departmental activities. The executive assistant works independently and exercises sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality when managing sensitive information and competing priorities. The position also coordinates administrative activities associated with the NIDDK NORC grant and supports communication and collaboration among leadership, faculty, staff, internal departments, and external stakeholders. This role requires exceptional organizational, communication, time-management, and problem-solving skills and the ability to anticipate needs, manage multiple priorities, and effectively support an executive-level leader in a complex clinical science and research environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive-level administrative and operational support to the Associate Executive Director (AED) of Clinical Science by coordinating daily priorities, managing administrative needs, exercising independent judgment, and ensuring timely follow-through on executive priorities and initiatives.
• Manage the AED's calendar, schedule, and travel, including prioritizing appointments and meetings, coordinating travel arrangements and itineraries, processing leave and expense reports, and managing other administrative requirements.
• Plan and coordinate meetings, events, and executive activities, including developing agendas, preparing materials and presentations, coordinating participants and logistics, documenting meetings, and tracking decisions, action items, and deadlines.
• Prepare and manage executive-level communications and documents, including reports, correspondence, presentations, briefing materials, and documents requiring review, approval, or signature; gather, organize, and summarize information as needed.
• Coordinate administrative and operational activities for the NORC grant, including serving as a liaison among NORC members and leadership; monitoring grant activities, funding, publications, timelines, and deliverables; coordinating committee and advisory board meetings; maintaining the NORC website; supporting Pilot & Feasibility programs; and coordinating annual progress reports and competitive renewal activities.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to Clinical Science departments reporting to the AED, including coordinating requests, facilitating communication, preparing materials, organizing meetings, and supporting departmental operations and initiatives.
• Coordinate special projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of the AED by researching and gathering information, monitoring progress, coordinating activities across departments, and preparing updates to support timely completion of objectives.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the AED's office, including responding to inquiries, coordinating communications, maintaining confidential records, and serving as a professional point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Perform other duties and special projects assigned in support of Clinical Science and organizational objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public administration, communications, management, or a related field.*
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience providing executive-level administrative, program, or operational support in a complex organizational environment; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Three (3) years of experience supporting an executive, senior leader, director, physician, researcher, or comparable professional-level position.
• Two (2) years of experience coordinating complex projects, programs, grants, or organizational initiatives, including responsibility for timelines, documentation, deliverables, and follow-up.
• Two (2) years of experience coordinating executive-level meetings, conferences, events, or multi-stakeholder activities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Demonstrated proficiency in preparing and editing professional correspondence, reports, presentations, and other executive-level documents with a high degree of accuracy.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy, organization, and confidentiality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with individuals at all organizational levels, including executive leadership and external stakeholders.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, maintain confidentiality, prioritize competing demands, and represent executive leadership in a professional manner.
• Ability to work occasional evenings or outside normal business hours to support executive activities, meetings, events, or time-sensitive deadlines.

*If a candidate does not meet the minimum qualifications as listed, but has significant experience within the major job responsibilities, we welcome their application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a clinical, healthcare, biomedical research, academic, or higher education environment.
• Experience providing administrative coordination for federal, state, foundation, or other sponsored research grants.
• Experience supporting senior leadership within a research, academic medical, or healthcare organization.
• Experience with enterprise systems used for scheduling, financial management, electronic document management, or project coordination.

Pay

Professional / Unclassified

Schedule

Occasional work outside normal business hours may be required to support executive schedules, events, and deadlines.

Benefits

Pennington Biomedical Research Center offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more.