Van Andel Institute (VAI), a world-class biomedical research institute, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is dedicated to improving human health. We are pioneers in the fight against cancer, Parkinson's, and other diseases. We are committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists and educators.
Van Andel Institute (VAI)
has an opening for an Executive Assistant. The Executive Assistant operates out of the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer (OCSO) and reports to the President & Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). The Executive Assistant will provide comprehensive support to the President & CSO through performing complex, varied and confidential functions to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the Institute's day-to-day operations. You must be able to think strategically, see the “big picture,” recognize the impact of decisions on the Institute, and be meticulously organized and a strong planner.
Some of the high-level responsibilities you can expect to fulfill include:
- Calendar: Manage an extremely active calendar of appointments and shifting schedules to serve internal and external colleagues and collaborators and triage as appropriate. Schedule all appointments for the President & CSO and send complex, varied meeting requests to attendees.
- Travel: Arrange complex and detailed travel arrangements, itineraries and agendas, including logistics, flight, car, hotel and dinners for the President & CSO. Ensure travel runs smoothly with the utmost comfort and cost-efficiency.
- Meetings: Schedule meetings and speaking engagements for the President & CSO and provide preparation materials, including attendee information and talking points. Collect, prepare, and analyze briefing and background materials for meetings and follow up on any details related to these meetings; develop and prepare meeting agenda(s); distribute, take minutes as directed and track/report on all deliverables.
- Phone Calls: Answer and triage calls, screen and communicate messages to the President & CSO accurately and handle any requests personally, whenever possible.
- Daily Stand-up Meeting: Daily, communicate the progress of the calendar, tasks, meetings, and travel arrangements.
- Writing: Compose and prepare confidential correspondence and reports in response to inquiries and ensure inquiries, action items, commitments and/or confidential communications are handled promptly and effectively. Correspondence includes memos, letters and emails from the Chief of Staff and President & CSO to internal employees and external individuals and must ensure 100% accuracy.
- Communication: Communicate on behalf of the Chief of Staff and President & CSO on matters related to the OCSO announcements and initiatives. You must demonstrate effective diplomacy, credibility, trust, and support with senior management staff.
- Filing: Working with the assistant to the Chief of Staff, maintaining the President & CSO’s files in an electronic and hard copy filing system that is logical and functional and allows easy document retrieval. Document retrieval is critical to seamless operations and requires project/program knowledge.
- Reporting: Working with the Assistant to the Chief of Staff, provide regular reports to the Chief of Staff to communicate the progress of tasks, meetings, travel arrangements and office matters. Prepare and process all appropriate paperwork associated with expense reports.
You should possess the following skills, characteristics and traits:
- An associate degree is required, and a bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred.
- 10 + years of general administrative support, office, or related experience required, including two or more years of experience supporting C-suite executives. Experience in a research or university setting is preferred.
- Attention to Detail – you provide excellent work on many tasks and track multiple activities with limited errors.
- Excellent Customer Service – your role is to support the President & CSO while providing support to service laboratories through timely financial reports, assistance with budget management, calculated cost per unit and processing transactions related to their daily activities
- People Person – it will be important for you to be outgoing and friendly with all the people you work with, internally and externally.
- Self-Starter – self-motivation and excitement for the Institute’s mission are important in this fast-paced and rewarding position.
- Concise Communicator – concise written and oral skills are key in keeping things moving forward through all daily interactions with customers and vendors.
- Confidentiality – the ability to respect both casual and legal confidential information.
- Passion for supporting scientific research.
To be a successful member of our team, we will measure you in the following areas:
- Attitude of Collaboration
- Attention to Detail
- Professionalism
- Strong technical skills
COMPENSATION and BENEFITS
All full-time employees of Van Andel Institute are eligible for benefits
, effective Day One! The salary you can expect in this role is based on your experience and skills.
YOUR NEXT STEPS!
If you are a person who has demonstrated success in these areas, we would love to have a conversation with you! The first step in beginning this conversation is starting your application.
In addition to your resume, provide a cover letter outlining why you are interested in this role and how this position aligns with your experience, interests and goals.
If you have any difficulty uploading your application or any questions, please email Megan.Doerr@vai.org
.
About Van Andel Institute
Established in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1996 by the Van Andel family, VAI is now home to nearly 500 scientists, educators and support staff, who work with national and international collaborators to foster discovery. The Institute’s scientists study the origins of cancer, Parkinson’s and other diseases and translate their findings into breakthrough prevention and treatment strategies. Our educators develop inquiry-based approaches for K–12 education to help students and teachers prepare the next generation of problem-solvers, while our Graduate School offers a rigorous, research-intensive Ph.D. program in molecular and cellular biology.
VAI is committed to achieving excellence through increasing diversity. We actively encourage applications from women, persons of color, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups.
Van Andel Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer.
As Van Andel Institute is a drug free employer, all prospective new employees undergo a urinalysis/drug test as part of our pre-employment process. This is a 7-panel drug screen and it includes testing for Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opiates, PCP, Barbiturates, and Benzodiazepines.
About Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Institute is in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan
in the center of the Medical Mile
. A remarkable combination of a cosmopolitan atmosphere and small-town warmth, Grand Rapids
is known for its philanthropic and sustainability-driven community. It’s fun affordable and family-friendly.
Located on the banks of the Grand River, Grand Rapids
offers all the big-city excitement you'd expect from a million-resident metropolis, featuring hundreds of restaurants and nightspots, theaters, museums, sports and concerts. The safe and clean downtown is surrounded by an eclectic mix of walkable neighborhoods and natural areas. The downtown area is safe and clean with an eclectic mix of walkable neighborhoods and natural areas.
Job Type: Full-time