Senior Administrative Services Specialist - Discovery Process Chemistry

Job Description

The Senior Administrative Services Specialist provides proactive, high-quality, flexible and reliable administrative support to the Executive Director of Discovery Process Chemistry 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 in and ability to work successfully in a fast paced, complex 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 Discovery Process Chemistry departments, the role supports various division-related committees and meetings that enhance the division and further its goals. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Administrative support to include multiple extensive calendar management, meeting management (including meetings with external colleagues), phone coverage, processing expense reports, coordinating travel 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 politically sensitive issues.

• 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, which allows for 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 visitors, clients and 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.
• Extraordinary attention to detail.
• 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/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

The salary range for this role is:

$82,700 - $130,200

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.

Required Skills:

Data Entry, Document Management, Event Planning, File Management, Financial Budgeting, Office Applications, Office Equipment, Process Improvements, Project Management, Scheduling, Software Proficiency, Team Coordination, Travel Scheduling, Vendor Management, 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:

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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.

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

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:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

04/23/2026

*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.