Senior Administrative Assistant to the Department Head
Posted August 28, 2026
Click here to apply.
The Department of Chemistry seeks a highly organized professional to provide comprehensive executive support to the Department Head and manage critical operations. This essential role offers the opportunity to foster academic excellence by supporting faculty affairs, coordinating major events, and ensuring the seamless administration of a vibrant intellectual community. This position will have the following duties and responsibilities:
- Provide executive level support to the Department Head including calendar management, scheduling, organizing meetings and disseminating information to key stakeholders, and initiating and coordinating department business (i.e., junior faculty reviews, NIH trainings, junior faculty searches, etc.)
- Coordinating faculty promotional cases and junior faculty reviews. Communicates needs and obtains all information required, including missing materials, researching biographical information, and drafting content as needed. Prepares dossiers and presentations requiring exceptional attention to detail.
- Provide administrative support to staff in Chemistry Headquarters, including distributing routine email remainders about appointments and meetings; aiding with financial and administrative filing; processing reimbursements for faculty or students traveling on department business; updating databases in Quickbase, Excel, and/or Google Sheets; maintaining office equipment and supplies and setting up purchase orders for supplies and equipment as needed.
- Manage and serve as the primary source of information about department head’s calendar, communicating changes, determining degree of urgency, and resolving/redirecting inquiries.
- Handle scheduling and logistics for a variety of meetings that involve both internal and external attendees, including making room reservations, arranging catering, setting up or ordering A/V support.
- Schedule, plan, and coordinate faculty and departmental events (i.e., annual faculty dinner, department holiday party, commencement and hooding receptions, faculty retreat, and other special events as needed).
- Maintain an annual calendar of recurring responsibilities (junior faculty progress reviews, NIH research trainings, instructions to seminar coordinators) and initiate and organize them as they arise.
- Independently coordinate complex travel (domestic and international) and appointment schedules of faculty search candidates and provide general information for Boston area; prepare associated financial paperwork and reimbursements.
- Provide information, as appropriate, on established MIT and departmental policies and procedures, to persons within and outside the department.
- Organize and coordinate faculty award nominations, working with the Awards Committee to build/maintain awards database.
- Oversee conference room calendars and assist with bookings internally and for outside departments.
- Represent the chemistry department both internally and externally by maintaining a positive and professional demeanor and communicating clearly in both verbal and written exchanges.
- Serve as a point of contact for general department inquiries and provide reception for visitors who come into the HQ office.
- Provide backup for visits of company recruiters.
- Process department’s prescription safety glasses orders.
- Handle clerical tasks: fax, mail (send & receive), copy, deliveries, pickup and distribute mail for headquarters daily, and assist with bulk mailings; maintain headquarters equipment and office and break room supplies; and organize and maintain files (paper and digital); post fellowship and lecture announcements.
- Manage special projects as needed.
- Other duties as needed or required.
Qualifications and Skills
MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Minimum 5 years of administrative, office, or related experience required. Demonstrated proficiency in English grammar and composition; highly developed organizational skills, an ability to handle multiple tasks, set priorities, attention to detail, and work in a challenging and fast-paced environment. Required computer skills include advanced Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Pro, GoogleWorkspace, Slack, WordPress. Event planning experience required. Experience with handling confidential/sensitive materials. The ability to maintain confidentiality of confidential and highly sensitive materials/information is required, as is discretion and good judgment. Position calls for excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, project coordination experience, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to work well with all levels of internal management and staff, and outside vendors. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
A bachelor’s degree is preferred. Prior experience in higher education is preferred. Knowledge of SAP, SAPweb, Concur, and MIT financial processes, policies, and procedures
Work schedule: This is a hybrid role that requires work in person in Chemistry Headquarters at least four days per week. A few times a year, evening event work is required.
