A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

The Department of Surgery is currently seeking a full-time Administrative Associate Specialist to provide high-level administrative support to one of our research faculty members and their laboratory team. The research laboratory, which is currently comprised of over 20 researchers and students, is located in the Biomedical Research Building and supports a large and active research portfolio involving faculty, postdoctoral fellows, staff, students, and multiple research and training programs. This position focuses predominantly on work associated with research, therefore a person considering this position should enjoy all aspects of work related to the University of Michigan?s research objectives. Success in this position requires the ability to independently manage complex responsibilities, prioritize competing demands, and support a fast-paced research environment with professionalism, discretion, and strong problem-solving skills. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide advanced administrative support to the Principal Investigator and laboratory members, including 6 faculty, 7 postdoctoral fellows, 2 staff members, students, and associated research personnel.
• Manage incoming and outgoing communications, independently prioritizing and responding to emails, phone calls, mail, and other correspondence as appropriate.
• Draft, edit, and proofread correspondence, itineraries, strategic documents, letters of recommendation, presentations, and other professional materials.
• Provide complex calendar management and coordinate domestic and international travel arrangements, conference registrations, reimbursements, and related logistics.
• Support human resources activities including onboarding and offboarding, faculty appointments and promotions, student hiring, visa coordination, orientation activities, and access requests.
• Coordinate seminars, symposiums, meetings, and large-scale events, including scheduling, catering, audiovisual support, travel arrangements, reimbursements, and meeting materials.
• Serve as liaison with the Office of Faculty Affairs and assist faculty with CV maintenance using Elements, promotions, and other professional documentation.
• Provide financial and procurement support related to grants, discretionary accounts, gift funds, expense reporting, PCard reconciliation, laboratory supplies, subscriptions, memberships, and other purchasing activities while ensuring compliance with University and Michigan Medicine policies.
• Coordinate laboratory operational support, including purchasing documentation, shipping coordination, shortcode monitoring, and related research administrative processes.
• Independently prioritize and resolve complex administrative issues to support continuity of laboratory and research activities.
• Serve as a primary liaison between the Principal Investigator and institutional stakeholders across departments and administrative units.
• Support activities associated with the Hematopoiesis and Immunology Program, the University of Michigan Surgical Oncology Research Training Program, the Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment (STME) Program, and other collaborative research initiatives.
• Participate in team meetings, contribute to process improvement initiatives, and coordinate special projects in support of faculty and laboratory objectives.

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Demonstrated experience providing high-level administrative support in a fast-paced complex environment with the ability to independently manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and adapt to changing operational needs and deadlines
• Strong organizational, analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to maintain professionalism, confidentiality, and collaborative working relationships across teams and departments
• Proven ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy, initiative, discretion, accountability, and professionalism while maintaining a strong service-oriented approach
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Zoom, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Experience using University of Michigan systems such as Elements, Emburse, eRAM, M-Pathways, or related systems preferred
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as collaboratively within a team environment

• Experience supporting faculty and research operations within an academic medical center, higher education, research laboratory, or other complex environment
• Experience supporting NIH-funded research programs, interdisciplinary research teams, faculty appointments and promotions, postdoctoral appointments, immigration-related processes, or other academic personnel activities
• Experience coordinating complex meetings, conferences, seminars, large-scale events, and research administrative operations including grants, publications, procurement workflows, and financial reconciliation
• Familiarity with University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine policies, procedures, and administrative systems
• Experience developing operational resources, training materials, process documentation, or administrative reference guides

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

This is a full-time year-round position with somewhat flexible working hours as operational needs require, with the opportunity to work from home several days a week based on performance. Please note that new employees will be asked to work 100% in person for the first three months in the position.

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.