Assistant to Vice President

Assistant to Vice President

The Assistant to the Vice President serves as the primary executive administrative partner for the Vice President for Strategy and Partnerships within the Office of Strategic Transformation at Miami University. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, discretion, and strategic foresight, the Assistant manages the daily operations of the Vice President's immediate office, coordinates cross-functional strategic initiatives and acts as a key administrative bridge to internal university leadership, corporate partners, healthcare institutions, government agencies, and community stakeholders.

Essential Duties

• Executive Operations & Strategic Support
• Calendar & Schedule Management: Proactively manage and optimize the Vice President's complex executive calendar; evaluate strategic priorities, resolve scheduling conflicts, and ensure effective allocation of the VP's time.
• Schedule all travel arrangements for the VP and submit travel reimbursements.
• Executive Preparation & Briefings: Anticipate the VP's daily needs by gathering background materials, preparing comprehensive briefing packets, and compiling meeting materials ahead of high-level engagements.
• Communication Management: Serve as the principal point of contact and liaison for the office. Screen and route incoming correspondence and requests from senior leadership, external partners, and government officials.
• Project Oversight & Follow-through: Track administrative action items arising from executive meetings, committee deliberations, and partnership discussions; follow up with stakeholders to ensure timely execution.
• Manage budget for Office of Strategic Transformation. Process budget transfers, requisitions, manage and reconcile the departmental and VP's credit cards.

• Partnership & Division Coordination
• Liaison & Collaboration: Work closely with the Office of Strategic Transformation team (e.g., Associate VPs, Industry Partnership Liaisons) and academic divisions to facilitate interdepartmental workflows.
• Hosting: Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of high-level partner campus visits. Including drafting agendas, itineraries, briefing materials and securing meeting spaces and other hospitality needs.

• Administrative Leadership & Office Management
• Manage day-to-day operations of the office of the VP, including ensuring compliance with policies and procedures, reviewing communications, and assisting with human resources transactions.
• Information & Confidentiality Management: Handle sensitive, confidential, and proprietary information regarding university strategy, policy, personnel matters, and partnership terms with appropriate discretion and in accordance with university policies.
• Office Workflows: Standardize administrative processes, digital archiving, and records management within the Office of Strategic Transformation to maximize efficiency.

• Communications & Special Projects
• Executive Drafting: Draft, edit, and proofread complex executive communications, institutional reports, announcements, slide presentations, and formal correspondence on behalf of the Vice President.
• Special Initiatives: Support and coordinate special administrative projects tied to the implementation of the strategic plan and university transformation goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and minimum of 3 years of administrative experience, preferably in higher education or an executive setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education administration, corporate relations, or strategic partnerships.
• Experience working with university enterprise software (Workday, Concur, Slate, Google Applications, Microsoft Office).

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Executive Discretion & Professionalism: Demonstrates exceptional judgment, tact, and composure when dealing with sensitive, high-profile matters and diverse stakeholders.
• Project & Priority Management: Highly organized with demonstrated ability to multitask, manage tight deadlines, adapt to changing priorities, and drive results in a dynamic environment.
• Communication Excellence: Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; capable of representing the VP and the Office professionally and accurately, within delegated authority.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Strong critical thinking skills with a proactive approach to anticipating needs and resolving complex operational problems independently.
• Technology Proficiency: Proficiency with calendar management, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and virtual meeting platforms.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Broad understanding of university organizational structures, governance, and academic processes.