Administrative Assistant, Interlaboratory Study - ASTM International

Committed to serving global societal needs. ASTM International positively impacts public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life. We integrate consensus standards - developed with our international membership of volunteer technical experts - and innovative services to improve lives...Helping our world work better.

ASTM provides an excellent compensation and benefits package including:

Undergraduate and Graduate Tuition Reimbursement

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance

Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave

403(b) plan with company match

100% company-funded defined benefits pension plan

The Interlaboratory Study (ILS) program supports the needs of global industry through the administration of laboratory studies to create repeatability and reproducibility statements which are required for ASTM test methods. This position provides organizational support to the Interlaboratory Study (ILS) program staff and members of ASTM Technical Committees in all product areas, such as petroleum, plastics, paint, wood, concrete, robots, textiles, glass, snow skis, and more. The position interacts with ASTM staff as well as laboratory technicians to coordinate meetings, track the acquisition and distribution of study material, collect, and manipulate study data, and serves as the first contact with potential program participants. It assists in the preparation of reports, precision statements, and other information for distribution to committees, as well as access, input, manipulation, and distribution of data.

Incumbent provides a wide range of largely basic administrative support services for the ILS Program Director; ensuring that the Director's assigned work goals and responsibilities are achieved and satisfied.

This is an entry-level administrative support position reporting to the ILS Program Director, but also receives work direction from the ILS Project Managers. The ILS Administrative Assistant communicates and interacts with various ASTM departments, members, technical experts, as well as a number of other internal and external contacts on a regular basis. Work is generally completed following established procedures and informal practices.

The position functions as an individual contributor. It has no supervisory responsibilities but may often provide work direction to fellow ASTM colleagues and external members for activities involved with the planning, development, and execution of various interlaboratory studies. The responsibilities may require limited application of autonomous decision-making and judgment.

Key/Representative Activities:

• Manually organize and enter study data and related information, including all components of the ILS registration and confirming details with others as required.
• Troubleshoots data anomalies and conducts or coordinates research to address anomalies with the appropriate ILS participants.
• Uses analytical and statistical processing software in the presentation and analysis of study data.
• Assists ILS Director and Project Managers in the management and completion of departmental objectives, reviewing internal operations and continually looking for improvement opportunities.
• Communicates with technical members and handles general inquiries
• Trains members on the online ILS registration process, as well as the ASTM ILS Process, which is available on our website.
• Works with Technical Contacts to clarify and complete the registration information required to document study outcomes based upon ASTM's Research Report Template
• Accepts responsibility for high quality administrative support to technical committees for preparation and delivery of ILS supporting materials, including standard test methods, lab data report forms, and study protocols to participants, and troubleshoots problems.
• Establishes deadline dates for each step of the study and tracks overall progress
• Initiates and participates in conference calls and virtual meetings (using Microsoft Teams) for study participants, recording and documenting all study related decisions, confirming these decisions with ILS Staff and / or study participants as needed.
• Manages ILS and research report email accounts, responding directly to members or forwarding emails to ILS Project Managers and Director as appropriate.
• Manages records retention for ILS information including registrations, emails, data, schedules, expenses, status reports, research reports, and general correspondence ensuring complete and accurate maintenance and retention of records
• Suggests process improvements, as needed, to technology and workflows

Key/Representative Activities:

• Prepares key personnel in advance of committee meetings with updates on studies by generating and distributing summary status reports to Technical Contacts, Sub Committee Chairs, and Staff Managers as well as any updated precision statements, research reports, etc.
• Gathers and packages (for handoff to the appropriate Meetings Department representative) ILS handouts, displays, and related materials in advance of committee meetings.
• Participates on in-house task groups and metric teams as assigned.
• Answers inquiries as needed, Directing technical questions to the appropriate contact person.
• Coordinates responses to verbal and electronic inquiries pertaining to the ILS program.

Key/Representative Activities:

• Understands role in team situations for given assignments.
• Works cooperatively with team members to accomplish work.
• Interacts with IT, accounting, editorial, customer service, identifies potential copyright concerns and coordinates with members and management, as needed, to resolve any copyright issues, and meetings department to service ILS Program participants in a high quality, efficient manner
• Assist with the identification, documentation, and testing of IT and software modifications and developments as they relate to the ILS Admin and CDS.
• Requests and provides assistance from/to team members as needed (effective utilization of team capabilities/resources).

• High School diploma and 2-3 years of general office experience.
• Facility with Microsoft Office applications.
• A customer service orientation; strong communications/interpersonal skills.

• General and business knowledge equivalent to a High School diploma (Associate's degree preferred) and at least four (4) years of progressive administrative and operational support service assignments, working with a wide variety of internal and external contacts and resources.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively deal with ASTM colleagues, including external partners, ASTM Marketing/Customer Relations/Accounting staffs, committee participants, etc.
• Familiarity with the research process
• Very good organizational skills.
• Advanced facility with PCs and applicable database and statistical software.
• Ability to travel for committee week and other meeting events.