Senior Staff Assistant - Office of Provost & VP - Academic Affairs

University at Albany•Albany, NY

About The Position

The Senior Staff Assistant in the Office of the Provost and Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs provides strategic and operational support for key functions and services. The role works closely with the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development, serves as a liaison across offices and initiatives, and supports strategic initiatives by coordinating implementation, tracking progress, and advancing priorities. The position reports to the Senior Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff for Academic Affairs and regularly interacts with Associate Vice Provosts, the Assistant Vice President for Administration, University Senate members serving on the Council on Promotion and Continuing Appointment, the Deans Leadership Team, and Department Chairs. The position coordinates faculty personnel processes, including tenure, promotion, and term renewals; supports faculty committees and programs; maintains records and reporting; and contributes to the Provost’s Office operations and institutional initiatives. It also oversees Work-Study processes and students, supports annual self-study and SMART goal updates, helps maintain office procedures and continuity planning, and represents Academic Affairs on the University Incident Management Team. The work is performed in a typical office environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or an internationally recognized accrediting organization.
Three to four years of relevant professional experience, such as project management, handling confidential personnel matters, developing and updating procedures, or working with multiple constituencies.
Strong oral, written, and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain accurate records.
Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Ability to handle confidential, personal, and sensitive information with discretion, professionalism, and adherence to privacy requirements.
Ability to build trust with staff, faculty, and administrators and communicate effectively and confidentially with a range of stakeholders.
Capacity to bring rigor and care to complex, high-stakes processes.
Ability to serve as a trusted resource for faculty concerns, conflict resolution, and academic personnel matters, fostering a respectful and professional culture.
Ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within a diverse campus community and support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to the role.
Eligibility is limited to current University at Albany employees in a State-funded UUP professional position with a permanent, term, or probationary appointment; temporary employees must have been employed by UAlbany for at least three consecutive years to be considered.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Professional experience working in higher education.
Experience with PeopleSoft.
Experience with Business Intelligence (BI) software.

Responsibilities

Coordinate tenure, promotion, and term-renewal processes for tenure-track faculty in collaboration with Human Resources and academic units.
Coordinate Council on Promotion and Continuing Appointment meetings, prepare materials, document outcomes, draft summary reports, and follow up with Deans’ staff and Department Chairs regarding concerns.
Administer faculty-related programs and initiatives, including Joint Labor Management programs such as Drescher.
Collect, manage, and track data concerning faculty personnel processes, and provide reports as needed.
Maintain secure, auditable records of faculty promotions and contract renewals.
Support the Provost’s Office daily operations, including operational procedures, communications, and routing inquiries.
Liaise with campus partners to facilitate communication and collaboration across Academic Affairs and administrative units.
Contribute to institutional initiatives through reporting, committee support, and special projects.
Identify and implement opportunities to streamline workflows and improve faculty-support processes.
Communicate policies, procedures, and deadlines to faculty, Department Chairs, and university offices.
Review and process voluntary appointments.
Provide administrative support for Provost’s Office procedures related to faculty searches.
Oversee the Provost’s Office Work-Study process; liaise with the Office of Financial Aid Work-Study unit, create and post advertisements, hire students, and supervise Work-Study students.
Oversee the Provost’s Office Self-Study process, update SMART goal progress annually, draft the Self-Study and report updates, and coordinate related data collection and reporting.
Represent Academic Affairs on the University Incident Management Team and support emergency preparedness, response, and continuity planning.
Update the Provost’s Office Continuity Plan and documentation annually.
Coordinate annual updates to the electronic Faculty Handbook.
Develop and maintain the Provost’s Office Standard Operating Procedures Manual.
Serve as the Academic Affairs Sustainability Committee liaison with the Sustainability Office.
Perform other reasonable duties as assigned.