Senior Administrative Assistant supporting Strategic Communications & External Affairs Depa

Job Summary

Join NORC at the University of Chicago as a Senior Administrative Assistant in our Strategic Communications & External Affairs department. Provide a broad range of administrative support to the senior‑level leaders as they collaborate with NORC’s senior leadership and colleagues throughout the organization to create and execute outstanding external and internal strategic communications initiatives to drive NORC’s mission, disseminate our work, and support and engage our staff.

Take ownership of the administrative challenges associated with supporting a leadership team in a rapidly evolving and fast‑paced research landscape. Leverage your experience in handling a wide range of administrative and executive support‑related tasks, while demonstrating the ability to follow through in a timely manner, close the loop with stakeholders, and apply attention to detail even under tight deadlines. This is an opportunity to showcase your resourcefulness and efficiency, while exhibiting a high degree of professionalism.

Quickly adjust based on changing priorities when necessary and proactively address administrative issues and needs.

The ideal candidate will be a customer‑service focused, experienced administrative professional who thrives in an environment where team members are asked to bring their authentic selves to each task in order to deliver consistently high‑quality work. Join a cohesive and motivated team that likes to have fun, and support one another’s long‑term career development, while advancing NORC’s mission and research.

This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office, with a schedule of two days a week in the office. Work hours are typically 8:30 am‑5:00 pm.

Strategic Communications drives NORC’s brand, reputation, and visibility across every channel and audience. The department brings together expertise in corporate communications, creative services, digital communications and marketing, internal communications, and project‑level communications support. We manage NORC’s social media presence, email marketing, and website properties, and we partner with project teams on dissemination strategies that help NORC’s research reach the people who need it.

NORC partners with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to inform the critical decisions facing society, and we ensure that work gets seen, understood, and used, both for our clients and for broader public impact.

• Coordinate complex scheduling, travel arrangements, and expense reporting.
• Coordinate and traffic contracts, invoices, purchase requests, and other crucial internal processes to ensure timely and accurate execution, payment, and purchasing.
• Plan, coordinate, and prepare for department meetings, business meetings, events, luncheons, and dinners involving both internal staff and external vendors/partners including scheduling, material preparation, and logistics/technology needs (video conferencing, presentations, Zoom, etc.).
• Develop and design improved administrative procedures to promote the timely processing and submission of administrative deliverables and increase the efficiency within the department.
• Prepare and/or integrate information needed to compose both routine and non‑routine correspondence, reports, documents, and presentations.
• Build strong relationships throughout the company to support and facilitate the collaborative team environment.
• Assist communications assistant with conference logistical tasks such as packing and receiving NORC’s exhibit booth, developing and maintaining an inventory tracking system.
• Review documents to ensure accuracy and quality, and revise as needed.
• Attend meetings, capture notes, and outline follow‑up items.
• Register and greet visiting vendors and external guests.
• Independently perform varied administrative duties.

• High school diploma or equivalent required, plus a minimum of 3 years supporting senior or executive‑level management.
• Strong organizational skills, with proven experience prioritizing work and coordinating multiple projects at one time; willingness and ability to be flexible.
• Proficiency…