Executive Assistant to the Dean

San José State University•San Jose, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

San José State University’s Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering is an innovative, collaborative, and supportive environment that empowers employees to achieve professional and personal goals while contributing to the university’s student-centered mission. A member of the 23-campus California State university system, San José State University (SJSU) is situated in the entrepreneurial heart of Silicon Valley. The College of Engineering at San Jose State University comprises ten departments and independent programs which employs nearly 400 faculty and staff to support more than 7,000 local and international students. Committed to excellence and service, the expert staff of the College of Engineering frequently work with multiple external stakeholders and partners from across campus and other institutions. Reporting to the Dean in the College of Engineering, the Executive Assistant (EA) enhances the dean’s effectiveness by working with the dean to advance the college’s strategic plan. The EA provides information management support by drafting documents and memos; preparing reports and presentations; and collecting and analyzing information to advance the college’s Strategic Plan. The EA conducts research and analyzes confidential information to support college personnel and student planning. Additionally, the EA maintains dean’s schedule by planning and scheduling meetings, conferences, small to medium size events, and travel. The EA performs duties independently to achieve specified outcomes and may represent the dean to others when appropriate. This position advances strategic initiatives and ensures day-to-day business functions are aligned with the core values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Requirements

Maintains effective working relationship with the dean and the dean’s office team to understand and carry out directives independently.
Composes timely, accurate and appropriately formatted correspondence and reports.
Prioritizes and balances a heavy workload with high level of productivity, proficiency and precision.
Anticipates problems and addresses them proactively.
Knowledge of English grammar, business writing, punctuation and spelling.
Excellent oral and written communications skills.
Maintains confidentiality and exercise mature judgment to appropriately handle sensitive communications with students, employees and external agencies.
Investigates and analyzes problems with a broad administrative impact and implication.
Maintains composure in high stress situations.
Provides excellent customer service and manages public relations.
Demonstrates expertise in Microsoft Office and Google suite software programs (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, calendaring).
Ability to work with representatives from public and private entities and handle potentially sensitive situations. Demonstrated consultative skills in working with internal and external constituent groups.
Demonstrated ability to learn, adapt to, and apply artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.
Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Four years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent training.
Experience providing high level administrative support.
Excellent technical office skills – ability to develop presentation materials, create and analyze spreadsheets, merge data, and calendaring.
Experience preparing high level written and electronic correspondence.

Responsibilities

Leads special project assignments and research projects for the dean which advance the college’s Strategic Plan impact on the college, including researching and reporting on college student statistics and writing reports for VIP college endowment donors.
Analyzes and prepares reports using data from the institutional effectiveness and analytics website to track strategic plan progress and to meet the needs of the dean and other constituents.
Works closely with University Advancement’s Director of Development for the college on outreach and stewardship.
Responsible for planning and designing, implementing and managing small to medium scale events led by the dean such as: External advisory board meetings, all college welcome back meetings, and corporate and peer institution visits on campus.
Manages issues of a highly confidential and sensitive nature for the dean, on a regular basis.
Monitors the dean’s incoming correspondence; determines the urgency level of a response and as appropriate develops and disseminates information on behalf of the dean which may include critical, confidential and/or sensitive information and situations.
Screens drop-in visitors and phone calls (both internal and external) seeking to speak with the dean and determines how best to meet the needs of those individuals.
Manages the dean’s calendar including scheduling one-on-one meetings; small and large meetings with internal and external entities.
Prepares travel authorization and reimbursement requests on behalf of the dean.
Manages the processes for: department chair elections and reviews; faculty reassignments; and college representatives on university committee elections.
Provides materials support to the dean for charging department and college committees. Including drafting timelines, identifying relevant senate policies, creation and implementation of balloting materials and draft recommendations for the dean based on election results.