Office of Faculty Affairs Administrative Specialist, Assistant to the Vice Dean

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The UW School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs has an outstanding opportunity for an Administrative Specialist, Assistant to the Vice Dean to join their team. Reporting to the Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, with day-to-day management from the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) Program Manager, the OFA Administrative Specialist, Assistant to the Vice Dean provides high-level administrative and operational support that helps OFA deliver on its mission to support and empower School of Medicine faculty to learn, grow, and thrive. This highly visible role keeps complex schedules, communications, programs, and strategic projects moving forward while partnering with deans, department chairs, faculty, administrators, medical center executives, and colleagues across UW Medicine. The successful candidate will bring sound judgment, diplomacy, discretion, and a service-oriented approach to a fast-paced academic medical environment. OFA offers faculty a wide range of leadership development, well-being, career design, teaching, and academic medicine programs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in communications, business administration, or a related field, and two years of professional experience providing high-level administrative coverage.
Demonstrated ability to work independently with reliability, accuracy, and productivity; solve administrative problems; balance competing priorities; and achieve results across multiple levels of a complex organization.
Strong interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to build collaborative working relationships, address sensitive administrative matters, and handle confidential information responsibly and professionally.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint, plus experience with data or survey platforms such as Qualtrics, REDCap, or Microsoft Forms.

Nice To Haves

Three or more years of professional experience providing high-level administrative coverage, particularly for senior leaders in a large higher education institution, academic medical center, or similarly complex organization.
Knowledge of UW Medicine, the UW School of Medicine, or UW Health Sciences schools and departments, along with familiarity with Workday or related enterprise systems.
Experience using advanced Microsoft 365 functionality, such as complex Excel features or Power Automate, to streamline work and improve operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

Provide trusted, high-level support to the Vice Dean and other OFA leaders by managing confidential, rapidly changing calendars in coordination with other Department roles; anticipating conflicts; and sustaining continuity during travel or external engagements.
Lead scheduling and administrative support for assigned committees, workgroups, and recurring meetings, including preparing agendas and materials, documenting decisions and minutes, tracking deadlines, and following up on action items; provide backup meeting support across the OFA administrative team.
Serve as a responsive point of contact for OFA phone, mail, and email communications, using independent judgment to resolve or route requests; partner on office administration and accurately process travel, purchasing, invoices, reimbursements, and expense reports in accordance with UW requirements.
Translate OFA priorities into clear, polished internal and external communications, presentations, and administrative workflows that help faculty leaders and team members stay aligned and informed.
Build and maintain databases, records, and confidential documentation related to project planning, budgets, financial reporting, audits, contracts, and personnel activities, ensuring appropriate handling and compliance with University, state, and federal requirements.
Strengthen office effectiveness by learning evolving programs and technology, applying independent judgment, and improving administrative tools and processes; support annual reviews and staff or faculty recruitment activities as needed.
Act as a liaison among OFA, deans, department chairs, faculty, administrators, and UW Medicine leaders, prioritizing time-sensitive matters and navigating complex or sensitive communications with discretion.
Coordinate cross-functional projects and engagement activities such as surveys, focus groups, team meetings, and presentations; create and maintain project plans, Gantt charts, timelines, workflows, action plans, and follow-up systems to keep deliverables on track.