Senior Administrative Assistant - Pediatrics Research

Join the nationally recognized team at the MD Anderson Cancer Center as a Senior Administrative Assistant within our Pediatrics Research department. This opportunity is ideal for a highly organized, proactive administrative professional who enjoys supporting faculty and research programs in a fast-paced academic environment. Working closely with physician-scientists, researchers, and laboratory teams, you will play a critical role in supporting research operations that contribute to advancing pediatric cancer care and scientific discovery.

The Senior Administrative Assistant provides comprehensive administrative support to assigned faculty members and research teams, including complex calendar management, correspondence preparation, travel coordination, meeting planning, and maintenance of institutional curriculum vitae and NIH biosketches for grant submissions. This role also supports scientific publication submissions, abstracts for conferences and meetings, faculty communications, and a variety of research-related administrative activities.

A significant component of this position involves coordinating the Pediatric Research Seminar Series, including managing travel and lodging arrangements for invited speakers, coordinating honoraria, arranging meals and meeting logistics, preparing announcements and calendar invitations, and ensuring successful execution of departmental educational and research events.

The role also supports faculty and research staff through the institution's research administration platforms, including the Click system. Responsibilities may include assisting with grant submission support, Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) submissions, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) documentation, shipping requests, and other research-related administrative processes. Experience supporting research programs, grant activities, or academic faculty is highly preferred.

The ideal candidate will possess exceptional administrative and organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. We are seeking someone who thrives in a structured environment but can quickly adapt when faculty priorities shift. Successful candidates will be proactive, communicative, resourceful, and comfortable independently moving projects and tasks forward while maintaining a high level of professionalism and customer service.

At MD Anderson Cancer Center, you'll have the opportunity to support groundbreaking pediatric research while enjoying a collaborative, mission-driven environment. MD Anderson offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, professional development opportunities, generous paid time off, retirement benefits, and the chance to contribute to research efforts that are helping make cancer history.

*This position works 2 days onsite with the rest being remote**

Administrative Activities Administrative Activities  

-Assist assigned faculty with correspondence preparation, calendar management, and institutional CV maintenance to include generation of biosketch for grant submissions.
-Arrange conferences according to department specifications, including scheduling rooms, ordering catering and ensuring AV equipment is available.
-Support assigned faculty with all types of scientific publication submissions at the discretion of the faculty member.
-Provide support to lab personnel assigned to faculty to include scientific publication submission (abstracts to scientific meetings), travel arrangements, lab safety training, badge access to work location(s), and miscellaneous form submission.
-Work with assigned faculty to update and maintain the institutional CV within the FIS system.

Pediatric Research Seminar Series  

-Manage all logistical aspects of Pediatric Research Seminar Series including travel and hotel arrangements for outside speakers; honoraria submission for outside speakers; reservations for lunch or dinner; calendar invites and announcements; submission to be included on research calendar; and other tasks as assigned by faculty coordinator.

Click Platform and Other Research Specific Software  

-Be familiar with research software housed on "Click" platform to support grant program manager with grant submissions for assigned faculty.
-Assist when needed with Material Transfer Agreement, Institutional Biosafety, and Institutional Animal Care and Use forms through the "Click" platform programs. 
-Prepare shipping labels when requested through institutional system.
-Provide coverage for administrative support team members during absences.
-Assist department administrator with special projects as requested.
-Assist assigned faculty with correspondence preparation, calendar management, and institutional CV maintenance to include generation of biosketch for grant submissions.
-Arrange conferences according to department specifications, including scheduling rooms, ordering catering and ensuring AV equipment is available.
-Support assigned faculty with all types of scientific publication submissions at the discretion of the faculty member.
-Provide support to lab personnel assigned to faculty to include scientific publication submission (abstracts to scientific meetings), travel arrangements, lab safety training, badge access to work location(s), and miscellaneous form submission.
-Work with assigned faculty to update and maintain the institutional CV within the FIS system.

The ideal candidate would possess strong administrative and organizational mastery. This role requires someone who thrives in a structured environment, but can pivot quickly when faculty needs change. It also requires someone who is detail-oriented, communicative and proactive with the ability to push tasks forward.

Pediatric Research Seminar Series  -Manage all logistical aspects of Pediatric Research Seminar Series including travel and hotel arrangements for outside speakers; honoraria submission for outside speakers; reservations for lunch or dinner; calendar invites and announcements; submission to institution to be included on research calendar; and other tasks as assigned by faculty coordinator.

Click Platform and Other Research Specific Software   -Be familiar with research software housed on "Click" platform to support grant program manager with grant submissions for assigned faculty.
-Assist when needed with Material Transfer Agreement, Institutional Biosafety, and Institutional Animal Care and Use forms through the "Click" platform programs. 
-Prepare shipping labels when requested through institutional system.
-Provide coverage for administrative support team members during absences.
-Assist department administrator with special projects as requested.

-Be familiar with research software housed on "Click" platform to support grant program manager with grant submissions for assigned faculty.
-Assist when needed with Material Transfer Agreement, Institutional Biosafety, and Institutional Animal Care and Use forms through the "Click" platform programs.
-Prepare shipping labels when requested through institutional system.
-Provide coverage for administrative support team members during absences.
-Assist department administrator with special projects as requested.