Administrative Office Assistant

We are searching for an experienced, highly organized, and customer-service-oriented Administrative Office Assistant to join the Director’s Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. This position provides broad administrative support for a dynamic and fast-paced office environment.

ARL is an authorized DoD Skill Bridge partner and welcomes transitioning military members to apply.

• Provide general administrative support to the Director’s Office and other assigned ARL offices and staff
• Greet visitors, answer incoming calls, and direct customers, staff, and guests to the appropriate person or office
• Schedule, prioritize, and maintain calendars for meetings, events, and appointments
• Prepare, review, organize, and maintain documents, reports, correspondence, records, and databases
• Coordinate travel arrangements and reconcile travel-related transactions
• Support confidential administrative functions and handle sensitive information with discretion
• Organize and help manage daily office activities, including resolving scheduling issues and supporting office workflows
• Purchase office supplies, compare vendor costs, and maintain vendor and tax-exempt accounts
• Maintain employee mailboxes, office addresses, organizational charts, and other office tracking systems
• Coordinate logistics for office moves, including phones, equipment, and furniture
• Submit requests to Facilities and IT through the Service Desk as needed

• Coordinate meetings, workshops, conferences, outreach activities, and special events, including scheduling, logistics, registration, itineraries, facilities coordination, and communication with participants and vendors
• Serve as a liaison with vendors, service providers, University offices, sponsors, and external organizations to facilitate administrative and operational activities
• Protect sensitive, proprietary, export-controlled, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) by following established information handling procedures, access controls, records management practices, and cybersecurity requirements
• Support compliance with organizational security procedures by assisting with visitor coordination, facility access documentation, required training records, and administrative actions associated with secure operations
• Respond to administrative issues and requests while ensuring compliance with applicable University policies, federal regulations, contractual requirements, and operational procedures
• May supervise administrative support staff, including hiring, onboarding, training, work assignment, performance management, and professional development

• Business-related or other professional office environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize effectively, and work with minimal direction in a fast-paced environment
• Experience collaborating in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented cultures

• Prior military or government experience
• Supporting senior leadership or executive-level staff
• SAP and SIMBA financial system or other similar financial system tools
• Coordinating office activities and supporting high-volume, high-priority work
• Familiarity with ARL operations

If filled as Office Assistant (ARL) - Senior Support, this position requires:
Associate Degree 4+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. Required

Certifications:

None.

If filled as Office Assistant (ARL) - Intermediate Support, this position requires:
General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or High School (HS)…