Operations Specialist

Operations Specialist

The Operations Specialist is responsible for delivering exceptional customer service and administrative support to the designated institute. Reporting to the Institute Manager, this position manages the daily operations of the Institute, including events management, purchasing and reimbursements, and a wide range of general administrative tasks for faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students. The Operational Specialist demonstrates professionalism, strong customer service skills, and a commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. This role requires independent judgment, discretion, and the ability to provide high-level confidential administrative support to senior faculty and leadership while navigating complex workflows and time-sensitive tasks. This position requires regular onsite presence for a minimum of 3 days a week. Business hours are considered from 7am-7pm. Evening and weekend work may be required on occasion for events or other work-related activities.

Responsibilities include managing and executing administrative support for the Institute, including calendar management, room reservations, expense management, mail, travel logistics, and recruitment efforts. The specialist is responsible for reviewing, processing, and tracking financial transactions such as GEMS expense reports, reimbursements for visitors/graduate students/postdocs, and paying departmental invoices to vendors using GEMS card, Oracle, etc. They provide high-level events management for Institute colloquia, special seminars, and other events as needed by senior staff and faculty. This includes assistance with travel arrangements for speakers, coordinating the agenda for the visit, chaperoning the visitor, planning receptions, processing related reimbursements through gems, and advertising and distributing related announcements to ensure a well-attended event. The specialist coordinates and executes logistical aspects for scheduling meetings, off-site events, and team initiatives, training, development, recognition, and other organizational goals. They resolve routine and complex inquiries, refer inquiries to the appropriate person, and follow up to ensure complete and timely responses. They exercise professional judgment to interpret and communicate office policies and procedures. The specialist prioritizes and determines the appropriate course of action, referral, or response, exercising judgment to reflect UChicago/PME policy and procedures. They update and maintain faculty members' CVs on a quarterly basis, as federal and non-federal granting agencies require, in coordination with URA/SPS. They track and help drive completion of key deliverables and follow up on outstanding items. They prepare write up recommendations for operational and administrative problems and prepare financial and administrative reports. They may assist in developing administrative goals and policies, maintain the leader's calendar, and exercise considerable discretion and judgment as to priorities and effective use of the leader's time. They coordinate special projects as directed by the leader, prepare write ups for recommendations for operational and administrative problems, and may manage a portion of the leader's budget, monitoring and reconciling accounts. They prepare financial and/or administrative reports.

Minimum qualifications include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in a related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree). Minimum work experience includes knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline. Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor's degree, 3+ years of progressively responsible business and administrative experience, background working within an academic or complex administrative environment, familiarity with the higher education environment, background as an executive assistant or program manager in an academic environment or healthcare executive setting, scheduling for multiple leaders, preparing leaders for meetings, events, interviews, and ongoing commitments to support a hybrid workforce, preparing presentation decks for executive and academic leadership, reconciling budgets, tracking expenses, and providing timely updates on office expense management, including monthly and quarterly tracking reports. Preferred competencies include handling highly confidential and sensitive materials and situations, interacting comfortably with senior executives, faculty, and staff, developing collaborative relationships within PME and throughout the University community, representing the mission, values, and strategic plan of the organization and leaders through work products, efforts, and communication, managing and organizing ad hoc projects to support processes and workflows, working independently and following up with tasks assigned by the Institute Manager, and working independently and following up with tasks as needed.

Application documents required include a resume/CV, cover letter, and professional references contact information (3). When applying, the documents MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.