Assistant to AVP for Finance & Bus Services & AVP for Safety-Police Chief

Position Title Assistant to AVP for Finance & Bus Services & AVP for Safety-Police Chief About the University

Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

About the Department The Finance and Business Services and University Police Departments support Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. About the Position

The Assistant to the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Business Services and the Assistant Vice President for Security/Chief of Police at the University Police Department provides confidential, high-level administrative support to the executives and assists with the activities and operations of their respective units.

The Assistant performs complex, professional administrative tasks that require advanced technical skills, careful decision-making, and judgment on sensitive, intricate, or confidential matters. They proactively oversee routine and highly complex administrative projects. They plan and execute various functions and participate in different committees. Additionally, they monitor and reconcile budgets and expense payments for both units.

Assistant Vice President, Finance and Business Services Support

• Provides high-level executive administrative support to the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Business Services (FBS), ensuring efficient scheduling, managing correspondence, and coordinating key department initiatives.
• Proactively manages both routine and complex administrative projects with diplomacy, especially when handling confidential and sensitive issues.
• Daily reviews the AVP's email, triages priority items, and may respond on behalf of the AVP. Prioritizes and tracks requests and issues to ensure timely follow-up.
• Manages the executive's calendar and handles complex scheduling tasks involving sensitive conversations with high-level contacts.
• Tracks FBS budgets against actual expenditures, notifying the AVP of potential concerns.
• Prepares meeting materials, agendas, and minutes, and independently gathers relevant information for meetings and events.
• Performs a wide range of administrative duties, including managing time-sensitive communications and preparing or editing correspondence, reports, and other documents. Ensures adherence to the university format.
• Provides administrative support for recruiting professional and classified staff through PageUp and external search firms. Ensures adherence to search and hiring requirements.
• Provides administrative support for the implementation of FBS updates to administrative, federal, and state laws and policies.
• Reviews and updates FBS financial policies and procedures for submission and review by the University Policy Coordinator.
• Provides, coordinates, and monitors key data to support strategic initiatives, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
• Coordinates FBS reports and materials in collaboration with the Executive Assistant to the Vice President for the Board of Trustees' FARM Committee meetings.
• Coordinates auditor entrance and exit audits.
• Handles payroll, personnel action forms, expense payments, budget transfers, journal voucher entries, and purchasing card approvals.
• Schedules and verifies travel arrangements, submits travel requests, and processes reimbursements for conferences and meetings.
• Conducts research and offers data to aid decision-making.
• Serves as the main contact for Suite 400, greeting guests and creating a positive, professional first impression.
• Handles scheduling for the Suite 400 conference room.
• Orders general office supplies for Suite 400 and maintains inventory.
• Budget authority up to $10,000.
• Serves as the fixed asset custodian, overseeing tracking of assigned equipment.
• Maintains confidential files.
• Other duties as assigned.

Assistant to Assistant Vice President for Security and Chief of Police, University Police Department and Transportation Services

• Provides high-level executive administrative support to the Assistant Vice President for Security and the Chief of Police, facilitating strategic initiatives, goal setting, and budget planning.
• Maintains record-keeping, database, and archiving schedules.
• Assists committees chaired or co-chaired by the Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police by preparing meeting materials, agendas, and minutes, and independently gathering relevant information for meetings and events.
• Provides administrative support to the institution during major emergencies, assisting the Assistant Vice President/Chief of Police, Deputy Chief, and President's Cabinet with coordination and documentation of high-level or incident-related matters.
• Participates in Incident Command System (ICS) drills and tabletop exercises.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Provides backup administrative support for other division units as needed or during absences.
• Five years of progressively responsible senior-level administrative experience.
• Demonstrated advanced computer skills, including extensive experience with Microsoft 365.
• Demonstrated proficiency in web-based programs and database systems; quickly adapts to new software.
• Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to assess needs, identify objectives, and gather or record relevant information for scheduling and coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor departmental revenues and expenditures against budget.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to manage difficult and sensitive situations with tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with employees from diverse backgrounds at all levels of the organization and with external agencies.
• Experience utilizing a range of enterprise software systems (ERP), including Ellucian Banner ERP, Millennium FAST (Finance, HR, and Budget), SAP Concur (Travel and Expense Management), Facilities Development and Operations ReADY System, PageUp Performance Module (Recruitments), and Enterprise Services Management (ESM) eProcurement (Purchasing) to support efficient operations and data management.
• Experience working within a higher education setting.

Required Qualifications Preferred Qualifications Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations. Salary  Hiring range is $80,668 - $92,768/year depending on qualifications and experience.  Through longevity position tops out at $104,868/year. Benefits Information

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

Application Instructions

A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted if necessary, with notice provided beforehand.

Closing Date Notes Application review begins October 20, 2025; position is open until filled.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.