Administrative Operations Assistant

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

IPAC is part of the Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy Division  are a dedicated team of scientists, engineers, and administrative professionals who provide science operations, user support, data and archive services, and scientific vision to maximize discovery with observatories both in space and on the ground. Our partners and collaborators span the broader scientific community and include individual researchers, science collaborations, projects, missions, and centers.

Our work involves people and projects across IPAC, NASA and NSF programs, NASA centers including JPL and GSFC, Caltech, and public and private institutions across the U.S. and internationally.

IPAC’s Administrative Team is seeking an Administrative Operations Assistant to join our group. If you are highly motivated, organized, and excited to support our team with day-to-day office operations, event coordination, recruitment support, and internal staff service, we encourage you to apply. This position is a great opportunity for someone interested in gaining hands‑on experience in office administration while providing professional, high‑level support in a collaborative and diverse environment.

This position offers a diverse range of responsibilities and valuable experience within an academic research setting while supporting IPAC’s core mission. The role is based in Pasadena, California.

Reporting to the Staff Operations & Strategic Initiatives Lead, with day-to-day direction from the Senior Administrative Specialist, the Administrative Operations Assistant will:

• Provide general office and administrative support, including routing inquiries, maintaining calendars, scheduling meetings and conference rooms, handling confidential information, and responding to routine staff requests. Provide backup support to other IPAC administrative staff as needed.
• Greet and assist visitors, respond to routine staff and guest inquiries, and receive and coordinate packages, vendors, and guide deliveries.
• Support conferences, workshops, meetings, and social events, including registration, catering, attendee communications, materials, supplies, payment tracking, and event setup and breakdown. Assist with expense tracking and adherence to event budgets and funding requirements.
• Provide administrative support for recruitment, including application distribution, interview coordination, candidate communications, and recordkeeping. Assist with onboarding, offboarding, and preparing documentation for visitors and other non‑tenured appointments.
• Process purchases, payment requests, and reimbursements; reconcile P‑Card transactions; maintain records; and assist with billing and purchasing issues.
• Maintain spreadsheets, administrative tracking tools, records, and internal webpages, ensuring accuracy and timely updates.
• Perform other administrative and operational support duties as assigned by the Staff Operations & Strategic Initiatives Lead.

Basic Qualifications

If you have the following in your background, then we want to hear about your interest in joining our team:

• Three years of relevant administrative or office support experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and experience using Google Workspace or similar collaboration tools.
• Strong organizational, communication, and customer service skills,…