Senior Administrative Assistant, Office of Research Education

About the role

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) delivers scientific discoveries and technical breakthroughs needed to provide solutions in energy and national security and drive economic benefits for the nation. The Office of Research Education (ORE) at ORNL seeks to hire a Senior Administrative Assistant to provide full-time, dedicated administrative and project support exclusively to the Director of the Office of Research Education.

Responsibilities

• Primary Point-of-Contact (POC): Serve as the dedicated administrative contact for the ORE Director, anticipating needs and managing day-to-day administrative functions, including:
  • Maintaining effectiveness of the Director’s email inbox, including flagging high priority requests, and ensuring timely responses to requests for action.
  • Managing Director’s calendar, ensuring attendance to all required meetings and preparation materials are provided in advance.
  • Serving as the primary communication liaison with leadership offices and stakeholders for scheduling and coordinating meetings.
  • Scheduling and coordinating room reservations, visitor site access, and logistical arrangements.
  • Facilitating travel planning and processing related documentation.
• Event Coordination: Provide end-to-end support for all ORE events under the direction of the ORE Director, including managing communications, tracking timelines, mitigating risks, and fostering ORE’s professional reputation.
• Project Assistance: Undertake complex project tasks directly for the Director, planning, coordinating, and executing initiatives in alignment with the Director’s objectives.
• Operational Oversight: Provide a clear, cohesive summary of ongoing operations to the Director, enabling effective decision-making while keeping long-term priorities on track.
• Office Management: Maintain a professional office environment, ensure consistent on-site attendance, and reliable administrative support by:
  • Greeting and receiving visitors in a professional manner.
  • Handling sensitive or confidential matters with discretion.
  • Creating and maintaining filing systems and databases using tools like SharePoint.
  • Ensuring the Director reviews timesheets and approves payroll in a timely manner.
• Time-Sensitive Execution: Work efficiently across multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing activities and aligning them with the Director’s vision and goals.
• Procurement Support: Create requisitions and purchase orders as needed in adherence to ORNL guidelines.
• Professionalism and Accountability: Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace.

Requirements

• A high school diploma with 7–10 years of relevant experience, or an associate degree and 5–7 years of relevant experience.
• Strong communications skills, with the ability to successfully interact with research staff and laboratory management.
• Intermediate use of Microsoft Excel and working knowledge of SAP or other financial software.
• Ability to work self-sufficiently with monitoring for project and task completion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with the Office of the Laboratory Director, high level leadership, engineers, and scientists.
• Understanding of financial budgeting, tracking, and forecasting.
• Capable of advanced Excel and SAP queries.
• Training and/or certification in project management.
• Ability to learn new software skills effectively (PowerBI, RESolution).

Special Requirements

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain an HSPD-12 PIV badge.
• For employment at ORNL, a Real ID compliant form of identification will be required.
• ORNL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions.
• All employees must obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as mandated by HSPD-12 and DOE Order 473.1A, which requires a favorable post-employment background investigation.
• To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation, including a declaration of illegal drug activities within the last year (including marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law).