Business Support Professional Ii/iii

Business Support Professional II/III

NREL is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado. It is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join NREL, where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NREL stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NREL, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

At NREL, we focus on creative answers to today's energy challenges. From breakthroughs in fundamental science to new technologies to integrated energy systems that power our lives, NREL leads energy systems innovation and integration—enhancing existing technologies and developing new, cutting-edge solutions that unlock economic opportunity and fuel America's global competitiveness. Partnerships with industry, government, and academia are how we accelerate the transfer of technologies developed at NREL into the marketplace. We invite you to join our collaborative, high-performing team that plays a key role in connecting NREL with leading researchers, industry partners, and visiting delegations from around the world.

As a Business Support Professional supporting the Strategic Partnership Office for the Innovation, Partnering and Outreach (IPO) Directorate, you'll coordinate strategic events, facilitate partner engagement, and ensure our leadership and guests have a seamless experience. This role offers opportunities to learn the inner workings of a world-class organization and grow your professional expertise in business development, operations, event management, and stakeholder engagement. Leaders in the energy ecosystem come from all over the country, and the world, to work with NREL on some of their most challenging problems. As the Business Support/Administrative Associate you will interface with these leaders and help them to connect with NREL's leading researchers in areas such as power electronics, electric grid and security technologies, critical materials and industrial manufacturing, and integrated energy systems. Meetings and events at NREL are key part of developing and maintaining these partnerships.

On a weekly basis, the Business Support Professional will be responsible for planning and supporting senior-level meetings (both internal and external to NREL) including tours of NREL's South Table Mountain campus in Golden and Flatirons Campus south of Boulder. These events often include senior level internal executives as well as senior executives at our partners. Meetings require coordination with partner and internal NREL staff to develop agendas, coordinate speakers, plan transportation, register visitors, arrange audiovisual support and catering. The successful Business Support/Administrative Associate candidate will be adept at handling sensitive and proprietary information, interacting with senior executives and their support staff, and coordinating complex and fluid calendar scheduling all while maintaining a high degree of confidentiality and professionalism. Additionally, the Business Support/Administrative Associate will serve as the principal administrative point of contact for prospective business partnering opportunities.

To successfully accomplish their job duties, the Business Support Professional will:

• Manage a portfolio of events at various stages of planning from initial scope discussions to detailed agenda planning, to scheduling of researchers, conference rooms, tours, shuttles etc,. to day-of event support which includes greeting visitors, setting up conference rooms with refreshments, escorting visitors, and providing basic A/V support.
• Interface effectively across NREL with other administrative assistants, group managers, broader NREL management and staff, Department of Energy management and staff, industry contacts and other key individuals and organizations.
• Prepare domestic and foreign travel arrangements and process all related paperwork including authorizations and reimbursements using NREL's Concur travel management system.
• Provide basic financial tracking of team budgets and expenses.
• Prepare and maintain electronic files and presentations, keeping information up to date.
• Track international partnership activities and approvals across the Laboratory.
• Utilize Salesforce to run reports and input data, and other administrative support for the corporate business development team within the IPO directorate.
• Follow, understand, and adhere to all Laboratory policies and procedures to ensure and maintain a safe working environment, follow all NREL policies and procedures to ensure compliance with DOE orders and NREL requirements, gather and process information from various sources, including NREL departments and published documents and use it to carry out specialized assignments, as appropriate.

The successful candidate will exhibit the following characteristics:

• Confidence, experience, and demonstrated professionalism working with senior-level executives, both NREL and external partners.
• Considerable knowledge of specialized business support functions: meeting planning and coordination, travel scheduling, expense management, and calendar coordination
• Ability to work effectively with partners and staff from diverse cultural backgrounds, work cooperatively with other administrative professionals, and assist with Laboratory-level administrative responsibilities when needed.
• Highly motivated and disciplined self-starter with excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Comfort working in a highly matrixed, flexible, and fast paced work environment.
• Strong attention to detail, time management, ability to multitask, and ability to prioritize work to handle urgent requests.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Diplomacy and the ability to handle ambiguity.
• Ability to work independently with minimal guidance or direction.

Basic Qualifications

Business Support III: High School Diploma or equivalent and 4 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope and 2 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Considerable knowledge of specialized focused business support functions. Complete understanding of the general and detailed aspects of the business support activities, and their practical applications to problems and situations ordinarily encountered. Experienced skills in applicable software packages and office equipment. Demonstrated project administration skills.

Business Support II: High School Diploma or equivalent and 1 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope or equivalent relevant education/experience. Solid knowledge of the job. Substantial understanding of general aspects of the job with a broad understanding of the detailed aspects of the job. Intermediate skills in applicable software packages and office equipment. Basic project administration skills. Ability to prioritize work. Proficient in written and verbal communications. Very good team and interpersonal skills.

*** Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

Level III: Demonstrated ability to manage complex administration projects. Strong customer service, teaming, and interpersonal skills. Excellent computer skills including advanced proficiency with Acrobat; Microsoft Office components Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; cloud collaboration applications Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and One Note; Office 365 Apps Forms and PowerBI.

Level II: Basic project administration skills. Proficient written/verbal communications. Very good customer service, team, and interpersonal skills. Excellent computer skills including advanced proficiency with Acrobat; Microsoft Office components Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; cloud collaboration applications Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and One Note; Intermediate skills with Office 365 Apps Forms and PowerBI.

Preferred Qualifications

N/A

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Business Support III / Annual Salary Range: $50,200 - $80,300

Job Profile: Business Support II / Annual Salary Range: $43,700 - $69,900

NREL takes into consideration a candidate's education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee's salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability