Business Support Professional II- Materials, Chemical and Computational Sciences

Posting Title
Business Support Professional II- Materials, Chemical and Computational Sciences

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Location
CO - Golden

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Position Type
Regular

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Hours Per Week
40

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Working at NREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.

NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.

Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.

Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.

Job Description

NREL is seeking a business support professional (BSP) to assist a diverse group of scientists and the Chief of Staff in the Materials, Chemical and Computational Science (MCCS) Directorate (https://www.nrel.gov/research/mcst.html). This position will report to the Associate Laboratory Director but will primarily support the MCCS Chief of Staff, the Postdoc Liaison, and select Senior Research Fellows and Senior Research Advisors.

The career opportunity involves both routine business support assignments and non-routine or special assignments. Tasks include managing documentation flow, assisting or executing staff travel arrangements, managing purchases, assisting with the publication process, supporting meetings, workshops, visitor tours and large-scale events (including scheduling, room set-up, site access, security arrangements, webinars, catering, audio visual set-up, meeting materials, etc.). The BSP will also support the development of spreadsheets and other financial documents, and should be comfortable using multiple online electronic systems for finance, purchasing, travel, etc.

The position requires a willingness to work as a team with other business support professionals, as well as assist lab-wide when needed. The position requires attention to detail, diplomacy, and the ability to juggle multiple projects at once. The selected applicant will display a positive, team-oriented attitude, outstanding administration skills, ability to prioritize work, and excellent written and verbal communication skills. The ideal candidate will have exceptional team and interpersonal skills.

Successful BSP team members demonstrate a passion for contributing to the overall success of the senior leadership team, its projects, and NREL. Successful team members display a desire to volunteer, learn, and participate. Passion for NREL’s mission and a desire to help the MCCS senior leaders successfully contribute to NREL’s goals is important.

Confidentiality, diplomacy, and a respect for protocol are needed for this position. The incumbent shall develop and maintain administrative, financial and record systems, and execute business support functions with some oversight, but at times will be required to execute tasks on their own with minimal supervision. The position will require working routinely with management. Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite , including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneNote, SharePoint and Outlook are required. Other frequently used electronic software programs include Adobe , Microsoft Forms, Oracle for accounting and purchasing, Workday for personnel functions, and Concur for travel and finance. Ideal candidates must be proficient with these programs or show a willingness to learn.

 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide primary administrative support to MCCS Chief of Staff, the Postdoc Liaison, and some of the Senior Research Fellows and Senior Research Advisors in the MCCS Directorate. 
• Coordinate logistics for management team and leadership team meetings, and special projects for the chief of staff.
• Assist Chief of Staff with planning the annual Technical Review Panel.
• Execute administrative functions with minimal oversight, including sending meeting invitations, room reservations, catering, transportation, domestic and foreign visitor access as well as travel approval and expense processing for TRP members.
• Timely, accurate, and effective administrative support for the programmatic, business, and operational functions.
• Work closely with other MCCS Business Support Professionals to provide and receive feedback for better team support, share knowledge about navigating NREL’s policies and business systems, provide input and recommendations on organization-specific administrative practices, maintain shared documents and templates, and work cooperatively on applicable tasks, activities, and events.
• Proactively coordinate and/or monitor multiple tasks and information for individuals, groups, and oneself. Typical tasks include managing calendars/scheduling, travel requirements, meeting and workshop logistics, catering arrangements, onboarding new staff, email distribution lists and access to shared file locations, hiring/contracting requirements, purchases, expense reimbursement, visitors/vendors, office supply inventory, hard copy and electronic files and records, mail/mailboxes, training requirements, safety inspection processes, correspondence, and information flow. This may include:
  • Engaging in new worker onboarding process by entering new hiring Requisitions into Workday (HR Human Capital Management system), coordinating initial interview processes with external candidates and the interview panel, and processing e-paperwork for new workers.
  • Keeping Workday up to date by initiating existing worker extensions and terminations as directed by Group Manager(s).
  • General lab and office supplies, and large-value items using a Purchase Card and iExpense (Oracle E-Business Suite), ASIQ (Purchase Requisition financial tracking system), and other NREL systems.
  • Processing travel requests and expense reports in Concur (travel approval and expense tracking system).
  • Keeping staff informed of upcoming events, training opportunities, accomplishments, recognitions, and celebrations.
  • Assist staff in preparing and/or facilitating the submission of publications, reports, presentations, and proposals. Material may be developed from rough notes, drafts, modified standard formats, brief oral outline, or other means. This may also include:
  • Submitting and tracking publication entries in Publication Tracker database.
  • Helping plan organizational meetings, creating applicable agendas and presentation slides, and taking/distribution meeting notes.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

• Ability to use independent judgment to manage and prioritize a diverse

             workload and complete assignments with strict deadlines.

• Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple tasks in a fast-paced open-office environment where there are frequent interruptions and continually shifting priorities, with a knack for getting things done with attention to detail.
• Ability to navigate uncertainty to identify solutions to needs that arise to enable technical and professional staff to conduct their work.
• Eager to work behind the scenes to help others complete their tasks, or to complete tasks on their behalf while exhibiting a positive, can-do, “how can I help” attitude.
• Comfortable with and skilled at facilitating a productive hybrid environment, providing equivalent support to technical and professional staff that may be either in person or remote on any given day.
• Demonstrated ability to work proactively and take initiative as needed in non-routine situations.
• Skilled at investigating and troubleshooting issues, solving problems, and finding ways to complete even unfamiliar complex tasks with little input from supervisor.
• Ability to effectively work with and communicate clearly with staff from diverse cultural and technical backgrounds, and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to make decisions independently, within the authority of the position, seeking input only as needed when decisions will involve others.
• Aptitude for quickly learning new skills, new processes, and unfamiliar business software systems with complicated user interfaces.
• Capable of gathering and synthesizing information from various sources and using it to complete tasks, inform staff, or otherwise advance the work of the center.
• Excellent computer skills on both Windows and Mac operating systems, including proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams) and PDF generation/manipulation software.
• Maintains a high degree of confidentiality and professionalism regarding technical and administrative activities in an environment with sensitive and proprietary information.

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Basic Qualifications
High School Diploma or equivalent and 1 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope or equivalent relevant education/experience. Solid knowledge of the job. Substantial understanding of general aspects of the job with a broad understanding of the detailed aspects of the job. Intermediate skills in applicable software packages and office equipment. Basic project administration skills. Ability to prioritize work. Proficient in written and verbal communications. Very good team and interpersonal skills.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

Business Support Professionals within the MCCS Directorate may not be remote but are afforded the opportunity to work from home some number of days per week upon agreement between the employee and their line manager as duties, schedules, and job performance allow.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or related field;
• Two or more years of relevant experience: executing business support functions, experience working as a part of a team, experience supporting technical and/or research staff, or experience in a mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with technology that supports presentations, online meetings and video/web conferencing, and shared file storage and application integration in Microsoft Teams.
• Event planning; coordination across multiple teams, with many attendees and logistics.

Experience using business systems such as Workday, Concur, or Oracle solutions, and developing and/or using solutions and workflows built with SharePoint. If Bachelors, any field if Associates, prefer something office-related or process-management related.

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Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)
Job Profile: Business Support II / Annual Salary Range: $42,700 - $68,300

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary
Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

* Based on eligibility rules

Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

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EEO Policy

NREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

EEO is the Law | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination | Reasonable Accommodations

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