"Sociology Executive Assistant"

A cover letter and resume are required and should be submitted as a single document with your online application. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline your skills and experiences that directly relate to this position. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

HINT: Please save using a .pdf format for your materials, as other formats (Word or Google docs) often come through the application system with distorted formatting. Please use the following naming convention for your file: "LAST NAME, FIRST NAME Soc EA application".

The Sociology Department in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts is excited to announce an opening for a highly skilled Executive Assistant. This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in an upwardly mobile career path in higher education one that will incorporate a broad range of skill sets, multiple roles in an administrative team, and expanding forms of responsibility. The Sociology Department is one of the top Sociology departments in the world, and the Executive Assistant serves as a significant member of the Sociology Chair's administrative team. This role has two main components: 1) Provide high-level support to the Chair, Executive Committee, and Chief Administrator, and 2) Serve as a lead coordinator for the department's largest and most important initiatives.

We seek an individual capable of continuing our history of excellence and supporting our strategic initiatives. The successful candidate will demonstrate a mix of discretion, emotional intelligence, technical skill, and the ability to work effectively and empathetically with a variety of people. They will be professionally adept, technically skilled, efficient, well-organized, and perceptive when addressing senior leaders' needs. They will demonstrate original thinking, a willingness to seek out opportunities to improve processes, and an interest in developing new skills. We require someone with the proven ability to exercise a positive service-oriented attitude; exercise solid judgment; and handle challenging situations with tact and diplomacy.

This position reports to the Chief Administrator, Elizabeth Jahn, and receives a significant portion of their day-to-day work from the Department Chair, Elizabeth A. Armstrong.

Responsibilities

• Maintain calendars, including planning and scheduling meetings, conferences, videoconferences, and travel arrangements for both the Department Chair and Chief Administrator.
• Provide a high level of administrative support for academic human resources functions including tenure-track faculty searches and hiring, tenure and promotion cases, requests for scholarly leaves, award nominations, as well as the hiring and review processes for the department's LEO Lecturers. Serve as the first point of contact for faculty with questions regarding these processes.
• Organize the logistics of weekly departmental Executive Committee meetings, monthly Faculty meetings, and other special meetings that may arise. Create agendas with input from the chair and other stakeholders. Take meeting minutes and maintain a historical record of all related documents. Provide support to the department's faculty Personnel Committee.
• Safeguard the office's operational integrity by treating confidential information with the utmost discretion.
• Coordinate and execute departmental special events, including colloquium lectures and departmental receptions. Ensure the successful planning and implementation of these events.
• Assist with advancement and alumni relations activities, fostering strong relationships and supporting the department's strategic goals.
• Represent the department with the highest level of professionalism when communicating with stakeholders both within and outside the department
• Contribute to the executive team's decision-making processes by offering advice based on a thorough understanding of institutional policies and procedures.
• Participate in and oversee departmental projects, guaranteeing deliverables meet the outlined timelines.

Required Qualifications

• Three or more years of progressively responsible administrative experience either as an executive assistant or in a similar administrative role.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects and processes, maintaining detailed records over a long period of time, and exercising independent judgment.
• Because much of this work now moves through digital environments, we require a high level of proficiency with a variety of applications including web-based databases, spreadsheets, presentation software, and word processing. In particular, we seek expertise in all Microsoft Suite software, Adobe Acrobat, and Google applications.
• We will expect you to create and maintain a wide variety of written documents intended for different audiences. The successful candidate will be a fluid writer with experience in drafting correspondence, reports, and other written materials for both formal and informal audiences.
• High levels of professionalism, emotional intelligence, and discretion with confidential information.
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• The ability to work independently and within a team, taking initiative as appropriate.
• Strong problem-solving skills, paired with proven ability to resolve logistical and operational challenges.
• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five or more years of administrative support experience in an academic setting which included scheduling meetings, creating agendas and taking meeting minutes, making travel arrangements, and planning and coordinating departmental events.
• Prior experience with faculty academic human resources processes including reviews, tenure and promotion cases, faculty leaves, as well as faculty searches and hiring.
• Working knowledge of the College of LSA's policies and procedures, particularly in the area of faculty academic affairs.

Schedule and Work Arrangement

This is a full-time, year-round position with somewhat flexible working hours. During the academic year, the Executive Assistant works a hybrid schedule spending four days on campus with the option of working remotely one day per week. The period from mid-May to mid-August allows for more flexibility at the discretion of the Chief Administrator and Chair.

The schedule needs to align with both the Chair's schedule and the department's ongoing operational needs. Some evening and weekend hours are required. These hours will be scheduled well in advance and are only required a few times each year.

Please note that new employees will be asked to work 100% in person for the first three months in the position.

Salary

The salary range for this position is $58,000 to $72,600, please note a higher salary may be offered based on the selected candidate's experience.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit https://lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.