Operations Assistant, CBLS

University at Buffalo; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Health plan

Professional growth

Job summary

University at Buffalo's UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships (BEP) seeks an Operations Assistant at CBLS to support daily operations and guest experiences on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

You will be the first point of contact for BEP at CBLS, handling reception, access control, mail, and vendor coordination while upholding confidentiality and professional service to tenants, researchers, and visitors.

Job description

UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships (BEP) is seeking an Operations Assistant, CBLS to support the daily operations and programs at the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (CBLS). Located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, CBLS is a four-story, high-tech facility that houses a multi-tenant business incubator for deep tech and community startups, university research laboratories for faculty and students, scientific and computing equipment, and serves as the primary location for BEP staff. In this role, you will serve as the first point of contact for BEP at CBLS and play a key role in creating a professional, welcoming, and customer-focused experience for visitors, tenants, researchers, staff, vendors, and community partners. Reporting to the Building Operations Manager, you will support the day-to-day operations of the facility while providing administrative, operational, and customer service support to a diverse community of building occupants and stakeholders. This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle sensitive information, building access, and visitor records with integrity and confidentiality.

Key Responsibilities

Front Desk & Guest Experience

• Serve as the primary reception point for CBLS, welcoming visitors, tenants, researchers, staff, vendors, and guests in a professional, and customer-focused manner.
• Answer, screen, and route incoming calls and inquiries.
• Maintain visitor sign-in/sign-out procedures, badges, and arrival notifications while fostering a welcoming, professional environment.
• Provide information, directions, and assistance to all stakeholders by delivering exceptional customer service and communicating effectively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and organizations.

Building Operations & Administrative Support

• Monitor building access by issuing and deactivating key cards/fobs and maintaining access records.
• Coordinate and track facility maintenance, repairs, cleaning, security, and other building service requests with vendors and Facilities staff.
• Support scheduling and setup for conference rooms, shared spaces, and building events.
• Receive, log, and distribute mail, packages, and deliveries.
• Maintain inventories of office, kitchen and cleanroom supplies and assist with purchases.
• Support emergency preparedness activities, including fire drills, evacuation procedures, and visitor accountability.
• Assist with staff and tenant onboarding/offboarding and maintain operational records, databases, filing systems, reports, correspondence, budgets, contracts, and vendor documentation.
• Support hospitality functions by maintaining clean, organized, and well-stocked common areas, including kitchen and beverage stations.

Program and Event Support

• Support CBLS programs by assisting with the planning, scheduling, setup, and coordination of meetings, workshops, and special events.
• Coordinate room reservations, catering, supplies, deliveries, vendor access, and event logistics while providing a welcoming experience for attendees.
• Assist with event setup, breakdown, and restoration of shared spaces, and provide occasional support during early morning, evening, or weekend events.

Safety & Compliance

• Assist the Building Operations Manager with Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) programs, laboratory safety initiatives, inspections, emergency preparedness, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain safety documentation, training records, signage, and compliance records.
• Coordinate with EH&S staff, contractors, and service providers, and report safety concerns while assisting with corrective action follow-up.

Other Duties As Assigned.

Outstanding Benefits Package

• Working at UB comes with benefits that exceed salary alone.
• There are personal rewards including comprehensive health and retirement plan options.
• We also focus on creating and sustaining a healthy mix of work, personal and academic pursuit – all in an effort to support your work-life effectiveness.
• Visit our benefits website to learn about our benefit packages.

About UB

The University at Buffalo is SUNY’s most comprehensive public research university, and an outstanding place to work. UB amplifies ambition for faculty and staff by offering endless possibilities to achieve more. Here, people from all backgrounds and cultures challenge and inspire each other to discover, learn and succeed. Dedicated staff and engaged faculty collaborate to further knowledge and understanding, and develop tenacious graduates who are valued for their talents and their impact on global society. Visit our website to learn more about the University at Buffalo.

As an Equal Opportunity / Affinative Action employer, the Research Foundation will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin and veteran or disability status.