Administrative Office Assistant
Penn State University
State College, PAFull-time$47–77K/yrPosted 2w agoStill listed today
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At a glance
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Requirements
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Job overview
Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory is seeking an experienced, organized, customer-service-oriented Administrative Office Assistant for its Director’s Office. The role provides broad administrative support in a fast-paced environment, with duties spanning visitor and calendar coordination, records, travel, purchasing, office logistics, and sensitive information handling. Higher-level assignments may include event coordination, secure-operations support, compliance activities, and supervision of administrative staff. The position is fully on-site in State College, Pennsylvania.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
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CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
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CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
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If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
POSITION SPECIFICS We are searching for an experienced, highly organized, and customer-service-oriented Administrative Office Assistant to join the Director’s Office at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. This position provides broad administrative support for a dynamic and fast-paced office environment.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
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Provide general administrative support to the Director’s Office and other assigned ARL offices and staff
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Greet visitors, answer incoming calls, and direct customers, staff, and guests to the appropriate person or office
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Schedule, prioritize, and maintain calendars for meetings, events, and appointments
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Prepare, review, organize, and maintain documents, reports, correspondence, records, and databases
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Coordinate travel arrangements and reconcile travel-related transactions
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Support confidential administrative functions and handle sensitive information with discretion
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Organize and help manage daily office activities, including resolving scheduling issues and supporting office workflows
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Purchase office supplies, compare vendor costs, and maintain vendor and tax-exempt accounts
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Maintain employee mailboxes, office addresses, organizational charts, and other office tracking systems
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Coordinate logistics for office moves, including phones, equipment, and furniture
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Submit requests to Facilities and IT through the Service Desk as needed
Additional responsibilities for higher-level position includes:
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Coordinate meetings, workshops, conferences, outreach activities, and special events, including scheduling, logistics, registration, itineraries, facilities coordination, and communication with participants and vendors
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Serve as a liaison with vendors, service providers, University offices, sponsors, and external organizations to facilitate administrative and operational activities
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Protect sensitive, proprietary, export-controlled, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) by following established information handling procedures, access controls, records management practices, and cybersecurity requirements
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Support compliance with organizational security procedures by assisting with visitor coordination, facility access documentation, required training records, and administrative actions associated with secure operations
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Respond to administrative issues and requests while ensuring compliance with applicable University policies, federal regulations, contractual requirements, and operational procedures
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May supervise administrative support staff, including hiring, onboarding, training, work assignment, performance management, and professional development
Required Skills/Experience areas Include:
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Business-related or other professional office environment
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Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
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Ability to multi-task, prioritize effectively, and work with minimal direction in a fast-paced environment
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Experience collaborating in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented cultures
Preferred Skills/Experience areas include:
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Prior military or government experience
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Supporting senior leadership or executive-level staff
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SAP and SIMBA financial system or other similar financial system tools
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Coordinating office activities and supporting high-volume, high-priority work
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Familiarity with ARL operations
Your working location will be fully on-site located in State College, PA.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS If filled as Office Assistant (ARL) - Senior Support, this position requires: Associate Degree 4+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None If filled as Office Assistant (ARL) - Intermediate Support, this position requires: General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or High School (HS) 2+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None
ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at www.arl.psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL): Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply. SALARY & BENEFITS The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $46,800.00 - $77,304.00. Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster PA State Labor Law Poster Penn State Policies Copyright Information Hotlines
How this job compares
Set against the 5,281 open Administrative Support jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$47–77K/yr
- US median$55–74K/yr702 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $62K, is close to the US median midpoint ($63K) — in the middle half of Administrative Support salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 228 open Administrative Support jobs in Pennsylvania and 5,281 across the US. 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Pennsylvania
- H&R Block74 open
- ManpowerGroup13 open
- Edward Jones8 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience; Administrative Support postings that state a minimum ask for 2 years at the median (1,966 postings).
- Education
- 142 of the 5,281 open Administrative Support jobs (3%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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