Office Manager - Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM)

Office Manager

The Office Manager (Manager) in the Dean's Office at The Chicago School's Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine (IllinoisCOM) is the primary administrative support for the Dean of IllinoisCOM and the player-coach manager for all Administrative Assistants (AAs) at the IllinoisCOM. The Manager is responsible for managing the Dean's calendar, travel arrangements, expenses, and other regular activities in the Office of the Dean. The Manager may also provide high-level administrative support to 1-2 other members of the executive team at IllinoisCOM.

Successful candidates will be proactive and strategic with an ability to manage a complex schedule, travel, and office operations in a way that enables the Dean and executive team to trust that all administrative matters are covered. Successful candidates will be highly capable of independent and collaborative work. This position is located at the Chicago, IL campus location, with the opportunity to work remotely one day a week. Occasional domestic travel may be required to support key meetings and events. The Manager will report to the Executive Office Manager in the Office of the President. The Manager will work closely with other members of the team in IllinoisCOM, as well as colleagues across The Chicago School, to coordinate key strategic projects on behalf of IllinoisCOM.

Principal Duties:

• Manage a complex schedule with the end user in mind
• Schedule, execute, and coordinate a seamless run of the Dean's daily schedule, juggling multiple, simultaneous requests across multiple time zones and internal and external stakeholders. Proactively resolve conflicts and/or escalate issues to the Executive Office Manager to ensure quick resolution; do not let issues linger.
• Strategically and expertly manage Dean's calendar and minimize Dean's multitasking to increase focus and ensure best use of limited time (e.g., time blocking and defining limits, strategic scheduling to reserve focus time, etc.)
• Block and tackle superfluous issues before they enter Dean's purview. At any time, the Manager should be aware of what's going on with schedules and priorities so that if someone is not available, or something goes wrong, they can step in and support.
• Ensure that the Dean understands the basics of who, what, where, why, and how of every meeting. Prepare and discuss all essential logistics for the Dean's meetings, in coordination with key colleagues.
• Manage travel with the end user in mind
• Accountable for overseeing, arranging, and booking all travel and check ins, coordinating with all stakeholders, and thinking through the Dean's needs throughout the journey and understanding preferences, working to enact them or communicating when preferences are not attainable. Be aware of where the Dean is traveling and developing needs.
• Provide clear, comprehensive travel prep packs, including detailed travel itinerary, logistical confirmations, meeting itineraries, stakeholder bios, etc.
• Prepare and manage all assigned expense reports, in accordance with university travel and expense policies
• Oversee day-to-day responsibilities in the Dean's Office & Special Projects
• Provide high-level administrative support (appointment scheduling, expense management) to 1-2 other members of the executive team; provide back-up coverage for other EAs across the team as necessary
• Manage special projects with various teams within College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Coordinate with Legal and HR, and others to track and execute contracts or other required paperwork
• Manage regular correspondence and deliveries (e.g., celebration cards, gifts, etc.)
• Manage other duties as assigned, including research for upcoming meetings, writing key communications or proposals, proofreading memos or presentations, etc.
• Manage a team of university AAs
• Hire, supervise, coach, and develop a team of AAs across COM. Provide all people management support across the employee lifecycle.
• Define and implement critical office procedures, practices, templates, etc. that are standardized across teams and AAs.
• Create, update, and maintain a comprehensive manual of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual responsibilities and tasks related to AA support
• Proactively identify and address opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the administrative functions within COM

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher
• Minimum 3-5 years' experience as an EA to executive leaders
• Outstanding technical skill with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom
• Competent technical skill with Microsoft Office Suite (especially PowerPoint, Excel, and Word)

Ideal Qualifications:

• Outstanding technical skill with Microsoft Office Suite (especially PowerPoint, Excel, and Word)
• Competent technical skill with Concur travel and expense management systems

Required Skills:

• Superior organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail: demonstrated ability to track multiple ongoing priorities and projects
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated experience and ability to interact professionally with high-level internal and external stakeholders (e.g., Board members, potential donors, executives)
• Positive, team-oriented attitude and a collaborative working style
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement and maintain poise under pressure and handle matters with sound judgement, extreme confidentiality, and diplomacy
• Absolute discretion and sound judgment: maintain confidentiality and manage high-pressure situations with tact and sensitivity

Compensation & Benefits

This opportunity is budgeted at $65,000 - $75,000 base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, click the link below.

The Chicago School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please note: For the protection of faculty, staff, students, and all who enter our facilities, The Chicago School strongly recommends that all employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 per CDC guidance.