Office Administrator

ARA Brand; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Job summary

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is seeking a proactive Office Administrator to join our Business Operations team in Alexandria, VA. This full-time, on-site role is the hub of the office, delivering essential support to employees, leadership, customers, and visitors.

You will manage day-to-day operations, coordinate meetings and supplies, handle reception, and support accounting and events. The ideal candidate has 4+ years of admin experience, strong MS Office skills, and a

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressively responsible administrative, office management, customer service, or related experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Outstanding organizational and multitasking skills with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer service skills with a friendly, professional, and welcoming demeanor.
• Demonstrated initiative, attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move office supplies and packages weighing up to 25 pounds.
• High school diploma or equivalent required; additional administrative or business-related education is a plus.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain, at a minimum, a Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day operations of the office, ensuring a professional, organized, and welcoming environment.
• Manage office supply inventory and ordering.
• Coordinate facilities requests, office maintenance, mail distribution, shipping, and vendor support.
• Manage office phones and serve as a resource for general office operations.
• Serve as the primary receptionist by welcoming visitors, answering and directing incoming phone calls, and ensuring every guest has a professional, positive experience.
• Provide administrative support to leadership and project teams.
• Coordinate meeting logistics, including conference rooms, calendars, and catering.
• Assist with clerical projects and government inventory activities.
• Maintain department files, records, and correspondence.
• Reconcile purchase card transactions and maintain supporting documentation.
• Assist with invoice processing, expense tracking, and other accounting tasks.
• Enter and maintain accurate data within company systems.
• Coordinate and support employee engagement activities, including holiday celebrations, potlucks, employee events, meetings, and other office functions.
• Manage event logistics, including catering, supplies, setup, decorations, and coordination with internal teams and vendors.
• Partner with Human Resources, Accounting, Security, and other internal departments to support daily business operations.
• Assist with special projects and provide administrative support across multiple functional areas as business needs evolve.

Skills

Office administration

Customer service

Organizational skills

Communication

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Physical ability

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Administrative or business-related education

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

SharePoint

Job description

The Strategic, Operations, Analysis and Research (SOAR) sector of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is seeking a proactive, organized, and customer-focused Office Administrator to join our Business Operations team. This is a highly visible role that serves as the hub of our office, helping ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly while providing exceptional support to employees, leadership, customers, and visitors. The ideal candidate enjoys variety, manages changing priorities with confidence, takes initiative, and is known as a dependable team player who enjoys helping others succeed. If you’re someone who takes pride in being the person others can count on, we’d love to hear from you

This is a full-time, on-site position, Monday through Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm. Regular on-site attendance is an essential function of the role. The position will initially support our Eisenhower office before transitioning to our new Walker Lane office following our planned office relocation.

Key Responsibilities

Office Leadership & Administration

• Own the day-to-day operations of the office, ensuring a professional, organized, and welcoming environment.
• Manage office supply inventory and ordering.
• Coordinate facilities requests, office maintenance, mail distribution, shipping, and vendor support.
• Manage office phones and serve as a resource for general office operations.

Reception & Customer Service

• Serve as the primary receptionist by welcoming visitors, answering and directing incoming phone calls, and ensuring every guest has a professional, positive experience.

Administrative Support

• Provide administrative support to leadership and project teams.
• Coordinate meeting logistics, including conference rooms, calendars, and catering.
• Assist with clerical projects and government inventory activities.
• Maintain department files, records, and correspondence.

Accounting & Administrative Support

• Reconcile purchase card transactions and maintain supporting documentation.
• Assist with invoice processing, expense tracking, and other accounting tasks.
• Enter and maintain accurate data within company systems.

Event Coordination

• Coordinate and support employee engagement activities, including holiday celebrations, potlucks, employee events, meetings, and other office functions.
• Manage event logistics, including catering, supplies, setup, decorations, and coordination with internal teams and vendors.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Human Resources, Accounting, Security, and other internal departments to support daily business operations.
• Assist with special projects and provide administrative support across multiple functional areas as business needs evolve.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressively responsible administrative, office management, customer service, or related experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Outstanding organizational and multitasking skills with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer service skills with a friendly, professional, and welcoming demeanor.
• Demonstrated initiative, attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to occasionally lift and move office supplies and packages weighing up to 25 pounds.
• High school diploma or equivalent required; additional administrative or business-related education is a plus.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain, at a minimum, a Department of Defense (DoD) Secret security clearance.

Why Join Us

• Make an Impact : Play a vital role in keeping our office running smoothly while supporting employees, leadership, and customers.
• Collaborative Environment : Work closely with Human Resources, Accounting, Security, and Division Leadership.
• Professional Growth : Build your skills in a supportive, team-oriented environment with opportunities for career development.
• Competitive Benefits : Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and more.
• Employee Ownership : Share in the company’s success through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Ranges from $55,000.00 - $62,000.00 per year based on years of experience, degree and any special skills and knowledge that you may bring to the position. We mostly reserve the upper half of our compensation bands for internal growth. During all call with one of our recruiters or hiring managers, they can further clarify the salary range and total compensation. ARA offers competitive benefits that address our employees’ needs now and in the future. Learn more about each of our benefits at https://www.ara.com/benefits/

Company Information

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 2000 professionals. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership foster greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at www.ara.com