Assistant to the Associate Dean of Public Relations (Open Rank)

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

50d•$52,374 - $82,166•Hybrid

About The Position

The School of Medicine Office of Communications, led by the Associate Dean for Public Relations, works in partnership with departments, centers, and other administrative units to promote accomplishments and activities of faculty, staff, and trainees. This role provides operational and executive support to the Associate Dean for Public Relations and a 20+ member communications team, overseeing complex scheduling, prioritization, and workflow coordination. It also facilitates vendor management and procurement processes, including sourcing competitive bids, monitoring project budgets, and ensuring compliance with university policies. Additionally, the position develops and distributes executive reports, presentations, briefing materials, and communications supporting leadership decision-making and organizational initiatives. The role serves as the primary liaison for departmental procurement activities, streamlining purchasing processes and ensuring operational efficiency. Administrative support for the Dean’s Office requires attention to detail, accuracy, follow-up and resolution, the ability to manage multiple projects, and providing high-quality customer service. This includes delivering high-level executive support to senior leadership, ensuring seamless coordination of strategic priorities, meetings, and stakeholder engagements. It also coordinates governance activities for the School of Medicine Executive Committee, managing meeting logistics, agenda development, executive communications, documentation, and follow-up action items. The role supports executive communications and institutional messaging initiatives, including preparation of leadership presentations for the annual State of the School address. It maintains and manages enterprise-wide communication resources, including organizational directories and leadership contact databases supporting operational effectiveness. The position also administers university procurement and travel card programs, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and financial stewardship requirements. It leads planning and execution of executive meetings, events, and special projects, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes. The role serves as a key point of contact for faculty, staff, visitors, and senior leaders, delivering exceptional customer service and fostering positive stakeholder relationships. It provides cross-functional operational support and continuity across the Dean's Office administrative team during periods of high demand and staff absences. The Dean’s Office conducts the search process for recruitments where the Dean is the hiring authority, including for positions at the Chair, Senior Associate Dean, and major Center Director levels. This position will support the office’s Business Operations Team Lead with these efforts, including supporting executive-level search and recruitment processes for senior academic leadership positions, managing search operations from position development through candidate selection, and coordinating search committee activities. It partners with campus leadership and recruitment stakeholders to organize executive candidate visits, interview schedules, travel logistics, and assessment activities. The role oversees recruitment-related procurement and budget administration, manages search process documentation and reporting requirements, and ensures adherence to institutional hiring priorities, human resources policies, procurement standards, and search governance protocols. It serves as a trusted representative of the Dean's Office, engaging professionally with executive leaders, faculty, staff, and candidates throughout the recruitment process, while maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.
1 year of professional experience providing support to leadership and managing projects (for Intermediate Level).
2 years of professional experience providing support to leadership and managing projects (for Senior Level).
A combination of education and related technical/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for the Bachelor’s Degree on a year-to-year basis.
Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
Advanced written, verbal, and professional interpersonal skills.
Exceptional attention to detail.
The ability to navigate a complex academic environment.
Excellent organizational skills and the ability to effectively prioritize.
Exercise judgment and independent initiative.
Handle sensitive and confidential matters.
Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education.
Experience in editorial production.

Responsibilities

Manage the development and production of the School of Medicine Annual Report, coordinating cross-functional stakeholder contributions and ensuring timely publication.
Provide operational and executive support to the Associate Dean for Public Relations and a 20+ member communications team, overseeing complex scheduling, prioritization, and workflow coordination.
Facilitate vendor management and procurement processes, including sourcing competitive bids, monitoring project budgets, and ensuring compliance with university policies.
Develop and distribute executive reports, presentations, briefing materials, and communications supporting leadership decision-making and organizational initiatives.
Serve as the primary liaison for departmental procurement activities, streamlining purchasing processes and ensuring operational efficiency.
Deliver high-level executive support to senior leadership, ensuring seamless coordination of strategic priorities, meetings, and stakeholder engagements.
Coordinate governance activities for the School of Medicine Executive Committee, managing meeting logistics, agenda development, executive communications, documentation, and follow-up action items.
Support executive communications and institutional messaging initiatives, including preparation of leadership presentations for the annual State of the School address.
Maintain and manage enterprise-wide communication resources, including organizational directories and leadership contact databases supporting operational effectiveness.
Administer university procurement and travel card programs, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and financial stewardship requirements.
Lead planning and execution of executive meetings, events, and special projects, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes.
Serve as a key point of contact for faculty, staff, visitors, and senior leaders, delivering exceptional customer service and fostering positive stakeholder relationships.
Provide cross-functional operational support and continuity across the Dean's Office administrative team during periods of high demand and staff absences.
Support executive-level search and recruitment processes for senior academic leadership positions, including department chairs, center directors, and associate deans.
Manage search operations from position development through candidate selection, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, timelines, and governance requirements.
Coordinate search committee activities, including meeting facilitation, agenda development, candidate evaluation processes, and stakeholder communications.
Partner with campus leadership and recruitment stakeholders to organize executive candidate visits, interview schedules, travel logistics, and assessment activities.
Oversee recruitment-related procurement and budget administration, ensuring accurate financial tracking and policy compliance.
Manage search process documentation and reporting requirements, maintaining data integrity and supporting equal opportunity and compliance objectives.
Ensure adherence to institutional hiring priorities, human resources policies, procurement standards, and search governance protocols.
Serve as a trusted representative of the Dean's Office, engaging professionally with executive leaders, faculty, staff, and candidates throughout the recruitment process.
Maintain strict confidentiality and discretion while handling sensitive candidate, organizational, and leadership information.