Van Andel Institute (VAI), a world-class biomedical research institute, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is dedicated to improving human health. We are pioneers in the fight against cancer, Parkinson's, and other diseases. We are committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists and educators.
SUMMARY
Provide day-to-day support to the endowment investment team across calendaring, travel coordination, expense reporting, CRM maintenance, document management, fund manager communications, data-room access coordination, counterparty documentation, tax document tracking, deadline management, and internal coordination with legal, finance, and investment team members. As a high-trust administrative and operational support role, it requires excellent judgment, strong communication skills, comfort with confidential materials, and the ability to manage multiple recurring workflows without losing track of details.
FUNCTIONS
- Coordinate complex calendars, meetings, calls, and video conferences for members of the investment team, including meetings with external counterparties.
- Plan and manage business travel, including transportation, lodging, itineraries, meeting logistics, conference registrations, and related expense documentation.
- Prepare, submit, and track expense reports and related reimbursement documentation.
- Maintain investment team CRM records, including fund manager contacts, pipeline updates, meeting records, activity tracking, documentation follow-up, and electronic filing. Assist with basic account-opening processes, standing instruction updates, custodian-bank documentation, administrative forms, onboarding documentation, subscription materials, KYC/AML requests, banking documentation, and other counterparty paperwork. Help prepare, organize, route, and track such materials, but will not approve, authorize, or execute banking, custodian, investment, legal, or tax instructions.
- Maintain and provide documentation for Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Client updates requested by fund managers, banks, custodians, or other investment counterparties.
- Serve as a professional liaison between external fund managers and the investment team regarding virtual data-room access, diligence materials, document requests, and related administrative follow-up.
- Coordinate and maintain access to fund data-room portals and external investment manager systems consistent with internal security and compliance protocols.
- Coordinate with internal legal team members to gather, organize, route, and provide relevant materials for review, execution, or recordkeeping.
- Coordinate with internal finance team members to support tax, IRS, audit, regulatory, compliance, foreign tax documentation, and other financial reporting-related filings, including collecting, organizing, maintaining, and following up on relevant documentation such as K-1s, withholding forms, foreign tax documents, and other fund-related tax materials.
- Support recurring daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual reporting tasks as assigned by the investment team.
- Maintain trackers for deadlines, documentation requests, reporting cycles, tax materials, AML/KYC updates, subscriptions, renewals, and other recurring administrative workflows. Follow up with internal and external parties to help ensure items are completed accurately and on time.
- Maintain department subscriptions, memberships, conference registrations, investment-related service accounts, and related renewals.
- Leverage third-party software, productivity tools, and AI-enabled tools where appropriate to improve efficiency, accuracy, formatting, communication, and workflow management.
- Respond to ad hoc documentation requests from the investment team, legal, finance, external fund managers, banks, custodians, auditors, tax advisors, and other relevant parties.
- Handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism.
- Support additional administrative and operational projects for the investment team as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS
- High school degree required; an Associate's degree or equivalent and administrative assistant certification preferred.
- At least 5 years of administrative support, office, or related experience, preferably in investment operations, finance, legal, banking, accounting, fund administration, wealth management, or professional services environment.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage recurring processes accurately and consistently. Strong deadline discipline, including the ability to maintain trackers, monitor open items, follow up persistently and professionally, and escalate issues appropriately.
- Professional written and verbal communication skills, including comfort interacting with external fund managers, banks, custodians, prime brokers, attorneys, consultants, auditors, tax advisors, and internal stakeholders.
- Comfort working with confidential financial, legal, tax, banking, regulatory, and investment-related materials.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe/PDF tools, calendar systems, video conferencing platforms, CRM systems, document-sharing platforms, and virtual data rooms.
- Prior experience with Dynamo Software or a similar CRM/investment management system is helpful.
- Ability to learn new systems quickly and use technology to improve workflow efficiency.
- Sound judgment, discretion, reliability, and a service-oriented mindset.
About Van Andel Institute
Established in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1996 by the Van Andel family, VAI is now home to nearly 500 scientists, educators and support staff, who work with national and international collaborators to foster discovery. The Institute’s scientists study the origins of cancer, Parkinson’s and other diseases and translate their findings into breakthrough prevention and treatment strategies. Our educators develop inquiry-based approaches for K–12 education to help students and teachers prepare the next generation of problem-solvers, while our Graduate School offers a rigorous, research-intensive Ph.D. program in molecular and cellular biology.
VAI is committed to excellence through broad participation and diverse perspectives. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences who share our passion for innovation and collaboration.
Van Andel Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer.
As Van Andel Institute is a drug free employer, all prospective new employees undergo a urinalysis/drug test as part of our pre-employment process. This is a 7-panel drug screen and it includes testing for Marijuana, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Opiates, PCP, Barbiturates, and Benzodiazepines.
About Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Institute is in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan in the center of the Medical Mile. A remarkable combination of a cosmopolitan atmosphere and small-town warmth, Grand Rapids is known for its philanthropic and sustainability-driven community. It’s fun affordable and family-friendly.
Located on the banks of the Grand River, Grand Rapids offers all the big-city excitement you'd expect from a million-resident metropolis, featuring hundreds of restaurants and nightspots, theaters, museums, sports and concerts. The safe and clean downtown is surrounded by an eclectic mix of walkable neighborhoods and natural areas. The downtown area is safe and clean with an eclectic mix of walkable neighborhoods and natural areas.
