Administrative Assistant

Associated Universities, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Associated Universities, Inc. supports IMCA-CAT at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, providing essential administrative services for operations and procurement. The role handles access control for experiments, meetings, and document preparation, ensuring smooth coordination with AUI and APS.

This position requires strong organization, confidentiality, and professional communication. Candidates should be able to work independently with minimal supervision in a fast-paced, safety-conscious

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent in administration.
• Minimum of 2 years of administrative experience with increasing responsibilities.
• Experience in research administration is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage access for experiments.
• Prepare documents for domestic and international shipments, including customs documents.
• Coordinate registrations and site access logistics for visitors.
• Arrange travel for managers and staff, including travel authorizations and reimbursements.
• Plan meetings and events logistics, book rooms, arrange catering, and coordinate facility support.
• Attend meetings to prepare minutes and supporting materials.
• Represent IMCA-CAT at administrator meetings at the APS.
• Coordinate with vendors for deliveries and supplies, maintain stock lists.
• Draft and proofread communications, emails, reports, and agendas.
• Process purchase requisitions and monitor purchase orders.
• Follow safety and compliance requirements.

Skills

Organizational skills

Team-oriented

Written and verbal communication

Proactive and self-motivated

Attention to detail

Prioritization

Education

Associate degree (A.A.) or equivalent in administration

Two-year college or technical school background in administration

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Administrative Assistant provides a variety of functions within AUI Labs, working with IMCA-CAT located at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory just outside Chicago, IL. This role will provide administrative support to the IMCA-CAT team and liaise with both AUI and the APS to support operations. Responsibilities include managing procurements, coordinating meetings and onsite visits, managing routine correspondence for facility operations, managing access for experiments, and preparing documents for domestic and international shipments. Collects, prepares, or reviews confidential information, correspondence, reports, and presentations. Acting as a representative of the AUI Labs, this position requires a high level of professionalism, judgment, confidentiality, a positive attitude, attention to detail, and initiative with internal and external clients. Must be organized and have strong verbal and written communication skills. With minimal supervision, must be able to work independently, anticipate the needs of AUI Labs, and take appropriate steps to respond. This role is on site based at the center of IMCA-CAT’s operations at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage access for experiments.
• Prepare documents for domestic and international shipments, including providing Customs documents as needed.
• Coordinate registrations and site access logistics for visitors.
• Coordinate travel arrangements for a manager and/or staff, sometimes assisting AUI Labs; prepare and submit travel authorizations and travel reimbursement requests.
• Coordinate and assist with meetings and events logistics, both onsite and offsite, by scheduling appropriate meeting times, booking rooms, organizing catering, arranging to ship supplies, arranging for facility support services for the meetings, and setting up.
• Attend meetings to prepare and disseminate detailed minutes in addition to workshops and conferences as needed.
• Attend and represent IMCA-CAT at administrator meetings at the Advanced Photon Source.
• Work with office vendors to schedule deliveries and maintenance, order replenishment supplies, and maintain stock lists.
• Compose and proofread communications, including business letters, emails, reports, and meeting agendas.
• Manage outgoing post and record data on special deliveries.
• Enter purchase requisitions, gather supporting documents, and monitor purchase orders.
• Ahere to all safety and compliance requirements.

Qualifications and Required Experience

• Associate degree (A.A.) or equivalent from a two-year college or technical school in administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in an administrative capacity with increasingly responsible duties. Working knowledge of research administration practices and experience in high-level administrative support.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Exceptional organizational skills with a strong ability to prioritize tasks and manage competing deadlines.
• Highly collaborative and team-oriented approach to supporting colleagues and solving day-to-day operational challenges.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to correspond professionally across all levels of an organization.
• Proactive and self-motivated, consistently anticipating needs and taking initiative to exceed expectations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other standard administrative tools and platforms.
• Ability to meet requirements for site access to Argonne National Laboratory.

This role is carried out at the IMCA-CAT facility located on the campus of Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois for all or some portion of the workweek on a regular basis. The office is located in a building isolated from the experiment area that is in a radiation-controlled area and has cryogenic systems. Occasional access to this area may be necessary. To ensure safety, employees are required to follow all established safety protocols and use protective equipment as needed. The role involves a combination of office-based tasks, such as documentation and correspondence, and hands-on technical responsibilities in experimental areas.

Candidates should be able to sit or stand for long periods of time, bend, investigate, and use hands and arms for a variety of tasks.

This role requires strong organizational and problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, and the capacity to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The role demands sound judgment, clear and effective communication, and the ability to remain detail-oriented while supporting a wide range of administrative and operational needs. Must be able to work independently as well as collaboratively, providing reliable support and coordination across teams when necessary. Success in this role also depends on the ability to navigate shifting demands and ambiguous situations with professionalism and a high degree of emotional intelligence, ensuring both a positive workplace experience and effective teamwork.