Senior Executive Assistant to the President

Job Details

Position Summary & Description

The Senior Executive Assistant to the President reports directly to the President and serves in a confidential senior role that is a principal aide and logistics manager in a combination of a chief of staff, ombudsmen, and office manager role for the office of the president.

Assist the President in planning and executing a wide range of complex and sensitive executive and administrative duties related to policy, procedures, special projects, and/or program implementation, which may include financial and administrative programming as well as represents the president to the other senior staff, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the university’s greater external community stakeholders.

Empowered to make decisions and ensure president’s commitments are met, manages special projects, independently troubleshoots and resolves a variety of problems, and maintains standards of excellence for trust, transparency, and teamwork within the president’s office, campus wide, and in all interactions.

Where appropriate implements projects and completes tasks on behalf of the president and represents the president to internal and external stakeholders.

Supports and advises the president on a variety of projects, day to day tasks, operations, and issues.

This role allows the president to make the most of his/her time and ensures information and decision processes can be more effective.

Responsible for overseeing operational and administrative functions of the office of the president, including directing and assisting the administrative assistant 2 in managing president’s daily schedule, travel arrangements, and reimbursements.

Position Qualifications

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience or
• Associate’s degree and 5 years of experience or
• 10 years of experience in higher education managing special projects, budgets, and/or working to support senior policy executives.
• Proven ability to make administrative and procedural decisions, and/or judgments.

Specialized Training, Program, Licenses or Certificates:

• High competency in computer skills, project management, and ability to track project workflow.

Previous Work Experience:

• Previous work experience in a senior policy executive setting, managing daily and longer-term projects and planning.
• Experience in budget management, project management, and/or developing confidential and sensitive communications.
• Experience in a higher education setting.

Essential Functions

• Manages special projects for the CEO/president, including pre-work, handling follow-up, and sitting in on many related meetings on behalf of or with the president.
• Examines and re-engineers operations and procedures to make operations run more smoothly and efficiently and develops and implements new strategies and procedures.
• Assist the president in organization of the office and matters of the office.
• Serve as troubleshooter and ombudsmen as needed daily.
• Anticipates, identifies, and triages issues, conducts problem resolution, resolves conflicts, and needs from internal and external parties, with an understanding of key sensitivities and positions.
• Handles matters of institutional importance on behalf of the president; supports and sustains a culture of service, professionalism, and continuous improvement in the president’s units.
• Provide briefings to the president and/or president’s cabinet, as needed.
• Plays a key role in the senior leadership team, member of president’s cabinet, budget discussion workgroup, university budget advisory council and other key committees and workgroups, as appointed by the president.
• Builds strong relationships with the president’s cabinet, union and shared governance leadership, faculty members, staff, members of the office of the chancellor, students, and council of trustee members, as well as elected officials, corporate and community leaders, alumni and other key individuals from the community.
• Maintains a good understanding of the office of the president’s budget, president’s divisional budgets, and general university budget situation. Responsible for managing the budgets under the president’s division.
• Ensures optimal use of office resources and budget.
• Oversees the administrative assistant 2 to Provide travel, procurement, facilities arrangements, technology arrangements, expense reimbursements, and account reconciliations for the president, president’s office and units, as needed.
• Research, compose, and communicate via letters, emails, other verbal and written communications, reports, summary documents, and/or white papers for a variety of purposes such as day to day correspondence, research and background, summarizing issues for preparation for decision-making, development of strategies, and ensuring follow-up occurs on key matters.
• Oversees replies to all president’s correspondence, ensuring timely and appropriate messaging and confidentiality.
• Works with marketing and communications on message strategies and specific communications for the president.
• Develop agendas, notes, minutes, and briefings, as needed. Often, these items are confidential and/or can be of the most delicate or political of nature.
• Represents the president to various constituencies, as needed.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Company

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public research-intensive institution located 55 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is one of the two largest universities of the 14 schools comprising the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

For nearly 150 years, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has delivered a highly personalized, intimate, and affordable learning environment. And over time, our commitment to these values has grown into national recognition and praise.

IUP has grown into a world-renowned, highly affordable university spread over 374 beautiful acres. Throughout our many decades, we’ve stayed true to our purpose—bringing a world-class education and outstanding opportunities to our students.

In addition to our main campus in Indiana, Pennsylvania, we also offer programs at our Punxsutawney and Northpointe campuses, as well as the Pittsburgh East center just 20 minutes outside of downtown Pittsburgh.

Transforming lives—it’s why we’re here and what we do best. We focus on giving our students the education, opportunities, and experiences that create ideal conditions for personal growth and success. Along the way, we make an impact on the region, and even the world, through collaborations, shared facilities, research efforts, and our alumni, who take what they’ve learned at IUP with them as they pursue their professional goals.

IUP's Strategic Plan for 2020–28 is designed to transform the culture at IUP to enhance the student experience by fostering exceptional student-centeredness. Transformation will include reordering resources to ensure every student is engaged and can be successful at every point in their journey—transitioning to the university, while enrolled at IUP, and after their time at IUP.

IUP and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education offer a comprehensive benefit package designed to provide employees a variety of choices to best fit the employees' individual needs and the needs of their family.

IUP is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is an equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity and through providing equal employment to minorities, females, veterans, and disabled individuals.