Administrative Assistant and Office Manager

The Institute for Protein Innovation (IPI)is a nonprofit research organization advancing protein science to accelerate research and improve human health.  Founded in 2017 and located in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, the Institute’s three-pronged strategy is to build protein tools, conduct related internal research and develop educational programs for the protein science and biological research communities.

With a significant endowment, IPI uniquely combines the freedom of academia with the high throughput and scale of industry to take on transformative projects. IPI has built a robust platform for discovering, developing, and distributing synthetic antibodies and other protein tools to share with the biomedical community. The Institute's deep protein expertise, collaborative spirit and research tools are powering new biomedical and therapeutic discoveries with a growing community of researchers at Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital and other institutions across Greater Boston and beyond.  

Purpose

The Administrative Assistant and Office Manager provides general administrative and logistical support for a variety of IPI internal operations and ensures the smooth and efficient daily operation of IPI’s office.  This is a highly visible role that collaborates with colleagues throughout IPI and contributes directly to the overall effectiveness of the organization.  This position is a primary point of contact for visitors, guests and candidates that are visiting IPI’s office/lab and must project a professional, cordial and helpful demeanor. 

Primary Responsibilities

Administrative Support

·        Schedule a variety of internal meetings, external scientific speaker presentations, visitor meetings and on-site candidate interviews.

·        Schedule new employee onboarding meetings following the direction of Human Resource Manager.

·        Initiate and manage the building ID process for new hires, working directly with new hires and building facilities department to ensure the timely receipt of building IDs for new employees. 

·        Make travel reservations and create accompanying itineraries for members of the Leadership Team and other senior scientific staff as needed. 

Office Management

·        Manage the inventory of office and kitchen supplies which includes submitting orders to approved vendors, tracking goods received, approving invoices, maintaining an adequate inventory of supplies, creating an orderly inventory storage system, etc.

·        Oversees and maintains common area office space (this includes IPI’s lobby which is used for team meetings and speaker series), conference rooms and the kitchen.  Ensure common areas are kept neat, orderly and stocked with required supplies/materials. 

·        Receive and distribute incoming mail and packages and work with the building facilities department as needed to track missing packages and materials as may be needed. 

·        Greet visitors, speakers and candidates and arrange building access as needed. 

Employee Engagement

·        Provide administrative and logistical support for IPI employee events which occur monthly and quarterly.  This includes managing event logistics such as arranging catering, ensuring any required supplies and materials are ordered and received in advance, securing any external reservations and/or arrangements that may be required and handling all other administrative and logistical matters that are required. 

Education Program

·        Working with members of the Communications team, provide administrative and logistical support for scientific education events (e.g., symposiums, courses, lectures, etc.) which occur periodically throughout the year.  This includes arranging catering, securing external reservations and/or arrangements, ensuring required supplies and materials are ordered and received in advance, etc.  May also involve participating in IPI scientific education events (e.g., register attendees and participants).   

Qualifications

·        7+ years’ experience providing administrative support and office management preferably in a life science, higher education or non-profit organization.

·        Proficiency in Microsoft and Google office applications and having a high technical aptitude to quickly learn new software and applications

·        Exceptional organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and requests simultaneously

·        Superb interpersonal skills with the ability to interact professionally and graciously with a variety of stakeholders, including staff, external partners and visitors

·        Excellent judgment with the ability to quickly ascertain when to seek manager’s guidance and when decisions can be made independently

·        Excellent written and verbal communication skills

·        Sharp attention to detail and high standard of excellence

·        High level of integrity, discretion, and professionalism

IPI provides competitive compensation and an excellent benefits package to support physical, mental and financial health. Highlights of benefits include:

·        100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision plans

·        Flexible spending accounts and a healthcare reimbursement account

·        401(k) plan with generous 6% employer match – immediately 100% vested

·        Generous PTO package

·        Commuter and parking reimbursement

·        Career development opportunities

For more information, visit proteininnovation.org or follow us on social media, @ipiproteins. IPI is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization and an equal-opportunity employer. The Institute celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Please be advised that you will be required to provide evidence of your identity and eligibility for employment in the United States. IPI will not guarantee sponsorship of foreign nationals and retains complete discretion regarding providing sponsorship to any prospective or existing employee at time of hire or at any time in the future.