Position Description

Administrative Assistant

Job Category: Fulltime Regular

Exempt/Overtime Eligible: Overtime Eligible

Benefits Eligible: Benefit Based

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Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

We are seeking a talented and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant to join the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department administrative team. The successful candidate will possess initiative, good judgment, and strong problem-solving skills, and quickly gain knowledge of department, division, and campus-wide operations. In a moderately complex environment, the Administrative Assistant is responsible for a variety of general administrative and clerical activities to support faculty members in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department in the Division of Engineering Applied Science.

Essential Job Duties

• Provide daily administrative support to professors and their research groups.
• Purchase research equipment and lab supplies using P-card and TechMart administrative systems in accordance with Institute and government policies. Maintain accurate and complete purchasing documentation files. Resolve billing-related matters and regularly reconcile purchasing requisitions, P-card orders, and other costs.
• Generate and review cost summary and expense detail reports on research accounts and select departmental accounts.
• Coordinate group meetings and special events, including logistics, lodging, travel, catering, and facilities.
• Schedule meetings and maintain faculty calendars.
• Prepare classroom materials.
• Maintain professors’ curriculum vitae, publication listings, and websites.
• Assist Grants Manager with the preparation of administrative portions of grant proposals, securing faculty signatures, and tracking grant proposal reporting deadlines.
• Gather information and prepare administrative forms for visitors, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff hires.
• Provide administrative support as needed to faculty-hosted visitors and scholars.
• Coordinate domestic and foreign travel arrangements, provide itineraries, and process travel expense reports. Ensure compliance with Caltech policies, funding agency, and export regulations.
• Assist with team department administrative tasks such as weekly seminars and event planning, special event planning, mail sorting, ordering, maintaining coffee room supplies, and overflow administrative support.
• Edit and proofread correspondence and office forms, non-technical sections of manuscripts, PowerPoint presentations, reports, etc.
• Maintain and update class and professor's websites.
• Other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and at least 3 years of administrative support experience.
• Excellent and diplomatic communication skills with a good command of grammar and usage.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when required.
• Demonstrated facility with software programs and eagerness to learn new administrative systems.
• Experience using Microsoft Office/Office 365 and Adobe.
• Intermediate-level Excel skills.
• Experience coordinating travel arrangements and making itineraries.
• Excellent typing and proofreading skills.
• Ability to work under deadlines and prioritize work effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proactive work ethic requiring minimal direction to accomplish goals.
• Demonstrated initiative for taking on unfamiliar or additional tasks.
• Experience using website design software (i.e., Squarespace or similar).

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Hiring Range

$20.00 to $33.00 per hour

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.