Lead Support Administrator

American Water; Short Hills (NJ); On-site; USD 36,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

American Water is hiring an entry-level Operations Support Administrator in Short Hills, NJ. The role provides essential clerical support to day-to-day operations, handling routine tasks and helping teams stay organized.

The position offers opportunities for learning and career growth within a large utility company. The successful candidate will manage calendars, prepare reports, assist with permits, and support with purchasing and invoicing processes, leveraging MS Office and basic SAP

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required.
• 0–2 years of clerical/administrative support experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide general administrative support to managers and departments for daily operations and routine projects.
• Coordinate travel arrangements and maintain calendars.
• Prepare and distribute routine reports and meeting minutes.
• Maintain inventory of office supplies and place replenishment orders.
• Assist with obtaining permits and assembling standard documentation.
• Serve as first point of contact for routine inquiries; escalate complex issues.
• Gather information from operations leadership to respond to questions.
• Explain basic company processes to customers and internal partners.
• Monitor and respond to assigned BPEMs per guidelines.
• Administer and coordinate work orders and ensure timely completion.
• Enter data into systems and track work orders.
• Compile routine daily, weekly, and monthly reports.

Skills

Process & project mgmt

Business acumen

Analytical skills

Verbal & written communication

Interpersonal skills

Customer/ops support knowledge

Software literacy

Excel proficiency

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

SAP

Job description

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different . We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and celebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on 18 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity.

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k),Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

#LI-MR23

#LI-Onsite

Primary Role

The Operations Support Administrator is responsible for providing general administrative and clerical support for day-to-day departmental operations. This entry-level role focuses on transactional, routine, and support activities performed under established procedures and with guidance from more experienced staff.

Key Accountabilities

The duties and responsibilities listed are representative of the work performed by employees in this role and are not intended to be exhaustive. Specific responsibilities may vary based on business needs, location, operational requirements, and organizational assignment.

• Provide general administrative support to managers and departments for daily operations and routine special projects
• Coordinate travel arrangements and maintain departmental calendars and meeting schedules
• Prepare, compose, and distribute routine correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes
• Maintain inventory of office supplies, equipment, and materials; place replenishment orders as needed
• Assist with obtaining permits and assembling standard documentation
• Serve as a first-point-of-contact for routine customer or internal inquiries; elevate complex issues as appropriate
• Gather information from operations leadership and systems to assist with responding to questions
• Explain basic company processes and procedures to customers and internal partners
• Monitor and respond to assigned BPEMs in accordance with established guidelines
• Administer and coordinate the preparation and completion of work orders following established policies and procedures
• Assist field or operations teams by entering, updating, and tracking work order information in company systems
• Enter data accurately into business systems, databases, and spreadsheets
• Compile routine daily, weekly, and monthly reports using predefined formats
• Research and update information in tracking systems and document repositories
• Maintain organized records related to operations, customer activity, and departmental processes
• Initiate routine purchasing transactions and assist with processing purchasing card and fleet-related expenses
• Support local inventory tracking and reporting; update inventory records
• Assist with vendor setup, invoice processing, and researching routine billing or delivery discrepancies, with oversight
• Assist with basic payroll and time reporting support by preparing documentation and verifying completeness
• Support accounts payable and receivable activities such as invoice entry, receipt processing, and payment tracking
• Prepare deposit documentation and forward information for review and approval

Knowledge/Skills

• Basic process and project management skills
• Good business acumen and judgment
• Effective quantitative and analytical skills; attention to detail.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills (e.g., report writing, listening, plan reading and creating, and presentation)
• Effective interpersonal skills (e.g., tact/diplomacy, persuasion, team building, cooperation, leadership, ability to motivate others
• Knowledge of customer and/or operations support practices
• Ability to learn and understand computerized systems, database management, spreadsheet and word-processing programs to process data and create reports
• Working knowledge of computer software such as MS Word, Excel and Outlook. Strong Excel skill preferred
• SAP knowledge preferred

Experience/Education

• High School diploma or GED
• 0-2 years' experience in clerical / administrative support

Join American Water... We Keep Life Flowing

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they arean individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.