Faculty & Lab Support Administrator

The Department of Cancer Biology at DFCI is seeking a Faculty & Laboratory Support Administrator to support a group of faculty members and their laboratories. Duties will vary based on the needs of the assigned faculty and the department, with general responsibilities as outlined below. The new hire will be a member of the Cancer Biology Admin Team in the Cancer Biology Business Office (CBBO), and as such, along with other team members, will also participate in planning CBBO projects and special events, provide training for new administrative staff, and provide coverage during staff absences. The successful candidate will enjoy working in a fast-paced, diverse, multicultural environment, and will be flexible and willing to assist anyone in their assigned lab and across the department as needed. They will have excellent attention to detail, ability to independently prioritize multiple responsibilities, and ability to forge strong working relationships with colleagues. Successful members of the team will develop broad knowledge of Dana-Farber as an institution as well as of the conduct and administration of basic and translational research.

This role will lead coordination of Department and Business Office activities and events; will interface with senior management, cross-organizations, internal and external customers. May train new team members and contribute to process improvement initiatives.

This position will report directly to the Department Administrative Lead, potentially with a joint report to an assigned faculty member. The position will be hybrid, with at least 3 days on-site per week required.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physicians and researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Administrative Support for Faculty

• Managing calendars, scheduling meetings, appointments, and booking complex travel arrangements.
• Provide advanced communications support.
• Proactively triage issues as they arise and determine appropriate action in response to inquiries from both faculty and lab staff.
• Harvard Medical School (HMS) CV maintenance - Responsible for assisting faculty to update and correctly format their HMS CVs for promotion consideration or when otherwise needed.
• Assist faculty in preparing presentations as needed; ensure room reservations and A/V equipment is set up appropriately for faculty hosted meetings.

Laboratory Staff Management

• Collaborate with leadership, HR, and hiring managers to manage and execute a smooth process for recruitment and onboarding of new hires.

Hiring/Onboarding:

• Serve as primary contact for faculty/labs to initiate a job posting or non-Recruit hire; serve as liaison with both finance and sponsored research when dealing with complicated hires. Oversee and execute the posting of recruit positions and the job creation of non-recruit roles in iCIMS.
• Serve as primary administrative contact for all new employees through their onboarding journey (job acceptance, occupational health screening, and new hire orientation); may support fellows in applications for Harvard housing.
• Work with HR Immigration Office to ensure visa processing when needed.

Offboarding:

Manage the offboarding process for departing employees, including coordinating the return of company assets, ensuring proper documentation and recordkeeping, revoking system access, and facilitating a smooth transition to ensure compliance with DFCI policies and maintain organization continuity.

Crossboarding:

Manage the transition of employees into new roles or departments within DFCI ensuring a seamless transfer of knowledge and resources and supporting them in adapting to their new team or department.

HMS appointments for Research Fellows:

• Coordinate and manage HMS appointments for Research fellows, ensuring compliance with institutional guidelines and timelines. This includes:
• Preparing and submitting necessary documentation for appointment and re-appointment.
• Liaising with Harvard Medical School’s administrative offices.
• Maintaining accurate records of fellow appointments and assisting fellows with onboarding processes such as securing credentials, accessing resources and adhering to HMS policies and standards.

UKG Time Approval:

• Oversee and manage time approval processes using UKG, ensuring accurate timely approval of staff timecards, tracking attendance, and resolving discrepancies. Coordinate with managers to ensure compliance with organizational policies, monitor overtime and leave requests, and work with payroll when issues arise.

Team Support:

• May provide training, mentorship to junior administrative staff.
• Provide coverage for admin team members during vacations, sick time and personal leaves.
• Participate in team candidate interviews and provide feedback.
• May be asked to take on admin responsibilities for programs within the department.
• Help improve administrative workflow, efficiency, and service quality for laboratories.

Process Improvement:

• Will assist the Sr Faculty and Laboratory Support Administrator with process improvement projects.
• May process invoices to ensure vendors are paid in a timely fashion, assign proper budget codes and coordinate reimbursements.
• Oversee department purchasing card(s), online reconciliation, and the upload of receipts in PaymentNet by deadline provided by Accounts Payable.
• Process various requisitions, personnel, and other forms needed for the department's administration.
• May be responsible for managing in person events, ensuring there are appropriate speakers, hosts and catering arranged.
• Coordinate department events, retreats, leadership meetings and other group meetings with internal/external entities.
• Other administrative duties:
• Maintain department conference room schedules and learn A/V equipment for each space.
• Lab notebook archiving - Archive lab notebooks with FileBridge. Includes creating inventories, cataloging in our departmental database, registering all boxes for archiving with FileBridge, and arranging pickup by the vendor.
• Maintain shared files on Dropbox to ensure accurate filing and access to critical documents for all Business Office team members.

• High School diploma: bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years relevant experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.
• Advanced knowledge of computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Zoom, Adobe.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Strives to surpass the basic expectations of work assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage upward.
• Demonstrates strong self-direction and initiative in managing tasks and projects.
• Exceptional customer service skills and the ability to interact professionally with peers, leadership, and external contacts.
• Resourceful with strong problem-solving skills.
• Engages with appropriate urgency in situations that require quick response or turnaround.
• Ability to prioritize high volume of tasks and manage competing priorities with limited guidance.
• Demonstrated competency with office systems and standard computer programs.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people and diverse cultures.
• Handles confidential or sensitive information in an appropriate and professional manner.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

EEOC Poster