Executive Operations and Project Specialist

Job Details•Pomona, CA

About The Position

The Executive Operations and Project Specialist provides executive and administrative support to staff in the Office of the President, helping fulfill the President’s responsibilities, promote institutional objectives, and advance the goals in the University’s strategic plan. The role supports a wide range of office operations, including constituent service, correspondence, scheduling and facilities coordination, student assistant supervision, personnel administration, travel support, and event planning. The position also coordinates administrative and project support for Tribal Relations, including council meetings, repatriation-related activities, campus initiatives, events, budget tracking, and financial reporting. It conducts budget analysis and reconciliation, processes purchasing and payment documentation, and serves as the department’s primary timekeeper. In addition, the role coordinates executive searches for specified senior leadership positions, supporting committees and candidates throughout the search and interview process.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience demonstrating the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.
Valid California driver’s license and insurance.
At least 5 years of progressively responsible executive administrative support experience, preferably supporting senior executives.
Ability to manage complex scheduling, competing priorities, and frequent change with professionalism and composure.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including coordinating executive-level correspondence and communications with an executive writer and communications colleagues.
High degree of discretion and proven experience handling confidential and sensitive information.
Outstanding organizational abilities and meticulous attention to detail, with consistent delivery of precise, high-quality work within established deadlines.
Strong interpersonal skills and a customer-service mindset; ability to build trust with senior leaders and diverse stakeholders.
Ability to exercise independent judgment, anticipate needs, and escalate issues appropriately.
Ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and prepare concise briefings.
Strong time management and prioritization skills, including the ability to manage interruptions and shifting demands.
Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision and as part of a team.
Ability to research and analyze administrative, fiscal, and operational information; interpret and apply established policies and procedures; identify and recommend solutions; and prepare clear, concise reports and written communications.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education, the public sector, or other complex, mission-driven organizations.
Demonstrated project coordination experience, including planning, tracking deliverables, and driving follow-through.
Familiarity with protocol, event planning, and/or donor and community relations.
Experience with records management, retention schedules, and document control practices.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Office of the President’s primary contact for campus and external constituents and foster effective working relationships with Vice Presidents’ Office staff.
Manage 25Live reservations for President’s Office conference spaces and train users on MPR technology, audio, and related equipment.
Handle phone, email, and walk-in inquiries; use judgment to redirect issues and route requests through ServiceNow for communication and tracking.
Manage gifts for campus and external constituents, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and community partners.
Prepare, revise, print, and mail presidential correspondence, including thank-you, birthday, emeritus, and congratulatory letters.
Coordinate with the University Registrar to verify student eligibility and distribute the President’s Honor List.
Provide day-to-day lead work direction to student assistants, including scheduling, task assignment and prioritization, training, and review of completed work.
Provide performance feedback and input to the HEERA manager for formal evaluations.
Coordinate student assistant recruitment, hiring, and onboarding logistics, materials, and communication with the Career Center and People & Culture.
Support the HEERA manager in completing required personnel processes.
Coordinate office equipment maintenance, hospitality and supply orders, and suite and building access updates.
Arrange travel support for the faculty athletic representative and students attending Panetta Institute programs.
Coordinate administrative and logistical support for Tribal Relations council meetings, repatriation-related activities, campus initiatives, student outreach, website updates, and special projects under the Director of Tribal Relations.
Support Tribal Relations events by coordinating vendor agreements, communications, and campus partner logistics; process contracts, invoices, and payments.
Monitor and reconcile budgets and expenditures related to NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA, repatriation efforts, Kellogg Legacy funding, and other Tribal Relations allocations.
Prepare financial tracking reports and refer discrepancies or matters requiring approval to the appropriate administrator.
Analyze and reconcile Foundation account budgets, monitor expenditures, and prepare financial reports and recommendations for annual budget development, financial planning, and operational decision-making.
Assist with implementing approved policies, procedures, and financial processes.
Assist with Stateside account budgets and oversee annual membership processing and tracking.
Process departmental purchase orders and direct pay forms through P2P, and coordinate annual requisitions for copier, shredding, alarm, and other services.
Serve as the primary departmental timekeeper by reviewing and processing attendance and leave records, monitoring deadlines, providing procedural guidance, and coordinating payroll corrections and inquiries with Payroll Services and the HEERA manager.
Coordinate executive searches for direct reports to the President, the Vice President and Chief of Staff, and the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives.
Support search committees by setting up SharePoint access, editing position descriptions and advertisements, assisting with advertisement placement and administrative application review, and arranging Zoom and on-campus interviews.
Serve as the primary contact for Talent Acquisition leaders assigned to executive searches.
Coordinate candidate travel and campus visit itineraries, including meetings with internal and external university stakeholders.
Apply established campus and CSU recruitment procedures, provide procedural information to search committees, and refer policy interpretation or hiring-decision questions to Talent Acquisition and authorized university officials.
Organize Office of the President and presidential events, including recognition events, celebrations, receptions, forums, town halls, campus conversations, and other special events.
Perform other administrative duties as assigned.