Location: Syracuse, NY Category: Research Foundation Job Type: Full-time Posted On: Tue Apr 28 2026 Job Description:
Title: Senior Administrative Assistant
Unit: Office of Research Programs (ORP)
Salary: $53,000 - $55,000 annual DOQ
Brief description of duties: This position provides comprehensive administrative, financial, and operational support for the Office of Research Programs (ORP) at SUNY ESF. It serves as a central liaison among faculty, staff, and external partners, requiring exceptional organizational skills, discretion, attention to detail, and the ability to coordinate and manage complex processes.
Administrative Support
Delivers comprehensive administrative and operational support across ORP functions; including finance, purchasing, meeting coordination, and communications, while working closely with key internal and external stakeholders.
Works with SUNY Research Foundation business systems to generate queries and reports
Analyzes and summarizes data using Excel; maintains and supports compliance, record keeping, and retention of Office of Research Programs documentation.
Provides executive-level administrative support to the Associate Vice President for Research, including communications and scheduling, and collaborates with the Provost's Office to advance institutional research priorities.
Office Management
Leads the hiring, supervision, and scheduling of student work-study staff to support ORP operations and coordinates additional opportunities that enhance undergraduate research programs.
Manages office resources, including supplies inventory, purchasing activities, and procurement card processes, ensuring compliance with institutional and Research Foundation policies.
Oversee daily office operations and serve as a primary point of contact for visitors, callers, and internal inquiries, ensuring a professional and responsive front office presence.
Program Support
Provides executive-level administrative oversight for internal and external research workshops, and campus-wide initiatives that enhance research visibility, engagement, and strategic priorities.
Serves as a senior liaison with the Office of Communications to coordinate research outreach, press releases, and website content that supports institutional research messaging and compliance standards.
Supports high-level post-award with coordination and monitoring of subrecipient documentation, reporting, and ongoing compliance with sponsor and institutional policies.
Oversees ORP compliance and asset management activities, including purchasing, tracking, inventory, and reconciliation of assets under $5,000; administration of volunteer documentation; and coordination of Research Foundation insurance titles, registrations, and required renewals to ensure accurate records and policy compliance.
Job Requirements:
Required Qualifications: Minimum of 3 years' progressive experience in an office setting or a combination of higher education and experience. Advanced skills with complex computer applications (Microsoft products and software, e.g. Outlook, MS Teams, Word, Excel). Highly organized and detail oriented, strong communicator (verbal and written), efficient at managing time, customer focused, technologically savvy, problem solver.
Additional Information:
In accordance with the "Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" institutions of higher education are required to prepare an annual report containing information on campus security policies and campus statistics. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by SUNY-ESF; and on property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a printed copy of this report by contacting SUNY-ESF University Police at 315-470-6667 or by accessing the following web site: https://www.esf.edu/safety/annual-security-reports.php https://www.esf.edu/safety/annual-security-reports.php
SUNY ESF is a Smoke and Tobacco Free campus and is dedicated to providing a healthy and safe environment for the entire campus. For more information you can visit our Tobacco and Smoke Free Policy at https://www.esf.edu/employees/policies/policy-smoking.php
As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy-related conditions, reproductive health decisions, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic characteristics/genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, military status or service, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state or local law.
The Research Foundation for The State University of New York offers exceptional benefits such as healthcare, dental, vision, pension plans, competitive pay, generous paid time off, life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
The Research Foundation for the State University of New York is not an agency or instrumentality of the State of New York. Employees of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York are not state employees, do not participate in any state retirement system, and do not receive state fringe benefits. The Research Foundation for the State University of New York operates under a contract with The State University of New York and receives no directly appropriated state funding.
SUNY-ESF and the Broader Community
ESF is a specialized college within the 64-campus SUNY system, and a Carnegie R2 "High Research Activity" Institution that consistently earns high rankings in US News and World Report, Forbes, Princeton Review, and other national college guidebooks. With a total enrollment of about 2,200 undergraduates and 400 graduate students, combined with the immediate proximity of Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University, ESF provides an intimate, small-college atmosphere within a vibrant, large-university setting. ESF's extended campuses include more than 25,000 acres of forest properties, both close to Syracuse and across the Adirondack Park, which provide numerous opportunities for experiential coursework, research, and public outreach.
Located on the eastern edge of the Finger Lakes region, Syracuse is a small city in a rural region offering a diversity of natural and cultural amenities, a low cost of living, and a high quality of life - ranking among the top 10 percent of "Best Places to Live" in "The Places Rated Almanac." Syracuse is situated with easy access to New York City, the Adirondack Park, Lake Ontario, and many other points of interest in the eastern United States and Canada.
