Executive Support Manager

Executive Support Manager

The Executive Support Manager provides high-level administrative and strategic support to senior admissions leadership, exercising independent judgment on priorities, scheduling, and special projects while advising on office procedure and policy.

Responsibilities include managing the daily operations and front-line support for the office of the Vice President, Associate Vice President, and Dean of College Admissions. The role involves exercising independent judgment in managing complex, competing travel and meeting priorities, creating and preparing daily briefings, event briefings for senior leadership, and coordinating high profile events and programs. The Executive Support Manager supports coordination of leadership travel domestically and internationally throughout the year, develops recommendations on operational and administrative matters for the Vice President and Dean's review to support developing and implementing new processes to improve office-wide efficiency, and serves as a back-up for the College Admissions Office Manager, managing the day-to-day operations of the office and managing student staff.

The role also involves exercising discretion in handling confidential matters related to personnel, budget planning, and executive scheduling on behalf of senior leadership, staying informed of activities relating to University programs and initiatives, apprising leadership of issues when deemed necessary, coordinating information flow from leadership to University partners and leadership as directed, and may staff Board of Directors meetings. The Executive Support Manager initiates correspondence and other written materials under own signature or for signature of leadership, triages emails and telephone calls for action, resolves routine and complex inquiries, performs special reports and summaries, assists in managing daily operation of the office, and may assist in developing administrative goals and policies. The role also coordinates special projects as directed by the leader, prepares write ups for recommendations for operational and administrative problems, may manage a portion of the leader's budget, monitoring and reconciling accounts, and prepares financial and/or administrative reports.

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree). Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor's degree, managing and working with fast-paced senior executives, creating briefings and anticipating scheduling and administrative needs for leadership, background with expense management and reconciliation, preferably through the GEMS system, managing vendors, supply orders, inventories, and related budgets, knowledge of University of Chicago resources and programs, demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), competence with online databases and tools, such as Box, Concur, Workspace, and Zoom, excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication, customer service skills including confidence and professionalism over phone and email communications, handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously, set priorities and streamline projects and processes, while meeting strict deadlines with frequent interruptions, maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information, manage high volumes of visitors with a positive outlook and a can-do attitude, high level of attention to detail and strong organizational skills, and manage schedules and shift assignments for employees.