Executive Assistant

Position Summary

The Office of Advancement is responsible for alum and parent engagement, as well as the fundraising efforts for the College. It interacts with many external and internal members of the extended Vassar community. The Executive Assistant exercises initiative, independent judgment, and integrity while serving as a key liaison with the Office of the President, the Board of Trustees, key alum committees, and major donors. Beyond managing the Vice President's complex schedule and travel, this role provides critical support to the Director of Campaign Operations and Principal Gift Stewardship, and serves as a lead resource for the division's administrative team.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex, high-volume calendar for the VP, including domestic and international travel. Work in close partnership with the Office of the President to align schedules, meetings, and joint travel for the VP and the President.
• Develop itineraries, coordinate schedules of other internal and external participants, and arrange for catered lunches or refreshments.
• Coordinate logistics for any new searches for the VP, including scheduling interviews and managing candidate travel needs.
• Reconcile the VP's expense reports and take on special projects and initiatives as requested.
• Communicate with members of the Board of Trustees when required in a timely and professional manner.
• Support the VP's management of the Development and Trusteeship Committees of the Board, as well as other various committees.
• Assist the VP with document preparation in advance of Board meetings and schedule various committee meetings throughout the year.
• Provide administrative and logistical support to the Director of Campaign Operations and Principal Gift Stewardship, including calendar coordination, meeting scheduling, and project tracking.
• Assist in the planning and execution of fundraising and stewardship events organized by the Director, including donor receptions, campaign events, and special engagement initiatives.
• Assist with coordinating event logistics, including venue reservations, media and telecom needs, catering, guest lists, invitations, travel arrangements, preparation of briefing materials, and take minutes as requested.
• Coordinate the flow of incoming and outgoing mail, telephone calls, and email in a systematic and timely manner.
• Prepare general correspondence, emails, and reports; edit and/or proofread documents.
• Support follow-up actions from meetings by tracking next steps, coordinating responses, and ensuring timely completion of deliverables.
• Maintain and update the CRM database with the VP's correspondence, visits, committee membership, and campaign-related data (including event attendance).
• Manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion, particularly in relation to donor engagement, Board matters, and institutional strategy.
• Organize the annual departmental retreat, staff meetings, cabinet meetings, holiday parties, and other departmental gatherings.
• Serve as a leader and resource to Advancement's administrative assistants and office specialists.
• Promote a positive and welcoming attitude; represent the ethos and style demonstrated by the Vice President.

Required knowledge, skills and abilities

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five years of related experience.
• High level of organization, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Comfort in a fast-paced, collaborative environment that is not always predictable.
• Utmost integrity, diplomacy and confidence; demonstrated ability to handle confidential information in a discreet manner.
• Proficiency with a range of technologies and applications, including, but not limited to, Microsoft Office Suite and Google Apps (Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Mail)
• Self-starter with an ability to manage multiple priorities and projects.

Preferred knowledge, skills and abilities

• Three years directly supporting a senior executive.
• Experience in a higher education environment.
• Familiarity with Workday, Asana, and CRM databases.

Compensation

The compensation for this position is $24.61- $31.99 hourly.

When extending an offer, Vassar College considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, budget, and other market and organizational considerations. The starting salary range represents the College's good faith and reasonable estimate at the time of posting.