
ARL Office Assistant
Penn State University Talent Acquisition
University Park, PAFull-time$47–77K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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Job overview
Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory is hiring Office Assistants for its Undersea Systems Office, supporting research programs and their engineers. The role coordinates travel and meetings, manages data and calendars, supports visitors and onboarding, and provides stakeholder service. Higher-level positions also prepare classified materials and proofread documents. The position is fully onsite in State College, Pennsylvania, and requires U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain a Secret-level clearance.
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Skills
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Full job description
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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, seeNotice to Out of State Applicants. POSITION SPECIFICS We are searching for versatile and experienced Office Assistants to join the Undersea Systems Office (USO) at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. USO serves as a research center of excellence in undersea weapons, unmanned undersea vehicles, and advanced sonars supporting our national security and undersea warfare sponsors through the development and demonstration of science and technology with the expertise, tools, and processes to take concepts from the early developmental phase through transition to industry and the fleet. We support our national security and undersea warfare sponsors through the development and demonstration of science and technology with the expertise, tools, and processes to take concepts from the early developmental phase through transition to industry and the fleet. ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply. You will: 1. Coordinate a large volume of complex domestic and international travel in support of program engineers (researching visit requirements, booking reservations, arranging schedules, and reconciling travel expenses) 2. Provide support for a wide variety of meetings (scheduling rooms, preparing agendas/ meeting materials, overseeing meeting logistics including audio-visual setups, security, refreshments, and vendor-delivered meals) 3. Manage data, files, and calendars 4. Provide coordination and oversight for external visitors, ensuring that security guidelines and requirements are followed 5. Communicate with and provide exceptional customer service for internal and external stakeholders (government, industry, University, and ARL-specific) 6. Assist with all administrative aspects of hiring and onboarding of new hires Additional responsibilities for the higher-level position include: 1. Prepare classified material including presentations, engineering documents, mailings and data transfers in compliance with requirements of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) 2. Proofread documents for appropriate security markings, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and basic formatting Required skills/experience areas include: 1. Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook) 2. Agility in managing multiple competing priorities 3. Resolve issues and prioritize work, both independently and as a team member, in support of multiple unit and program leaders 4. Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion and confidentiality 5. Success in an office environment, where various forms of communication and organizational skills were crucial to be effective 6. Current eligibility to obtain a clearance at the Secret level Application Instructions: 1. To be considered for this role, you are required to include a resume/CV and a cover letter outlining why you feel you would be the best candidate for this role. Your working location will be fully onsite, located in State College, PA. MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS If filled as Office Assistant (ARL) - Senior Support, this position requires: ssociate Degree4+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptedRequired Certifications:NoneIf 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 acceptedRequired 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 web site 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<
How this job compares
Set against the 1,940 open Administrative Assistant jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 27, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$47–77K/yr
- US median$48–64K/yr247 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $62K, is 13% above the US median midpoint ($55K) — in the middle half of Administrative Assistant salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 97 open Administrative Assistant jobs in Pennsylvania and 1,940 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Pennsylvania
- Penn State University Talent Acquisition (this employer)10 open
- University of Pennsylvania6 open
- Penn Medicine4 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience; Administrative Assistant postings that state a minimum ask for 2 years at the median (964 postings).
- Education
- 112 of the 1,940 open Administrative Assistant jobs (6%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 27, 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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