Administrative Assistant

The Administrative Assistant provides comprehensive support to department staff, resolving complex issues with professionalism and discretion. They serve as the department's goto expert on administrative policies and procedures, offering clear and reliable guidance to others. The role requires effective communication across all organizational levels, along with the ability to adapt quickly in a fastpaced environment that demands strong prioritization skills. This position also maintains a thorough understanding of company operations, programs, and policies, supported by advanced proficiency in Microsoft applications, SAP, strong communication capabilities, and a commitment to community support.

Essential Functions

• Follow all Avient Protective Materials security policies, including proper handling of confidential information, limiting access to a needtoknow basis, using NDAs when required, prohibiting unauthorized device or property use, controlling keys and company assets appropriately, and promptly reporting any security risks or incidents.
• Perform all work safely and in accordance with established procedures, supports and strengthens safety programs and documentation, leads and promotes Avient Protective Materials' safety initiatives, addresses unsafe conditions or behaviors promptly, and meets all required safety and job-related training obligations.
• Work independently and collectively with others making timely and confident decisions while seamlessly maintaining administrative team support.
• Manage internal and external communications using modern communication platforms and all Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Ability to manage internal and external community relations initiatives, coordinating logistics, materials, and communication.
• Proficient in communication and visual design tools to create clear and engaging presentations and digital content.
• Coordinate and manage travel arrangements, including scheduling transportation, lodging, meeting locations, and businessrelated activities; provide guidance on travel and expense systems; and process travel expense reports timely.
• Must have knowledge of purchase order processing and reconciliation for multiple departments based on corporate guidelines. Ability to efficiently learn the SAP system.
• Create and maintain specialized forms, reports, and spreadsheets to support data collection and streamline information flow.
• Manage all aspects of departmental/site meetings including scheduling and coordinating meetings with internal and external contacts, catering arrangements, room bookings and the creation/distribution of agendas and materials.
• Greet and provide general support to internal and external visitors.
• Provide calendar support of multiple calendars with effective communication.
• Orient new employees on departmental procedures.
• Make recommendations on the development and implementation of new processes.
• Serve as a resource for department staff by providing clarification and guidance on company policies and procedures.
• Manage incoming correspondence by opening, reviewing, sorting, and prioritizing mail.
• Independently draft and send communications; and prepare/distribute meeting minutes, agendas, and itineraries.
• Produce complex documents, presentations, and reports with thorough proofreading; gather and summarize data for reporting; and assist in developing and implementing office policies and procedures.
• Develop and maintain a filing system.
• Answer and route phone calls, providing information or directing callers to the appropriate contacts.
• Manage office supply inventory, departmental supply orders, and expense tracking.
• Work in a safe and responsible manner to create an injury-free and incident-free workplace.
• Provide non-routine project-based administrative support, handling a high volume of competing requests that require professional discernment on appropriate urgency/prioritization to complete.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Regularly coordinates meetings and makes travel arrangements for senior management.
• Within guidelines, makes independent decisions regarding planning, organizing and scheduling work.
• Utilizes strong computer skills to prepare complex correspondence, reports, presentations, charts, tables and forms.
• Uses discretion and judgment when screening visitors and telephone calls, scheduling appointments and organizing work load to meet established priorities.
• Organizes work load to comply with deadlines and priorities, works independently to complete routine correspondence, reports and forms for review.
• Provides coordination of scheduling/meetings for senior management.
• Purchases items using Ariba as needed.
• Makes travel arrangements as needed both domestically and internationally.
• Ability to coordinate activities with other functions as needed.
• Special projects as needed.

Education and Experience

• High School degree plus 2 years of administrative experience and/or AA/AS and 1 year of administrative experience.

• In-depth understanding of office management and daily operations

• Proficient in Microsoft Office & collaboration platforms, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; familiarity with AIpowered productivity tools is a plus

• Working knowledge of office equipment

• Maintains strict confidentiality of sensitive employee, business, and company information.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Strong organizational and time-management skills

• Strong internal/external customer service experience

Physical Demands

• Requires standing and sitting for extended periods of time, talking and listening.

• Must be able to walk and use hands.

• Occasionally requires bending, stooping, climbing ladders and stairs.

• The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.

• The noise level in the work environment ranges from normal office noise levels to loud.

• Occasionally requires the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, safety shoes, hearing protection, hard hat, respiratory protection.

• Exposure to outside weather conditions is routine.

• May be exposed to working in extreme heat and humidity.

• May also be exposed on occasion to dust or fumes.

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world.

Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it's powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you're a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you'll find your place at Avient.

Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviors for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business.

By playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient's strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals.

At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world. In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person's qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.

Avient is an equal opportunity employer. We maintain a policy of non-discrimination in providing equal employment to all qualified employees and candidates regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran's status, or other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to complete an online application, please contact the Avient HR Team by emailing, ApplicationAccommodation@Avient.com.