Administrative Assistant

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) in Chicago seeks an experienced Administrative Assistant to support senior principals and teams with calendar management, travel coordination, and meeting logistics.

You will coordinate visas when needed, organize tasks by urgency, and maintain licenses and AIA credits in partnership with the Licensure Department. Excellent communication and proven discretion are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years experience as an administrative assistant to senior leaders.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time management abilities.
• Proficient with Google Suite and calendar coordination.
• Detail-oriented with initiative and problem solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Supports priorities of assigned Principals and their teams.
• Manages multiple calendars for individuals and teams.
• Prepares travel arrangements and visa applications when necessary.
• Schedules external meetings and assists with conference room setup, catering, video conferencing, and Zoom.
• Identifies, organizes, and implements administrative projects independently to deadlines.
• Ensures architectural licenses are updated and maintains AIA credits with Licensure Dept.
• Organizes tasks by level of urgency and maintains day-to-day efficiency.
• Performs timesheets and expense report tasks as needed.
• Dedicates time beyond scheduled hours to meet business commitments.

Skills

Administrative support

Calendar management

Interpersonal skills

Google Suite familiarity

Tools

Google Workspace

Job description

At SOM, we are a collective committed to shaping a better future for our clients, communities and planet. We aspire to create the most sustainable, impactful work through creative, interdisciplinary teams with all the resources and diversity of a global firm. We value those who are passionate about excellence, innovation, integrity, inclusivity, and collaboration. Together we can achieve great things.

Success at SOM Means

• Ideas: We believe in a meritocracy of ideas. We look to everyone to actively contribute to the discourse in the firm.
• Knowledge: We believe that expertise is the result of lifelong learning. We are not expected to know everything, but rather to passionately pursue answers, develop new skills and deepen our knowledge.
• Product: We strive for excellence in the concept, quality, and delivery of our work.
• Individual: We value individuals who bring the highest standards of professionalism and personal integrity in the way they work. Each person can develop and contribute their wealth of attributes, skills and knowledge to support the overall health of the firm.
• Team: We value the power of interdisciplinary integration. A positive team culture in which everyone collaborates openly towards common goals is essential.
• Firm: We have a history of making transformative contributions to the profession and our communities. We are constantly innovating and attempting to bring new approaches, solutions and processes to our work.

Position Responsibilities

• Supports and prioritizes the needs of assigned Principals and their teams.
• Manages and coordinates multiple calendars, both individual and team specific.
• Prepares all travel arrangements and documentation; prepares and submits visa applications when necessary.
• Schedules external meetings and assists with set-up of conference rooms, including food and beverage when required, video conferencing, and Zoom meetings.
• Identifies, organizes, and implements administrative projects independently in accordance with deadlines.
• Ensures architectural licenses are updated and accurate along with maintaining AIA credits for recording, in tandem with the Licensure Department.
• Responsible for organizing tasks by level of urgency. Ensure the day-to-day tasks are well organized and efficient.
• Perform other support tasks as assigned, including timesheets, expense reports.
• Dedicates necessary time beyond scheduled hours (including last minute requests) as required to meet business commitments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years experience as a high functioning administrative assistant to senior leaders.
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrates strong organizational and time management skills.
• Working familiarity with Google Suite
• Exhibits initiative, problem solving, and decision making quality with a high attention to detail.
• Effectively communicates with supervisors through timely and appropriate written, oral, and visual means.

Compensation for this role is based upon experience, qualifications, location, and education and typically ranges from $55,000 to $75,000.

For more about SOM: www.som.com