Administrative Assistant Watson Institute for Systems Excellence (WISE)

Job description

Location: Vestal, NY Category: Professional & Support Staff Posted On: Mon Oct 13 2025 Job Description:
About Watson Institute of Systems Excellence (WISE):

The Watson Institute for Systems Excellence (WISE), an Institute for Advanced Studies at Binghamton University (State University of New York at Binghamton), is a research-intensive multidisciplinary organization that works in a collaborative manner with several industrial partners including Meta, Smart Modular Technologies, Sanmina, Lattice Semiconductor, Raymond Corporation, GE Grid Solutions, Mount Sinai Health System, and Montefiore Medical Center, to name a few.

With over 90 graduate students (MS and PhD) and several research faculty and staff members, WISE is a dynamic customer-driven student-centered organization.

On average, WISE secures between $3.5-4.0 million in research grants a year.

The Administrative Assistant's primary responsibility is to assist the Watson Institute for Systems Excellence (WISE) Director in all administrative, academic and research activities related to the operation of WISE.

The typical duties of the Administrative Assistant will be:


+ Perform regular clerical tasks such as filing reports and papers, answering telephones, scheduling meetings, efficiently running office, and composing letters and documents.



+ Responsible for interaction with on-campus offices such as the Research Division, Watson College, and Graduate School.

This includes but is not limited to human resources/payroll, sponsored programs development and administration, ITS support, graduate coordinators, etc.

+ Assist with budget-related tasks for WISE, such as maintaining information pertaining to research funding, accounts, and tracking expenditures.

+ Learn and use on-campus business, financial, and administrative systems.

+ Help with the on-boarding and recruitment process of both graduate and undergraduate students and research associates.

+ Responsible for paperwork that pertains to appointments and reimbursements; order supplies; maintain records that pertain to reports submitted to sponsors; help research associates with administrative paperwork including health insurance; and update and maintain the WISE Director's records.

+ Help schedule meetings and maintain schedules/calendars of WISE Director (and other faculty when needed).

+ Help members of the WISE Team (faculty and students) prepare for meetings and conferences, such as gathering material, reviewing presentations, setting up meetings, coordinating schedules, and other travel related arrangements/reimbursements.



+ Responsible for the review and update of the WISE website and other marketing material.

+ Work on special projects as requested by the WISE Director and faculty.


Job Requirements:

+ Associates with at least 2 years of experience in a fast-paced administrative environment

+ Record of progressively responsible office experience

+ Must be an energetic individual with excellent customer service skills

+ Communication, both written and spoken, is critical

+ Organized individual who can effectively multi-task while concurrently working on several projects with competing priorities and deadlines

+ Must be proficient with the MS Office suite, especially in MS Word, MS Excel, and PowerPoint.

+ Must be willing to learn, must be able to demonstrate initiative, and should have a record of exceeding expectations

+ Potential travel for industry-sponsor related activities, conferences, and other events


Preferred Requirements


+ BA in relevant field.

+ Experience working both in industry and in an academic setting.

+ Experience in the service sector.

+ Web page development experience.


Additional Information:
Salary: $42,000 annually.

Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Employee Benefits: The Research Foundation for the State University of New York offers a comprehensive benefits package (https://benefits.rfsuny.org/) that is a valuable part of total compensation.

This includes medical, dental, vision, dependent care subsidy and other benefits such as SUNY Tuition Assistance.

Furthermore, our 10 Perks of Working at the RF (https://www.rfsuny.org/about-us/careers/) provides an at-a-glance view of our top benefits that make us a great place to work.



Research Foundation Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity

As an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer, The Research Foundation for SUNY will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy-related conditions, reproductive health decisions, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical and mental disability, prior arrest or conviction record, genetic characteristics/genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, military status or service, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state or local law.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

The Research Foundation for SUNY is a private, not for profit corporation and is a separate employer from SUNY and the State of New York and offers separate compensation and benefit plans.

Binghamton University is a tobacco-free campus.

Required Skill Profession

Other General