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Featured Administrative Professional Job Description:  Biotechnology


 

Current job title:  Executive Assistant

 

Industry:  Biotechnology

 

Department:  Sales & Service, Corporate Communications

 

Years worked in this industry:  3

 

Years worked in this department:  3

 

Special training or attributes needed or helpful to get job in this industry (or specific department):  None for this particular industry

 

Number of managers and/or staff supported:  2 executive level, 2 management level and numerous field staff

 

Typical work hours:   7:30am to 4:30pm

 

Weekends or overtime hours:  A few hours per week without overtime pay

 

General salary range (Note: This is a general figure or range provided by survey respondent and may NOT be an exact salary in order to give survey respondent some privacy. Also you must take into account that the number of years worked in industry/department may contribute to this salary as well as criteria such as level of position and person reports to, required hours and geographical location.): 

 

Benefits (direct or indirect):   Yes – good benefits, medical, dental, eye/ no – very expensive.

 

Lingo you might hear in this industry: 

In ovo – in the egg

Flat – the tray which eggs are placed on to incubate

Biosecurity – insuring contamination is not transmitted between sites / hatcheries

 

A typical day on the job:   Wow – this could be long! Not your typical typing, dialing, smiling and filing job!

From shipping award certificates to hatcheries to planning 65 person retreats to registering an office in a foreign country (this project took over a year!). Answering questions from field staff; managing various calendars; maintaining contracts with customers.

 

Positive things about being an administrative professional in this industry:  Various duties; learning about something I never would have imagined – how does the chicken get to the freezer in the grocery store?

 

Negative things about being an administrative professional in this industry:  Learning the specifics of a necropsy (the autopsy of animals)

 

Type of workspace/office:  partial cubicle

 

Primary responsibilities as an administrative professional in this position:  

1) Ensure my managers are efficient

2) Ensure our contracts are up-to-date

3) Assist, administratively, anyone who needs it

 

Top thing(s) incumbent admin would require of job applicants seeking to be her/his position replacement: 

a. Organized

b. Flexible

c. Have initiative

 

Office machines or equipment operated regularly:  Computer, Copier, Scanner

 

Technology (hard) skills used regularly:  Microsoft product knowledge – word to access to project
 

Critical soft skills:  

Communication – we do not seem to have enough that flows to where it needs to go – it sits at the top. I try to pass on to my field staff helpful information – directly to them.

Initiative – this job requires that you work independently – it’s up to you to get the job done and find ways to make it run more efficiently.

Organization & flexibility – the interruptions are endless and you need to be able to put down a project and pick up another one at a moments notice; then be able to go back to the other project!

 

Pace of this position:  Average to fast

 

Geographical region:  Southeast U.S.


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