Description

Position Overview

The Center for the Advancement of Research on Eating Behaviors (CARE) Laboratory has an opening for a full-time Administrative Associate. The Administrative Associate will be responsible for providing general administrative support for CARE, a large and complex research laboratory, under the supervision of the Director. Duties will include implementing office management activities, policies, and procedures, as well as providing higher level organization and support for personnel activities such as staff recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding. This position provides general administrative support including liaising with KU IT as needed to resolve department technology needs, direct assistance to the Director for CARE events and project management activities and maintains database record management with indirect supervision. In addition, the Administrative Associate will assist with managing the Director's schedule, booking travel, and supporting the Director's academic service commitments by taking notes and helping organize service committees on which the Director serves or chairs.

CARE is recognized for conducting research and grant-funded related projects focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and classification of eating disorders and obesity. A major goal of the CARE is to better understand the relationships between eating disorder behaviors, mood, and anxiety symptoms. We are also dedicated to developing and providing treatment that is efficient, engaging, convenient, and efficacious (i.e., we use science-based approaches to deliver treatments that work).

The individual selected for this position will assist the Director, Associate Director, Assistant Research Professors, and Project Coordinators with ongoing scheduling and administrative tasks surrounding research, clinical trials, study activities, and university, national, and international service. The individual selected for the position will also learn about team-based science by collaborating with our team of research interns, Ph.D. students, post-doctoral scholars, junior and senior co-investigators, and the Director. CARE maintains workspaces on KU-Lawrence's main campus, in the Dole Human Development Center, and at Wakarusa Research Facility.

Other duties may be assigned as needed to support the overall mission and operations of the CARE and the Center Director.

Although this position is fully in person, future hybrid work during summers may be possible.

Job Description

40% - Office Management, Personnel, and Administrative Support:
The Administrative Associate will provide general administrative support to senior leadership within the Center for activities such as:

• scheduling meetings and maintaining Zoom links and room reservations
• developing agendas for meetings
• recording notes and preparing and distributing agendas and notes to meeting attendees
• providing logistical coordination for CARE special events, conferences, or hosting activities (e.g., bi-annual meeting planning, conference support planning, visiting scholar hosting preparation and support).

Additional duties include:

• coordinating and scheduling travel arrangements for team members for lab-related activities or events
• creating schedules and arrangements for guest speakers or interviewees during job interviews
• organizing attendance for the lab to attend on-campus and off-campus events.

The Administrative Associate will take an active role in:

• scheduling times for team members to practice upcoming presentations with the full team
• scheduling preliminary interviews for undergraduate research assistants and other job applicants who are applying to the center
• creating and maintaining a schedule of topics for our journal club
• creating and maintaining work schedules for undergraduates each semester
• assisting with recruitment of undergraduate research assistants and new hires
• overseeing the onboarding and offboarding of new team members
• assisting with the development and maintenance of onboarding and offboarding materials.

30% - Project Management, IT Liaison, and Information Dissemination Activities:

• The Administrative Associate will take a leading role in collaborating with KU IT to select and provide efficient and effective software programs for use across CARE.
• The Administrative Associate will work closely with KU IT to initiate, resolve and follow up on IT troubleshooting tasks (e.g., making sure printers are working for team members, coordinating with IT for tech supply orders and creating job aids to instruct team members about best practices for success with conference room use).
• The Administrative Associate will coordinate assigned CARE information dissemination efforts, including contributions to the CARE website, e-newsletter, and social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and will provide management of all CARE list-servs and contact lists.
• With the Director and Associate Director, the Administrative Associate will modify, update, and strengthen shared resources on our Asana project management page and will make recommendations for improvements regularly.

20% - Communication and Grant Administrative Support:

• The Administrative Associate will ensure timely submission of reimbursement requests to the appropriate party for lab members, submitting supply orders for the lab, sending receipts to grant managers, assisting with social media advertisements for various lab studies, and managing payment for recurring payments in the lab.
• Additional duties may include, but are not limited to, managing modification or translation requests of eating-disorder measures developed by the laboratory, coordinating with HR for hiring needs, organizing and managing continuing education credits for lab-related trainings and conferences, and greeting participants who arrive in person for study procedures.

10% - Organizational Space Management:

• The Administrative Associate will take an active role in maintaining the organization of data in the lab's two lab spaces, keeping the lab's space tidy and organized, and keeping the lab's online drive organized and efficient.

Required Qualifications

1. High school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate
2. Two years of office experience or two years of post-secondary education.
3. Strong written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.

Additional Candidate Instruction

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

• Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
• Resume
• List of three (3) professional references

Only complete applications will be considered.

Application review begins Monday September 15, 2025 and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and procedures and is the Title IX Coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY. Reports can be submitted by contacting the Title IX Coordinator as provided herein or using the Title IX online report form and complaints can be submitted with the Title IX Coordinator or using the Title IX online complaint form.