Program Specialist Senior

ORAU; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework

Paid time off

Flexible schedules

Job summary

ORAU is seeking a Program Specialist Senior to monitor peer review and scientific meeting activities in Oak Ridge, TN. The role includes scheduling workflows, coordinating with teams, and ensuring deadlines and budgets are met.

You will provide on-site and virtual administrative support for reviews and workshops, manage travel and honoraria, and maintain accurate information in review systems. Strong Microsoft Office and virtual tool proficiency are required.

Qualifications

• Strong communication skills for virtual events and reviews.
• Excellent time management to meet deadlines and milestones.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Office tools.
• Familiarity with virtual event platforms (Zoom, Cvent, Novi, PeerNet).

Responsibilities

• Plans and schedules workflow for each activity and assigns tasks.
• Monitors deadlines, milestones, and project costs; supports management.
• Arranges meeting requirements with technology teams and planners.
• Coordinates travel logistics and honoraria payments; onsite hotel arrangements.

Skills

Communication

Time management

Virtual event support

Microsoft Office

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Zoom

Cvent

Novi

PeerNet

Job description

Overview

Appointment Type: Full-Time Regular (FTR)

Location: Oak Ridge, TN

• Salary Range: $23.44 - $32.60

PURPOSE

The Program Specialist Senior monitors and supports peer review and other scientific meeting activities to ensure project tasks are completed on time, within budget parameters, and meets quality expectations and requirements.

Responsibilities

• Plans and schedules workflow for each assigned activity. Adapts project management plan (PMP) template for activities establishing sequence and lead time for tasks. Assigns tasks to team members where appropriate. Coordinates and monitors team assignments and activities.
• Ensures that deadlines and project milestones are met. Monitors project costs and expenditures. Assists with resolving administrative issues. Communicates activity status and needs for support to management.
• Establishes meeting requirements and other meeting arrangements to ensure completeness and appropriateness. Consults with technology team, event planners and research services, where necessary.
• Works collaboratively with ORAU support organizations on purchasing and processing travel and honoraria payments. When onsite, ensures hotel meeting and equipment arrangements are within contract specifications.
• Provides on-site and/ou rtual administrative and/ou r task lead assistance for reviews, workshops, and other scientific meetings.
• Ensures information entered into PeerNet or other web-based review system is accurate and complete.
• Maintains knowledge and experience with virtual technologies/tools to include facilitation support as needed.
• Prepares and reviews correspondence, to include travel letters and letters for manager's signature, to reviewers, sponsors, and others required by the peer and merit review process as directed by project and group managers.
• Provides virtual event support requiring familiarity with virtual tools (Zoom, Cvent, Novi, etc.). Communicates information, expectations, and schedules for virtual events to customers and attendees, co-hosts, and at times for smaller events.
• Hosts virtual events including breakouts, managing timers, the use of virtual backgrounds, sharing screen, muting/unmuting attendees, sharing video, and use of waiting room.
• Prepares project status reports for the project manager, sponsor, and others.
• Reviews expense reports (ERs) for accuracy and completeness prior to submission to Project Manager for approval.
• Provides input into performance evaluations for team members as requested.
• Recommends and implement changes in administrative processes and procedures. Knowledgeable of business/processes; comfortable engaging and providing direct customer support.
• Contributes to building relationships with customers.
• Engages with reviewers on a regular basis. Provides proactive customer service and consultation. Assists with resolving issues as needed.

Qualifications

High school diploma and 4-6 years of job-related experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience requiring similar knowledge, skills, abilities, and performing duties as described may be substituted for the minimum requirements.

• The Program Specialist Senior (PSS) must interact frequently with scientists and engineers across the national scientific community as well as have some contact with program sponsors. The PSS must fully understand applicable Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education (ORISE) policies and procedures including procurement, travel, and financial accounting. The PSS must be able to speak and write in a clear, concise fashion and translate procedural and administrative documents into day-to-day operations. The PSS must be able to work with world class research reviewers in a courteous and informative manner.
• Strong virtual event tool skills are preferred such as the ability to create breakouts and navigate breakouts; ability to manage on screen timers with virtual backgrounds; ability to assist attendees with mute/unmute, screen sharing, camera sharing; ability to bring attendees to and from waiting rooms; and the ability to manage audience by muting, turning off camera, and removing users. The PSS must have general familiarity with Zoom, Cvent, Novi, and PeerNet tools.
• Must have strong communication skills as virtual events rely highly on auditory only and require staff assigned to be comfortable and confident to speak up, speak clearly, and share information.
• Must have strong time management skills as virtual meetings require clear management of time to ensure breaks are taken and time zones respected.
• Must be proficient with using evolving Microsoft Office and program-specific technology tools to perform current and emerging work processes.
• Must have advanced Microsoft Word skills. Must have strong proofing skills and have light editing skills.
• Must have knowledge of state, DOE, and federal research communities to communicate with world class researchers about reviews on complex, technical proposals. Must also understand and be able to administer intraweb systems that will be used as part of the review process.
• Must be able to arrange and coordinate travel logistics and payment of honoraria. Must have virtual conferencing tool experience to include facilitation and support of large virtual events. Experience in meeting deadlines, both long-term and (more frequently) short-term.
• The candidate’s starting salary will be determined upon hire and ORAU will use salary survey data, internal comparators, and the candidate’s qualifications to determine salary.

TOTAL REWARDS

ORAU has a strategic approach to providing total rewards to employees through a fair, equitable, and competitive total compensation package. The goal of our total rewards system is to integrate compensation, benefits, work-life balance, performance, recognition, development, and career opportunities to attract, engage, and retain the talent required to achieve ORAU’s business objectives.

The benefit component of our total rewards program supports business goals by offering the following benefits based on employee eligibility:

• Legally required benefits
• Group Health insurance including: Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision
• Retirement plan contribution matching
• Disability insurance
• Group life insurance
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Section 125 reimbursement accounts
• Other voluntary employee paid benefit and insurance offerings

The ORAU total reward package also promotes work-life balance. Mindful of the need for employees to care for themselves and their families, ORAU offers the following additional work-life benefits based on employee eligibility:

• Telework
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Flexible work schedules or compressed work weeks
• Occupational Health and Wellness Programs
• Employee Assistance Program