Senior Administrative Services Specialist - Biocatalysis

Job Description

The Senior Administrative Services Specialist provides proactive, high-quality, flexible, and reliable administrative support to the Executive Director of Biocatalysis in Small Molecule Process Research & Development and their leadership team. This role assists with administrative functions relating to organization and communication across the team and ensures the efficient operation of team members. We are seeking candidates who are proactive and act with a sense of urgency, thrive in complexity, demonstrate resilience, and model the highest caliber of values and standards. Candidates must have an interest and ability to work successfully in a fast paced and dynamic work environment. The ideal candidate is a highly motivated individual capable of prioritizing work, demonstrating exceptional organizational and proactive problem-solving skills, professional communication skills, flexibility, and teamwork as well experience navigating across an enterprise to access resources and solutions as needed. In addition to supporting the Biocatalysis team, the role supports various related committees and meetings that enhance the division and further its goals.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Administrative support to include calendar management, meeting management (including meetings with external colleagues), processing expense reports, coordinating travel and accommodation, and updating weekly schedules

• Scheduling complex travel arrangements, including multi-leg domestic and international travel, including experience with visa and passport processing

• Event planning and coordination

• Consistently demonstrating Company leadership behaviors; dealing with difficult situations diplomatically and effectively

• Preparing and distributing correspondence and reports, while reliably handling confidential and sensitive topics and materials

• Coordinating and performing multiple tasks while understanding the project principles and technical skills related to own work assignments.

• Coordinating work and tasks through collaboration with colleagues across multiple sites

• Interacting with team colleagues and understanding administrative interdependencies in work

• Maintaining a working knowledge of the priorities of the team, enabling an efficiently run department and a focus on key aspects of work. 

• Producing and completing various work assignments requiring independent judgment, creativity and problem solving skills with minimal supervision

• Coordinating special projects within the division/area

• Often serving as an initial point of contact for and liaison to outside candidates, visitors, clients, vendors

• Supporting the use and access rights of SharePoint sites

• Managing the training profiles for employees, and aiding in activities related to training administration and systems

• Aiding with financial and budget tasks

Qualifications:

Education:

• High school diploma

Required Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years of administrative assistant experience

• Advanced ability using Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point) and ability to operate other peripheral devices

• Advanced analytical ability, independent judgment, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities

• Communication skills must be at a level to effectively interact with our company's executives and their assistants as well as internal/external clients both on-site and remotely to maintain relations

• Demonstrated experience scheduling and coordinating complex, multi-leg domestic and international travel and processing Visa/Passport Applications

• Ability to handle and prioritize a large number of simultaneous assignments

• Event Planning/Coordination experience

• Extraordinary attention to detail and handling of confidential or sensitive information

• Outstanding communication and people skills

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• SAP experience processing expense reports, purchase orders, payment requests, and vendor add forms, as well as ability to run reports within SAP

• Advanced education or certifications (e.g., Certified Administrative Professional, Project Management Professional Certification, Professional in Human Resources Certification)

#MSJR

Required Skills:

Administrative Training, Calendar Management, Data Entry, Document Management, Event Planning, File Management, Meeting Management, Meeting Planning, Office Applications, Office Equipment, Prioritization, Process Improvements, Processing Expense Reports, Project Management, Purchase Orders, Scheduling, Team Coordination, Travel Scheduling, Visa Applications

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

05/26/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.