Senior Administrative Specialist

Senior Administrative Specialist

At Dow, we believe in putting people first and we're passionate about delivering integrity, respect and safety to our customers, our employees and the planet. Our people are at the heart of our solutions. They reflect the communities we live in and the world where we do business. Their diversity is our strength. We're a community of relentless problem solvers that offers the daily opportunity to contribute with your perspective, transform industries and shape the future. Our purpose is simple - to deliver a sustainable future for the world through science and collaboration. If you're looking for a challenge and meaningful role, you're in the right place.

Dow has an exciting opportunity as a Senior Administrative Specialist! This position is located at the company's World Headquarters in Midland, Michigan.

You will facilitate and coordinate the activities of the Chief Investment Officer, President of Insurance and Global Director of Corporate Venture Capital, provide support for the associated teams and manage the office. These teams oversee the investment of $33+ Billion of retirement and insurance company assets, operate the reinsurance business, implement the company corporate risk management programs and make strategic direct corporate venture capital investments.

You will need to exercise considerable discretion and independent judgement in managing the coordination and flow of activities and deliverables among the teams and with internal / external parties. You will work with a limited degree of supervision and act on behalf of the supported leader.

Responsibilities

This role will require an in-depth understanding of team objectives, the work environment and their interaction. You will work independently and appropriately prioritize work to provide professional support, as well as identify, anticipate and address needs of leadership.

You will serve as a communication focal point with the ability to rapidly establish rapport between senior leadership and internal / external parties. High-level organization and prioritization skills are needed to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced and quickly changing environment. We are looking for someone who is proactive, resourceful and self-motivated, with the ability to exercise appropriate judgement to take action. You will also supervise other administrative & temporary employees.

• Gain and maintain a strong understanding of the leader and the business/function to screen and prioritize written / verbal communications and meeting requests. Discern which requests require the leader's attention and resolve those that shouldn't. Have the ability and knowledge to answer business/function questions and take appropriate actions in the absence of the leader.
• Organize complex calendar and time management needs to support the leader's interaction with the team and internal / external parties, ensuring business objectives are met. Independently work to manage changing priorities and circumstances.
• Independently coordinate the end-to-end delivery of business / group meetings and events, board / committee meetings, and special projects (Plan, schedule, coordinate and implement). Act as the focal point for agendas, logistics, conferencing and guest arrangements. Anticipate meeting needs and technology requirements and ensure seamless meetings and events by testing their efficacy and making contingency plans prior to the event. Provide support to visitors.
• Arrange complex domestic and international travel and itinerary preparation that often includes coordination across multiple modes of transportation and interactions with numerous external parties at varying venues. Foresee all facets of travel needs, completing where appropriate, required paperwork for passports and visas and their details, such as photos etc. Guide personnel on vaccination requirements/Dow medical needs before traveling. Understand time zones, realities of various transportation methods, cultural differences and anticipate their impact on the planning of agendas.
• Trusted with highly sensitive/confidential information, and understand the importance of handling confidential information appropriately; proven discretion required.
• Write and distribute email correspondence, memos, letters, faxes and forms. Create presentations (manage timely creation of routine presentations, and facilitate ad-hoc presentation needs).
• Develop, organize and maintain physical and electronic filing systems. Distribute and follow-up on department documentation, approvals and contracts. Ensure document, filings and report delivery. Generate, print, scan, copy, aggregate and distribute documents, binders & reports, etc.
• Complete leader's expense reports, and review and approve team member expense reports on behalf of leader. Inform individuals of discrepancies. Ensure employees adhere to company policy requirements including Dow's Code of Business Conduct.
• Track and manage process and approvals of department vendor payments (investigate, verify charges, seek approvals, submit payments, and follow-up on status etc.).
• Serve as the focal point for the monitoring and supply of equipment and materials for the office and employees, assisting with equipment set-up and ensuring proper maintenance (facilities, printers, phones, kitchen appliances etc.).
• Coordinate team onboarding / offboarding processes, and contact management databases (interview coordination, system & security access requests etc.).
• Advocate for Dow's safety behaviors; often may be safety warden or safety contact for the team / floor, etc.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of a High School Diploma or GED or equivalent.
• A minimum of 3 years of professional working experience.
• A minimum requirement for this U.S. based position is the ability to work legally in the United States. No visa sponsorship/support is available for this position, including for any type of U.S. permanent residency (green card) process.

Preferred Qualifications

• An associates degree or higher education.
• 5+ years of professional working experience.

Skills

• Organizational Skills: Strong results-oriented organizational skills with ability to plan tasks and the time they will take. Track details to keep work flowing without distraction or interruption. Take notes at meetings and compress relevant information into brief summaries / action items. Exceptional work ethic with proactive approach to problem solving and strong decision-making skills.
• Communication: Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills. Create open channels of communication to help the department understand and utilize information more effectively. Follow up to ensure that others understand messaging and take the pulse of the teams. Actively listen to other people's concerns, asks questions, and properly and diplomatically shares those concerns.
• Collaboration/Teamwork: Positive proactive attitude and ability to maintain composure. Display approachable demeanor for a positive coaching and mentoring environment by supporting an inclusive culture. Ability to work in a team and prioritize requests from multiple managers.
• Prioritization: Must be able to set priorities and simultaneously handle multiple tasks. Must be flexible and able to quickly adapt to changes and anticipate needs. Demonstrated self-motivation. Reduce complexity to simplicity. Strive to do more than what is expected of you. Actively request feedback and follow it. Network with other administrative assistants and groups to leverage best practices.
• Relationship Building: Maintain relationships inside and outside natural workgroup to achieve a positive outcome. Drive a culture of trust and transparency. Promote partnerships within and between teams. Work towards win-win outcomes in relationships with others in the Dow organization. Influence others to achieve results. Motivate and encourage others. Take well-calculated risks in cooperation with leader, team or project leader.
• Adaptability: Experienced with numerous business software applications (e.g., Microsoft Office), and stays up-to-date on changing technology. Evaluates new equipment, technologies and techniques. Ability to quickly learn new internal electronic systems, incorporate new technologies, and to share knowledge with others. Embraces change.
• Software Applications: Demonstrated SME traits with MS Office platform, Dow Systems software and collaborations tools. Able to assist team members with IT and office related issues, pursuing solutions to resolution. Retrieves information from role-related information systems and makes basic decisions based on it. Combines data from role-related information systems with Dow workstations to enhance productivity.
• Interpersonal Relationships: strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a wide variety of people. Appropriate situational awareness to sustain the level of professionalism required to effectively work with executives and employees of all levels.

Additional Notes

• We welcome applications from individuals looking to pivot into a new industry/profession.
• Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

Benefits – What Dow offers you

We invest in you.

Dow invests in total rewards programs to help you manage all aspects of you: your pay, your health, your life, your future, and your career. You bring your background, talent, and perspective to work every day. Dow rewards that commitment by investing in your total wellbeing.

Here are just a few highlights of what you would be offered as a Dow employee:

• Equitable and market-competitive base pay and bonus opportunity across our global markets, along with locally relevant incentives.
• Benefits and programs to support your physical, mental, financial, and social well-being, to help you get the