Purdue University
Lead Administrative Assistant
🇺🇸 Hybrid - Indianapolis, IN
🕑 Full-Time
💰 TBD
💻 Other
🗓️ September 23rd, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
Purdue University is hiring a Lead Administrative Assistant for the Dunn Lab. The role involves managing complex administrative tasks, supporting Dr. Dunn and the lab team with finance, travel, onboarding, and other operational needs to facilitate groundbreaking mental health research.
Highlights
- Perform non-routine administrative functions including research, report and presentation preparation, and correspondence management.
- Maintain calendars, schedule meetings, prepare agendas, and manage support materials.
- Develop and improve administrative processes to ensure compliance with university policies.
- Coordinate logistics for programs, workshops, events, and presentations.
- Arrange complex domestic and international travel and manage supply orders.
- Supervise, mentor, and train other administrative support staff.
- Monitor budgets and maintain financial records as needed.
- Advanced skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and internet applications are required.
- Minimum of 4 years administrative experience at a C-suite level and excellent communication skills are essential.
- Preferred experience includes familiarity with Dropbox, Slack, Endnote, Macintosh systems, and a bachelor's degree in a related field.
Lead Administrative Assistant Full Description
Job Summary
The Dunn Lab is seeking an exceptional Lead Administrative Assistant with proven expertise and experience at an executive-level to join our team at Purdue University. Candidates will work on multiple projects simultaneously and must have superb multi-tasking and organizational skills. Projects enhance the teams’ ability to perform their ground-breaking research with an international and multidisciplinary team. As a Lead Administrative Assistant, you will work directly with Dr. Dunn while also supporting other lab team members with finance, travel, onboarding and administrative support. You will contribute significantly to the Dunn Lab’s research mission, all while receiving outstanding team-based mentorship.
This position is based at the Indianapolis campus. Occasional remote workday options may be available.
Radical innovations begin with small, impactful steps. Take your next step with the Dunn Lab, the distinguished team of Dr. Erin C. Dunn (www.thedunnlab.com), as we prepare for our next giant leap: discovering the causes of mental illness and creating roadmaps for prevention.
What You’ll be Doing:
- Perform non-routine administrative functions; conduct research, prepare reports and presentations, respond to information requests, and manage correspondence.
- Maintain calendars, schedule complex meetings, prepare agendas, and collect and provide support materials.
- Respond to non-routine inquiries and issues from internal and external sources; draft and edit correspondence.
- Develop, implement, and maintain/improve processes related to administrative support operations (e.g., records maintenance, data collection and maintenance, etc.) to ensure
- compliance with University policies and procedures.
- Coordinate the logistics of various programs, projects, workshops, events, and presentations.
- Arrange travel, order supplies, and ensure proper functioning of office equipment.
- Update and maintain mailing lists, databases and websites.
- Supervise, mentor and train other support staff.
- May monitor operating budget and maintain financial records.
What We’re Looking For:
Required:
Education and Experience:
Required:
Education and Experience:
- High school diploma/GED.
- 4 years of experience in an administrative support role at a C-suite level.
- Experience with arranging complex travel, both domestic and international.
- Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to handle frequent interruptions, balance multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain confidentiality.
- Strong organizational and time management skills and attention to detail.
- Advanced computer and related software skills to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet, etc.
- Ability to collaborate and communicate with individuals at all levels within and external to the university to support department needs.
- Ability to interpret policies and procedures to proactively resolve issues or improve processes.
- Ability to identify problems and implement or recommend solutions.
- Drafting, proofreading and editing skills.
- Ability to lead others and provide direction and constructive feedback.
What is Helpful:
- Bachelor’s degree in related field, such as: management, finance, supervision or marketing.
- Administrative experience in an academic, biomedical, medical or legal setting.
- Experience with Dropbox, Slack, Endnote and other applications.
- Experience using Macintosh systems and programs.
Additional Information:
- For full consideration, please include a cover letter and resume with your application.
- Purdue will not sponsor an employment related visa for this position.
- A background check will be required for employment in this position.
- FLSA: Exempt (Not Eligible For Overtime).
- Retirement Eligibility: Defined Contributions Waiting Period.
- Purdue University is an EOE/AA employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.
Why the Dunn Lab?
- Be at the Cutting Edge of Discovery: Work at the forefront of research, using interdisciplinary approaches to explore the social and biological factors that contribute to mental health disorders. Our focus on understanding depression risk among women, children, and adolescents, paves the way for groundbreaking prevention strategies.
- Impactful Research: We’ve made significant contributions to understanding how social and biological factors impact mental health. We’ve led pioneering genetic and gene-environment interaction studies, including some of the first genome-wide association studies of depression risk in non-European ancestry populations. We’re also leading cutting-edge new studies examining baby teeth as novel biomarkers for mental health risk.
- Collaborate and Innovate with a Renowned Leader: Dr. Erin Dunn brings over a decade of experience from her previous roles at Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital. Now a Professor at Purdue and Director of a new university-wide interdisciplinary Center focused on sociogenomics, Dr. Dunn is a leading voice in integrating genomics with social sciences. With national and international research collaborations, the Dunn Lab offers a bold environment for innovative thinking and collaboration as you work alongside experts in genetics, sociology, psychology, and more.
- Career Advancement: Whether you’re planning for a career in academia or another professional path, being part of the Dunn Lab will provide invaluable experience, mentorship, and a competitive edge. Our 80+ trainees have gone on to successful careers in clinical psychology, public health, medicine, and beyond.
- Diverse Perspectives: The Dunn Lab knows good science is built on a foundation of diverse and inclusive teams. We foster an environment where different thinking and approaches drive meaningful advances in mental health research. We encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.
