Administrative Assistant

Job Description

GDO Operations Support Administrative Assistant

Join our company, a premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical organization at the forefront of delivering innovative health solutions. We are seeking a dedicated Support Administrative Assistant to support the GDO LATAM Head and Leadership team (local and regional) with operational activities, administrative tasks, logistical support, meeting management, and interaction with internal and external stakeholders for business purposes (HR, Talent Attraction, Procurement, IT, Legal, Compliance, Facilities, Security, etc.) and third parties.

Responsibilities

• Support the leadership team with administrative processes, special projects, headcount management, budgeting, and other initiatives.

• Plan logistics and agendas; coordinate meetings and interviews; book meeting rooms and send invitations.

• Provide operational support for strategic projects: follow up on deadlines, contact stakeholders and vendors, support solutions in internal platforms, share information via internal channels, collect metrics, and create and follow up on surveys and other metrics-related tools/platforms.

• Contact IT and other system stakeholders to resolve issues and coordinate communications in Outlook, Yammer, and other channels.

• Help lead and coordinate events designed to maintain an inclusive culture with engaged employees, including community outreach and volunteer activities.

• Keep meeting records and minutes; identify and share key highlights with stakeholders.

• Organize travel arrangements, prepare itineraries, and confirm logistics.

• Serve as a point of contact to provide administrative support and interact with internal stakeholders (HR, IT, Compliance, Procurement, Talent Attraction, Facilities, other executive assistants, etc.).

• Identify procurement staff and processes that support the setup and follow-up of third-party and supplier purchase orders.

• Track and ensure compliance of payment processes, invoice receipt, purchase orders, and chargebacks for specific projects.

• Prepare, process, and reconcile expense reports, purchase orders, and payment requests.

• Lead budget- and cost-tracking activities.

• Update distribution lists in Outlook, Teams, and Yammer.

• Upload information to designated platforms and follow up on communication plans in Outlook, Stream, Forms, Whiteboard, Teams, Yammer, etc.

• Manage team sites, electronic files, and other data in a systematic and detail-oriented manner.

• Maintain an appropriate filing system to enable prompt retrieval of reports, correspondence, and other documentation while complying with company retention schedules and legal holds.

• Collect, organize, and archive documentation, including maintaining staff curricula vitae (CVs).

Qualifications

Required

• Business administration degree or a related discipline.

• Minimum three (3) years of experience in Administrative Support for local operations in Costa Rica.

• Fully bilingual.

• Proficient computer skills (MS Teams, SharePoint management, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.) and familiarity with related programs, including working knowledge of SAPS Comet and other company systems.

• Ability to prepare and support sophisticated PowerPoint presentations and work with advanced Excel spreadsheets.

• Exceptional administrative, organizational, planning, and follow-up skills with demonstrated accuracy.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Effective business communication skills, both written and oral.

• Self-motivated and self-directed with excellent work-planning, coordination, and time-management skills.

• Willingness and ability to learn new skills and suggest process or procedure improvements.

• Ability to work toward enterprise goals and foster a work environment based on trust, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

• Ability to commute onsite three days per week, or on other days as required by the business (Monday–Friday).

Preferred

• Experience handling sensitive/confidential documents.

• Experience with email and other written communications design.

• Experience using AI applications (Copilot, ChatGPT).

• Digitally and technologically curious or savvy.

• Teamwork, flexibility, and self-awareness.

Required Skills:

Accountability, Communication, Data Entry, Document Management, Event Planning, File Management, Financial Budgeting, Microsoft Office, Office Applications, Office Equipment, Process Improvements, Project Management, Scheduling, Software Proficiency, Team Coordination, Travel Scheduling, Vendor Management, Visa Applications

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

11/14/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID:R370431

---