Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Executive Assistant to the Avanessians Director provides senior-level executive, operational, and administrative support to the Director of the Data Science Institute. The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted and proactive partner to the Director, helping to manage a complex portfolio of academic, research, faculty, and institutional priorities, and as backup to the Executive Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Strategic Alliances.

The Executive Assistant anticipates needs, manages competing priorities, prepares the Director for high-level engagements, and ensures that commitments and follow-up actions are effectively coordinated. This role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, initiative, diplomacy, and attention to detail. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in an academic and research environment where priorities can evolve quickly and where the Director's time must be carefully balanced.

Responsibilities

• Manage a highly complex and dynamic calendar for the Director, exercising independent judgment to prioritize meetings, research commitments, faculty engagements, speaking invitations, University meetings, travel, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Serve as a professional and responsive representative of the Director's Office, exercising discretion and diplomacy in managing access to the Director. Maintain awareness of the Director's priorities and proactively anticipate scheduling, information, and preparation needs. Evaluate meeting requests and invitations, identify conflicts or competing priorities, and recommend scheduling decisions or alternative arrangements. Monitor correspondence and inquiries to the Director's inbox, determining which matters require immediate attention, delegation, response, or escalation.
• Work closely with the Director of Special Projects to coordinate internal and cross-University engagements involving the Avanessians Director.
• Manage meeting logistics, including room reservations, catering, technology, agendas, materials, attendee coordination, and follow-up.
• Track commitments, decisions, deadlines, and follow-up actions arising from meetings and engagements, ensuring that appropriate parties are identified and follow-through occurs.
• Arrange complex domestic and international travel for the Director, including itineraries, lodging, transportation, meeting schedules, and contingency planning.
• Prepare, submit, and reconcile expense reports in accordance with Columbia University policies and deadlines; maintaining accurate administrative records and tracking systems.
• Draft, review, edit, and coordinate selected correspondence on behalf of the Director, including communications with faculty, University leadership, research partners, and other stakeholders.
• Prepare briefing packets, presentations, reports, agendas, decision materials, talking points, and other executive-level documents. Conduct background research and compile relevant information to support the Director's preparation for meetings, presentations, events, and strategic discussions.
• Support special projects and initiatives led by or involving the Director, particularly those related to research, faculty engagement, DSI's academic mission, and institutional priorities.
• Provide project coordination support, including developing timelines, tracking deliverables, coordinating stakeholders, preparing materials, and ensuring follow-through.
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative processes, communication, and information flow within the Director's Office.
• Develop and maintain systems that enable the Director to efficiently manage a broad portfolio of academic, research, and institutional commitments.
• Supports front desk operations for the Northwest Corner suite on a shared basis with the COO and CSA's executive assistant, including supporting reception and inquiries.
• Manages the scheduling, setup, and technical readiness of the Avanessians conference room, ensuring space is equipped with necessary materials and technology for effective meetings.
• Serves as executive support back up for the COO and/or CSA when needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• A minimum of 3 years of progressively responsible administrative or executive support experience, preferably in higher education, research, academia, nonprofit organizations, or a similarly complex environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior executives, academic leaders, faculty, or other senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional organizational, written, and oral communication skills, with outstanding attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate, polished materials.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and professionalism in a complex executive environment.
• Proven ability to manage complex calendars, competing priorities, confidential correspondence, meeting preparation, travel, and follow-up with minimal supervision.
• Strong proficiency with Google Workspace, Gmail, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Zoom, and related collaboration tools, with the ability to learn new technologies quickly.
• Experience managing sensitive and confidential information involving faculty, students, personnel, research, financial matters, or institutional priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, solve problems proactively, and take ownership of assignments from initiation through completion.
• Ability to remain composed and effective in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and tight deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a complex organization with multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to remain composed, flexible, and effective in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects independently while working collaboratively as a member of a team.
• Experience with HubSpot CRM and CMS and Asana a plus

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.