Administrative Assistant - Coon Group

The Morgridge Institute for Research; Bowens Addition (WI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Morgridge Institute for Research is seeking an organized, proactive administrative professional to support a large, internationally recognized research group. You will manage calendars, travel, events, purchasing, and paperwork, working closely with the PI, lab members, Morgridge staff and UW–Madison partners.

Training will be provided for university systems and funding processes. The role offers opportunities to contribute to grant activities, coordinate workshops, coordinate visits for

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree or an associate degree with relevant work experience.
• Candidate should be highly organized, detail-oriented and able to write clearly and professionally.
• Comfortable with everyday software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Google Workspace) and eager to learn new tools, including AI assistants.
• Ability to handle confidential information with good judgment.

Responsibilities

• Manage the PI's calendar and schedule meetings; organize emails and handle requests.
• Book travel and conference registrations; prepare expense reports and reimbursements.
• Assist with grant applications and reports by gathering documents and tracking deadlines with grants staff.
• Help run meetings and events, including advisory board meetings and workshops.
• Plan visits for seminar speakers and candidates, including schedules and meals.
• Maintain lab group records, CVs, and publication lists; update group websites.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Outlook/Calendar management

Google Workspace

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associate degree with relevant work experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Outlook

Google Workspace

Job description

Description

The Opportunity:

We are looking for an organized, upbeat person to keep a large, internationally recognized research group running smoothly. You will be the go-to person for scheduling, travel, events, purchasing and paperwork, working closely with the Principal Investigator (PI), lab members and Morgridge and UW–Madison staff. This is a great fit for a recent college graduate: we will train you on university systems and on how research is funded and run, and the job builds skills for a career in research administration, science operations, or graduate and professional school.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage the PI's calendar, help keep email organized, schedule meetings and respond to routine requests.
• Book travel and conference registrations, and prepare expense reports and reimbursements.
• Help with grant applications and reports by gathering documents from the team and collaborators and keeping track of deadlines, working with our grants staff.
• Help run our research center's meetings and events, such as an annual advisory board meeting and training workshops.
• Plan visits for seminar speakers, job candidates and other guests, including schedules, rooms and meals.
• Keep track of requests for letters and award nominations, and keep the PI's CV and publication lists up to date.
• Order supplies and equipment, follow up on orders and repairs, and ship materials to collaborators.
• Help new lab members get started (workspace, building access, accounts, trainings) and keep basic lab records, such as safety protocols and freezer space, up to date.
• Update the group's websites.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

Qualifications:

Required: a bachelor's degree, or an associate degree with relevant work experience. Experience from internships, student jobs, research labs or volunteer roles counts. You are highly organized and detail-oriented, write clearly and professionally, are comfortable with everyday software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Google Workspace) and eager to learn new tools, including AI assistants, and can handle confidential information with good judgment.

Nice to have, but not required: experience in a university, laboratory or office setting, or familiarity with research and grants. We will provide training.