Operations Manager: Legal & Strategic Communications

Barnard College seeks a proactive, professional, and organized individual to provide administrative support to two offices of the College: the Office of the General Counsel and the Office for Strategic Communications and Government Relations.

This position equally supports both offices. Equal time is allocated to each office per a structured weekly schedule.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment and will demonstrate a commitment to excellence, confidentiality, and service.

Administrative Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for both Offices, handling inquiries with professionalism and discretion.
• Draft, edit, and proofread correspondence, reports, presentations, and other documents.
• Coordinate logistics for meetings, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, and following up on action items.
• Manage complex calendars, including scheduling internal and external meetings, travel arrangements, and event coordination.
• Maintain centralized organized filing systems (digital and paper), ensuring easy access and confidentiality.
• Leverage technology to facilitate smooth and efficient operations of both offices.
• Manage subscriptions and paid accounts
• Compile and track press clippings
• Manage special projects and other duties as assigned

Office Operations

• Support day-to-day operations of both Offices, including procurement of supplies, expense reporting, invoice tracking and budget tracking.
• Prepare legal documents, monitor court dockets, and perform other paralegal tasks under the supervision of an attorney.
• Print and organize documents for each department.
• Liaise with internal departments and external stakeholders on behalf of each office.

Project Coordination

• Support initiatives across offices, including legal affairs, communications, public affairs, and government relations.
• Track timelines and deliverables for ongoing projects and affirmatively provide regular updates to the Offices.

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of administrative experience, preferably in a higher education, legal, communications, or government environment.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• High proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and digital collaboration tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Workspace).
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, as well as collaborate across departments.
• Quick learner with strong attention to detail.

Preferred:

• Proficiency or expertise using Workday systems.
• Experience supporting senior executives in legal, public affairs, or higher education contexts.
• Comfort and diplomacy in interfacing with high-level external stakeholders and government officials.
• Paralegal experience.
• Notary license.