Office Administrator

Office Administrator

Do you want to build an impactful career to change the world for the better?

Geosyntec has an exciting opportunity for an Office Administrator in our Yakima, WA office. The position will provide high-level administrative support to environmental practitioners and technical staff in a busy engineering consulting environment. The role will support Branch Managers, practice area leaders, and technical staff with administrative functions, client deliverables, marketing materials, and other day-to-day needs. As the local HR point of contact (HR POC), the role will also help coordinate local HR and Health & Safety (H&S) functions and related inquiries with Corporate HR and H&S staff, and within company guidelines and policies. We are looking for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment and who can manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Geosyntec is an innovative, international engineering and consulting firm serving private and public-sector clients to address new ventures and complex problems involving our environment, natural resources, and civil infrastructure. Our engineers, scientists, technical and project employees serve our clients from offices across the world. Ranked by ENR as one of the top environmental engineering design firms, Geosyntec is internationally known for its technical leadership, broad experience, and exceptional client service.

We invest in our people. Each employee is unique, and your career at Geosyntec will be too. We offer competitive pay and benefits, and well-being programs to support you and your family.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Office / Branch Duties:

• Serve as liaison between local office and/or Branch and Corporate management and staff; respond to general and common inquiries appropriately, directing specialized questions to the appropriate Corporate departments.
• Orientate new local employees ensuring knowledge of general office practices, and proper completion of paper and electronic employment documents, in coordination with Corporate HR.
• Coordinate orientation meetings with Accounting, H&S, HR, and Information Technology departments as needed; and assist managers with local office space needs and systems access set ups.
• As applicable, recruit, and hire qualified local support staff in line with company recruiting compliance procedures.
• As applicable, manage work flow, assignments, and productivity of support staff; provide job-specific formal and informal training; evaluate performance; and discipline support staff as needed, in accordance with appropriate Company policy and procedure, and in coordination with Corporate HR.
• Ensure proper procedures are followed with regard to operations and maintenance of company vehicles and rental/leasing of supplemental vehicles on an as needed basis.
• Serve as liaison with building leasing company, building maintenance, vendors, advertising solicitors, and other office visitors; maintain security files (i.e. building security cards, office keys, etc.).
• Solicit estimates and bids for major office purchases/leases of office equipment and furniture; assist in the review of office or equipment leases and negotiation of same, ensuring all contracts are reviewed and approved by Corporate Legal department.
• Coordinate office relocations with final approvals for expenditures and layout from local and Branch management, as needed.
• Oversee purchase of office supplies and service calls for office equipment repair; track purchases through purchase order procedures.
• Serve as liaison with Corporate Accounting; maintain and balance office checking and petty cash accounts; assist with budgeting process, time and billing, file maintenance, and collections.
• Understand overall workings of computer, telecommunications, photocopy, scanning, and fax systems, and associated software, equipment, and vendors.
• Plan and execute staff activities for holidays and other events, with management approval.
• Oversee travel arrangements for consulting staff.
• Perform Notary Public duties for the office.

Other Administrative Duties:

• Process proposal or business development letters, memoranda, and local reports of varying complexity, and confidentiality using Microsoft Office Software.
• Maintain employee information specific to projects, and Professional Licenses for consulting staff; update license dates in HR portal or direct employees to update directly.
• Facilitate consulting staff resume updates and distribute as needed.
• Maintain and train individuals on use of project files, insurance forms, leases, and contracts.
• Oversee project / proposal numbers and deliverable lists for administrative staffing needs and scheduling.
• Prepare applications to receive RFP's; assist in final review process, and quality assurance and consistency on proposals, contracts, and final reports.
• Research codes, regulations, etc. for specific projects as needed.
• Assist consulting staff in revenue projections.
• Maintain project descriptions and forward updates to the Corporate Marketing Department.
• Assist consulting staff in organizing target markets and assist in all aspects of marketing.
• Assist with ongoing marketing activities involving client contact, preparation and maintenance of mailing lists, preparation of SOQ's, and perform required follow-up.
• May perform additional Project Administration duties at the request of the Branch Manager.

Local/Branch HR POC Duties:

• Ensure all new hire and updated employee records are forwarded to Corporate HR for file retention.
• Ensure foreign national hires provide valid employment authorization documents at the time of hire, and copies are provided to HR; in the U.S., ensure the Employer Section 2 of the Form I-9 verification process is completed within federal timelines and company procedures, in coordination with HR.
• Clarify and point employees to HR, benefit, wellness, and recruiting resources and company policies and procedures available on SharePoint and in the Employee Handbook; specific policy interpretation questions should be directed to HR.
• Clarify company benefit and leave related questions as detailed in the Summary of Company Benefits; direct employee-specific questions to appropriate HR staff to handle.
• Ensure employee leaves, status changes, life events, position/manager/pay changes, etc., are communicated timely to HR, and are in line with company policies and procedures.
• Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition teams to ensure recruiting compliance procedures are followed (i.e., job requisitions posted, all candidates apply to specific job requisitions before interviewing, etc.).
• As needed, assist local hiring teams with recruiting efforts, such as drafting requisitions, scheduling interviews, following-up, tracking and dispositioning candidates in HR Recruiting Portal, per hiring manager feedback.
• As needed, assist local hiring teams in drafting employment offers, ensuring current sample templates and enclosures are used, and offers are reviewed and approved by HR before being extended.
• Direct all employment and immigration verification requests for current/former employees to HR.
• Assist with communications to local employees of corporate policy or process updates and changes.
• Drive personal, company, and rental vehicles to client or company project or office sites, and other business locations, as needed.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

• High school diploma and six (6) years of experience, an associate degree or college diploma in business, human resources, accounting/finance, or office procedures, and a minimum four (4) years progressively responsible experience preferably as an Office Administrator or Administrative Assistant; experience with word processing, Microsoft software, or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job. (required)
• Directly relevant work experience in a professional environment, preferably with a consulting and/or client service focus. (preferred)
• Proven track record in position requiring independent judgment, interpersonal skills, ability to act independently with an understanding of larger picture, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. (required)
• Ability to effectively prioritize and organize work, work independently, take initiative, and handle multiple tasks in a professional and organized manner. (required)
• High level of attention to detail and quality, strong work ethic and the ability to maintain confidentiality. (required)
• Advanced proficiency in a Windows environment, with specific expertise in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, and Outlook. (required)
• Ability to work flexible and additional hours on short notice and a positive, team-focused attitude. (required)
• Valid U.S. driver's license and a satisfactory driving record for business travel. (required)

This opportunity will be posted for at least five days. Below are the potential compensation ranges that we in good faith believe are applicable for this role at the time of this posting and are only applicable for jobs to be performed in the specified location(s) below. The typical base salary range for this position is just one component of Geosyntec's total compensation package for