Administrative 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.

We are seeking a talented and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant to join the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department administrative team. The successful candidate will possess initiative, good judgment, and strong problem-solving skills and quickly gain knowledge of department, division, and campus-wide operations. In a moderately complex environment, the Administrative Assistant is responsible for a variety of general administrative and clerical activities to support faculty members in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department in the Division of Engineering Applied Science.

• Provide daily administrative support to professors and their research groups.
• Purchase research equipment and lab supplies using P-card and TechMart administrative systems in accordance with Institute and government policies. Maintain accurate and complete purchasing documentation files. Resolve billing-related matters and regularly reconcile purchasing requisitions, P-card orders, and other costs.
• Generate and review cost summary and expense detail reports on research accounts and select departmental accounts.
• Coordinate group meetings and special events, including logistics, lodging, travel, catering, and facilities.
• Schedule meetings and maintain faculty calendars.
• Prepare classroom materials.
• Maintain professors' curriculum vitae, publication listings, and websites.
• Assist Grants Manager with the preparation of administrative portions of grant proposals, securing faculty signatures, and tracking grant proposal reporting deadlines.
• Gather information and prepare administrative forms for visitors, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff hires.
• Provide administrative support as needed to faculty-hosted visitors and scholars.
• Coordinate domestic and foreign travel arrangements, provide itineraries, and process travel expense reports. Ensure compliance with Caltech policies, funding agency, and export regulations.
• Assist with team department administrative tasks such as weekly seminars and event planning, special event planning, mail sorting, ordering, maintaining coffee room supplies, and overflow administrative support.
• Edit and proofread correspondence and office forms, non-technical sections of manuscripts, PowerPoint presentations, reports, etc.
• Maintain and update class and professor's websites.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and at least 3 years of administrative support experience.
• Excellent and diplomatic communication skills with a good command of grammar and usage.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when required.
• Demonstrated facility with software programs and eagerness to learn new administrative systems.
• Experience using Microsoft Office/Office 365 and Adobe.
• Intermediate-level Excel skills.
• Experience coordinating travel arrangements and making itineraries.
• Excellent typing and proofreading skills.
• Ability to work under deadlines and prioritize work effectively.

• Proactive work ethic requiring minimal direction to accomplish goals.
• Demonstrated initiative for taking on unfamiliar or additional tasks.
• Experience using website design software (i.e. Squarespace or similar).

• Resume
• Cover Letter