Department: Dean's Suite

Duties & Responsibilities:

At VCU, we provide UNcommon learning, research, creativity, service and discovery — the hallmarks of the VCU experience. A premier, urban, public research university nationally recognized as one of the best employers. VCU is a great place to work. It is a place of opportunity, where your success is supported and your career can thrive. VCU offers employees a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay, and an opportunity to do mission-driven work.

Executive Support:

● Provide primary administrative support to the Dean.

● Manage the Dean's calendar, scheduling meetings while balancing strategic priorities, travel, focused work time, and university commitments.

● Coordinate travel authorizations, reimbursements, purchasing requests, and other administrative functions.

● Draft, edit, proofread, and coordinate correspondence, reports, presentations, and other executive communications.

● Maintain confidential records and information while exercising discretion and sound judgment.

● Serve as liaison between the Dean and internal and external constituents.

Executive Operations Coordination:

● Coordinate special projects, strategic initiatives, and action items assigned by the Dean.

● Maintain systems that organize priorities, deadlines, meeting outcomes, and follow-up activities.

● Monitor progress on assigned initiatives and assist with coordinating communications among stakeholders.

● Assist in maintaining annual planning calendars, recurring deadlines, and leadership priorities.

● Recommend improvements to administrative workflows and organizational processes that improve efficiency within the Dean's Office.

● Assist with coordinating activities that involve multiple administrative units or departments.

Executive Communications and Meeting Support:

● Coordinate logistics for leadership meetings, advisory boards, committees, donor meetings, and other executive meetings.

● Prepare agendas, meeting packets, executive briefing materials, and presentation slides.

● Record meeting notes and coordinate follow-up on decisions and action items as requested.

● Assist in preparing reports, presentations, speeches, newsletters, and other communications.

● Organize and maintain electronic files, presentations, reports, and executive reference materials.

Dean's Office Administration:

● Coordinate Dean's Office events including graduation ceremonies, receptions, convocations, faculty recognition events, and donor activities.

● Manage School Google Groups, Events Calendar, parking QR passes, and related administrative systems.

● Prepares promotion and tenure packets for delivery to the Office of the Provost.

● Collaborate closely with other Dean's Office staff to ensure efficient daily operations of the Dean's Office.

● Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

● Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

● Minimum three years demonstrated experience providing administrative support to executive or senior-level leaders in a complex organization.

● Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

● Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.

● Demonstrated ability to anticipate executive needs, and use sound judgment to proactively resolve issues, maintain confidentiality, and work independently.

● Demonstrated experience coordinating meetings, events, projects, or executive activities involving multiple stakeholders.

● Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace (Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms), presentation software, and calendar management tools.

● Demonstrated ability to prepare professional correspondence, reports, and presentation materials.

● Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

● Master's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

● Demonstrated experience supporting a dean, executive, or senior administrator within higher education.

● Knowledge of VCU policies and administrative procedures.

● Demonstrated experience using technology to improve administrative efficiency, including collaboration platforms, project tracking tools, presentation software, and AI-enabled productivity tools.

● Experience identifying opportunities to improve office operations, administrative processes, or organizational effectiveness.

Salary Range: $65,000 $75,000

Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt

Hours per Week: 40

Restricted Position: No

ORP Eligible: No

Flexible Work Arrangement: On Site

University Job Title: Executive Assistant to the Dean

 

Contact Information: 
Contact Name: Kevin Sutherland
Contact Email: kssuther@vcu.edu