Executive Assistant to the VP for Advancement

About Roanoke College

Roanoke College is a place where every student who works hard has the opportunity to succeed. We champion potential, providing essential learning and leadership through innovative academic programs and transformative educational experiences, giving students the mettle, mindset, and empathy to pursue lives of purpose, build meaningful careers, and meet society’s most pressing needs. Located in scenic Salem, Virginia, Roanoke College is an intimate, welcoming community that has served the local region and beyond for nearly 200 years. Now, we’re building on momentum and offering a Roanoke experience for today’s students and a legacy that belongs to every Maroon. Learn about the College's new strategic plan, Imagine Roanoke: A Strategic Plan for Roanoke College and the 21st Century Learner .

Roanoke College is a nationally ranked residential liberal arts college affiliated with the Lutheran Church (ELCA), located in the beautiful Roanoke Valley of Virginia. A Phi Beta Kappa institution, Roanoke College is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks diversity among its faculty, staff, and students; women and members of under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

The Position

The Senior Executive Assistant & Project Coordinator provides high-level executive, administrative, and operational leadership in support of the Vice President for Advancement and serves as a key operational resource for the Advancement division. This position is responsible for the administration, coordination, oversight, and continuous improvement of critical Advancement processes, including executive operations, fundraising support, planned giving administration, records management, project coordination, and divisional office operations.

As a trusted partner to the Vice President, Advancement staff, donors, volunteers, trustees, and campus colleagues, the incumbent exercises substantial discretion and independent judgment in managing priorities, coordinating projects and resources, handling confidential information, resolving operational matters, recommending process improvements, and ensuring the effective execution of divisional objectives. The position owns and manages key operational workflows and business processes that support the efficiency, compliance, and effectiveness of Advancement operations.

This position routinely exercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to significant administrative, operational, and project-related matters and is expected to make decisions within established policies with limited day-to-day supervision.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Support

•Own and manage the Vice President's calendar, meetings, travel, expense reporting, and related executive support processes.

•Serve as a primary point of contact for internal and external constituents, independently addressing routine matters and appropriately escalating complex issues.

•Prepare correspondence, agendas, reports, presentations, briefing materials, and executive communications.

•Anticipate needs, assess competing priorities, and determine appropriate actions to support executive decision-making and divisional objectives.

•Manage executive office workflows and communication processes to ensure timely follow-up, accountability, and execution of priorities.

•Exercise discretion and independent judgment in handling confidential, sensitive, and strategic information.

•Develop, maintain, and distribute divisional calendars, schedules, and operational planning tools.

Advancement Administration

•Serve as the central administrative and operational resource for the Advancement division.

•Own, administer, and continuously improve departmental records, systems, workflows, and administrative processes.

•Manage divisional purchasing, invoice processing, office supply administration, and related operational procedures.

•Reconcile departmental expenses and monitor routine budget-related transactions in partnership with the Budget Manager.

•Lead onboarding logistics, workspace preparation, and administrative integration processes for new team members.

•Evaluate administrative procedures and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and customer service.

•Develop and document standard operating procedures and best practices to ensure consistency and operational continuity.

•May supervise, train, and direct the work of student assistants.

Fundraising & Donor Support

•Manage and coordinate donor engagement logistics and fundraising support processes for frontline fundraisers.

•Coordinate donor meetings, visits, cultivation activities, and follow-up actions to ensure a seamless donor experience.

•Administer the preparation, routing, tracking, and processing of gift agreements and related documentation.

•Ensure the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of donor records and activity documentation within the CRM.

•Coordinate fundraising projects, reports, and strategic initiatives, monitoring progress and identifying issues requiring attention.

•Serve as a resource regarding administrative processes, documentation standards, and donor-related workflows.

Planned Giving Administration

•Own and administer operational processes supporting the planned giving program.

•Manage the processing, documentation, and recordkeeping associated with planned gifts and related agreements.

•Coordinate gift illustrations, annuity calculations, supporting documentation, and stewardship workflows.

•Oversee administrative processes related to life-income gifts, insurance premium payments, and planned gift administration.

•Serve as the primary administrative liaison among Advancement Services, the Business Office, legal counsel, vendors, and donors to ensure accurate and compliant gift administration.

•Maintain records and documentation necessary to support audits, reporting requirements, and compliance obligations.

•Monitor planned giving workflows and recommend improvements to strengthen efficiency and service.

Board, Volunteer & Event Support

•Coordinate administrative support for Advancement committees, campaign activities, volunteer leadership groups, and advisory boards.

•Prepare meeting materials, record minutes, track decisions, and monitor follow-up activities.

•Manage logistical planning and operational support for donor, stewardship, campaign, and planned giving events.

•Ensure event-related processes, communications, documentation, and follow-up activities are completed accurately and on schedule.

•Provide occasional evening and weekend support for Advancement events and activities.

Records Management & Reporting

•Own and administer Advancement records management, document retention, and information governance processes.

•Ensure data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance standards are maintained across constituent and advancement systems.

•Develop, maintain, and improve reporting tools, tracking mechanisms, and operational dashboards that support informed decision-making.

•Monitor data quality and recommend corrective actions and process enhancements as needed.

•Serve as a departmental resource regarding advancement databases, reporting tools, and business processes.

•Generate and distribute reports in support of fundraising, planned giving, stewardship, and operational objectives.

Qualifications

Required

•Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

•3 to 5 years of administrative, executive support, advancement, fundraising, or related experience.

•Strong organizational, project management, communication, and interpersonal skills.

•Ability to manage confidential information with discretion.

•High attention to detail and accuracy.

•Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment in managing priorities, confidential matters, projects, and operational processes with minimal supervision.

•Demonstrated ability to develop, administer, and improve business processes, systems, and workflows in a complex professional environment.

•Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

•Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

•Ability to support occasional evening and weekend events.

•Valid driver's license and ability to travel locally.

Preferred

•Experience in higher education, nonprofit, fundraising, alumni relations, or advancement settings.

•Experience supporting senior leaders.

•Knowledge of planned giving, gift administration, donor relations, or advancement operations.

•Experience with CRM or advancement databases.

•Experience with budgeting, purchasing, travel coordination, and expense reconciliation.