Executive Assistant I

About Umass Amherst

The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.

Job Summary

The Executive Assistant I supports the social justice mission of the College by providing comprehensive, executive level, administrative support to the Dean of the College of Education. Assisting in a wide range of complex and confidential matters including overseeing the Dean's schedule, screening visitors and phone calls, reading and responding to daily emails, composing or preparing other correspondence, researching and preparing reports and presentations, and maintaining paper and electronic files. Provides similar administrative support to the Director of Development.

Reports directly to the Dean of the College, with independent decision-making responsibilities, under established guidelines, particularly in the absence of the Dean.

Essential Functions

• Provide comprehensive, confidential, executive-level administrative support to the Dean to include digital calendar management, travel arrangements, and complex meeting coordination.
• Organize and monitor the Dean's daily schedule and long-term calendars; evaluate meeting requests and schedule all appointments for the Dean; coordinate times and venues for meetings; proactively ensure the Dean is properly prepared for all meetings; assemble agendas and background materials as needed; and communicate quickly and effectively with the Dean regarding last minute schedule changes as they occur. Provide other coordination as needed to ensure effective and productive meetings (such as setting up conference calls or Zoom meetings).
• Receive and screen all visitors or phone calls; determine their priority and notify the Dean accordingly; answer and/or refer inquiries to appropriate parties for action. Screen daily correspondence, make assessment of the importance of materials, handle/forward as appropriate, and retrieve information as needed. Maintain detailed, accurate, and organized electronic and paper files on behalf of the Dean's Office.
• Work closely with the Dean to organize, prioritize, and manage workflow for Dean's administrative tasks and projects; review all incoming projects, establish deadlines, follow through with calendar reminders, and interact in-person, by phone, and via email with internal and external constituents and staff as necessary to ensure timely and accurate completion of the work. Meet regularly with Dean to provide updates on issues, review the schedule, and to plan for upcoming events.
• Monitor the Dean's public email by reading, prioritizing, forwarding, and/or responding as needed on behalf of the Dean. Compose and/or prepare correspondence for Dean's signature. Edit and proofread all correspondence intended to be mailed under the Dean's signature.
• Prepare or maintain Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and other materials as related to the developing needs of the Dean for both internal and external constituents of the College. Work closely with other staff members in the College and community to support the Dean's initiatives.
• Coordinate regular meetings of the College, College Leadership Team, and College Advocacy Board to include preparing agendas, materials, correspondence, reserving meeting space, food and beverage needs, recording and distribution of meeting minutes and act as liaison between the committees and the Dean.
• Coordinate special College events including but not limited to all-college meetings, staff luncheons, graduation ceremonies, and the annual scholarship celebration. Work closely with Academic Affairs to coordinate and assist with large College-wide events.
• Provide administrative support for the Director of Development, including correspondence, travel reimbursements, and event coordination. Request biweekly donor reports from Advance database and create mailings for donor thank you letters.
• Provide administrative support for the departmental Academic Quality Assessment and Development (AQAD) Reviews to include Dean's Office correspondence with the outside evaluators, scheduling campus visit dates, and coordinating team appointments with Provost and Dean. Serve as back up with departments to ensure the review process begins and is concluded in a timely manner.
• Plan and prepare all travel arrangements (registration, flight, hotel, ground transportation, etc.) for Dean's business travel. Process post travel expense reports in a timely manner.
• Represent the Dean and the College in an appropriate manner, exercising a high level of discretion and professionalism, tact, confidentiality, and sound judgment at all times.
• Provide general assistance as needed to students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, trustees, donors, and the public at large.
• Perform independently, within the College policies and procedures, to refer unusual and critical issues to the appropriate dean.
• Serve in back-up role for other College staff as needed. Assist with special projects and perform other duties as assigned by the Dean showing adaptability and flexibility to accomplish goals. Operate motor vehicle to travel to work sites.

Other Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• High School diploma (or equivalent).
• Four (4) or more years of administrative office or related experience. An Associate’s or higher degree may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.
• Excellent ability to work both independently and to be a part of an effective team with a highly cooperative and collaborative work style.
• Demonstrated proficiency in English. Strong verbal and written communication skills (including proper grammar, structure, punctuation, spelling, and word usage) with the ability to write clear and effective reports, letters, emails, or web-based information for internal and external audiences.
• Experience writing and editing correspondence, publications, and/or reports.
• Expert computer usage skills including spreadsheet, word processing, database, and presentation software with the ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software programs as needed for position duties. Strong keyboarding ability (type rapidly and accurately).
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and balance tasks in a demanding, interruption-filled, ever-changing and often deadline-oriented environment.
• Experience organizing multiple, concurrent projects successfully.
• Exceptional level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise sound and independent judgment, particularly related to confidential materials and the prioritization of the Dean's communications and calendar.
• Excellent interpersonal skills allowing smooth and effective interactions with and between different constituents from a diverse population.
• Positive attitude, resiliency, tact, and discretion.
• Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions.
• Ability to excel in a self-directed atmosphere; self-motivated, responsive, with the ability to take initiative and determine priorities in performance of duties. Must have the ability to stay on task and work productively with a minimum of supervision.
• Knowledge of appropriate office etiquette required.
• Significant experience maintaining a busy calendar, arranging all aspects of travel, and organizing meetings and events (small and large).
• Ability to occasionally work some evenings and/or weekend events.
• Ability to work extra hours with little or no advance notice.
• Ability to travel to off-site locations by car or air for events and meetings on occasion.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Prior experience in an administrative higher education environment.
• Bachelor's Degree (or higher).

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical Office Setting.

Additional Details

• The College of Education includes three (3) departments and serves approximately 400 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students. At any one time, the College maintains approximately 240 employee appointments, including tenure system faculty, part-time and full-time lecturers, permanent and temporary staff members, post-doctoral research associates, graduate teaching assistants, and student employees.

Work Schedule

• Monday-Friday 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
• May be required to work occasional nights and weekends.
• This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee's work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position falls within the University Staff Association, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University Staff Association collective bargaining agreement, therefore.

Salary Information

Non-Unit, Non-Exempt, Level 17.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide the contact information for three (3) professional references.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.