Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff and VP for Strategy and Effectiveness

The Executive Assistant (EA) provides high-level, mission-critical administrative, strategic, and project-based support to the Chief of Staff & Vice President for Strategy and Effectiveness. Operating at the intersection of university leadership, governance, and institutional strategy, this role requires an exceptionally organized, proactive, and discreet professional. The ideal candidate will serve as a key liaison and gatekeeper, managing complex schedules, coordinating high-profile institutional initiatives, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day operations of the VP’s office in a dynamic, matrixed higher education environment. Position Responsibilities Advanced Executive Operations, AI, & Workflow Automation Strategic Foresight & Workflow Design: Anticipate, analyze, and coordinate the administrative demands of the Office of the COS/Vice President. Design, implement, and continuously optimize office systems, procedures, digital schedules, and workflows. AI-Driven Efficiency: Integrate emerging AI tools and automation platforms to maximize operational efficiency. Calendar & Meeting Management: Manage the COS/Vice President’s complex calendar and coordinate seamless meeting logistics, amenities, and technology setups for both on- and off-campus engagements. External Affairs Support: Assist the COS/Vice President with high-level institutional responsibilities and strategic initiatives they assume outside the University. Student Workforce Management: Hire, supervise, train, and mentor student workers, fostering a tech-forward and professional office environment. Strategic Communication, Governance, & Information Flow Comprehensive Administrative Support: Deliver high-level administrative execution, including meticulous record-keeping, multi-channel electronic file maintenance, and precise electronic communications. Executive Triaging & Representation: Serve as the initial point of contact for inquiries to the Office of the COS/Vice President. Regularly represent the office with a wide range of internal and external constituents at all levels of the University with high political savvy and critical thinking. Committee Governance & Minute Integration: Record, transcribe, and distribute minutes for executive meetings as requested. Assist in the preparation of agendas and distribution of materials, and utilize modern tracking systems to monitor action items and hold project leads accountable. Digital Footprint Management: Maintain operational oversight of the office’s webpages, intranet portals, and other electronic or social media resources as needed. Content Generation & Editing: Draft, edit, and proofread high-level institutional correspondence, briefing memos, announcements, and reports using advanced prompting and synthesis skills to ensure clarity and impact. Financial Stewardship & Strategic Initiatives Budgetary Oversight: Monitor expenditure and budget reports for the office, identifying variances and ensuring fiscal responsibility. Travel & Expense Optimization: Handle comprehensive business travel arrangements for the COS/Vice President and staff, tracking expenditures diligently against the budget. Strategic Planning Support: Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to provide administrative and operational support for university-wide strategic planning processes, activities, benchmarks, and initiatives. Special Events & Program Development: Assist the COS/Vice President with special program/event development, and actively assist at major University-wide events. Institutional Engagement & Cultural Alignment Committee Service: Serve on institutional committees as requested by the COS/Vice President to represent the strategic interests of the office. Campus Presence: Attend University meetings and events as required to remain deeply connected to the campus community. Mission & Values Alignment: Embodiment of the university’s core values of excellence, authenticity, stewardship, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm, relationships, and innovation. Inclusive Community Building: Seek to treat each member of the campus community with fairness, dignity, and respect, fostering a spirit of unity and harmony to achieve the institution's collective vision and mission. Agility: Perform other duties as assigned to support the evolving needs of the division. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Education & Experience Experience: A minimum of 5–7 years of progressive executive administrative support or operations experience strongly preferred. Higher Education Context: Prior experience navigating the complexities of a college or university preferred. Technical Acumen & AI-Driven Workflows Digital Workflow Automation: Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools and automation platforms to optimize email management, streamline workflows, and reduce response times. Software Proficiency: Advanced mastery of Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace, alongside experience managing digital platforms, intranets, or webpage CMS interfaces. Project Management Tools: Proficiency using collaborative project management software to track institutional strategic goals and deliverables. Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving Proactive Triaging & Strategic Foresight: Proven capability to independently assess complex, ambiguous situations, anticipate operational bottlenecks, and implement rapid contingency plans before schedules or deliverables are impacted. Data Synthesis: Strong analytical skills with the ability to utilize advanced prompting and synthesis tools to distill large volumes of institutional data or meeting notes into concise, actionable executive briefs. Financial & Budgetary Stewardship: Demonstrated experience monitoring expenditures, tracking budget reports, and optimizing travel/logistical spending in compliance with organizational policies. Communication & Relationship Management Executive Presence: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to confidently and diplomatically serve as the initial point of contact and represent the office to a wide range of internal and external constituents at all levels. Impeccable Discretion: Highly developed political savvy and a proven track record of handling sensitive, highly confidential institutional information with absolute integrity. Leadership & Collaboration: Experience hiring, training, and supervising student workers or staff, with a strong commitment to mentoring and fostering a collaborative team environment. Cultural & Mission Alignment Missional Alignment: Deep alignment with the university's core values of excellence, authenticity, stewardship, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm, relationships, and innovation . Inclusive Relationship Building: A demonstrated commitment to treating every member of the campus community with fairness, dignity, and respect, actively contributing to a spirit of campus unity and harmony. #J-18808-Ljbffr Eastern University