Executive Administrative Assistant (0170)

About the role

This position is responsible for overseeing all administrative functions of the Office of the Dean and Provost of the SIU School of Medicine, as well as the CEO of SIU Healthcare. The incumbent will act as the primary administrative support and liaison for the Dean and Provost, managing all administrative operations and coordinating institutional projects that require a high level of complex analysis, reporting, stakeholder relations, and communication. This position is ON SITE only.

Responsibilities

• Administrative Support for the Dean and Provost (75%):
  • Executive Partnership & Strategic Support: Serves as the Dean and Provost's principal administrative partner, exercising exceptional judgment, discretion, initiative, and independent decision-making to ensure the effective operation of the Office of the Dean and Provost and the Dean and Provost's calendar; screens and prioritizes telephone calls, emails, and inquiries, routing issues appropriately and resolving complex administrative matters independently when possible; anticipates executive needs, identifies risks and emerging issues, and proactively develops solutions to prevent problems and ensure priorities remain on track and are scheduled appropriately; meets regularly with the Dean and Provost, and senior leadership to coordinate priorities, advance projects, and ensure timely completion of key deliverables.
  • Communications & Stakeholder Relations: Serves as the primary liaison between the Dean and Provost and internal and external stakeholders, including University leadership, associate provosts, associate deans, department chairs, hospital partners, government officials, community organizations, and other executive leaders; supports executive-level presentations, correspondence, reports, briefing materials, and other highly confidential documents, including Board of Trustees presentations and reports; ensures communications and materials are accurate, professional, timely, and aligned with institutional priorities.
  • Operations & Meeting Management: Leads the planning and coordination of executive meetings, special events, and institutional activities, including Board of Trustees meetings, Dean's addresses, accreditation site visits, and candidate searches; provides executive meeting and committee support by preparing agendas, coordinating logistics, catering, meeting minutes, documenting action items, and monitoring follow-up.
  • Planning & Academic Administration: Coordinates and monitors planning activities and institutional initiatives on behalf of the Dean and Provost; coordinates the Promotion and Tenure process in collaboration with the Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Office of Faculty Affairs, providing policy guidance, communications, scheduling, and process oversight; coordinates the performance evaluation process for the Dean and Provost's direct reports, including development and administration of evaluation tools such as 360-degree assessments.
  • Fiscal & Administrative Operations: Directs the fiscal and administrative operations of the Office of the Dean and Provost, serving as fiscal officer as assigned and coordinating budget activities; ensures compliance with University and State of Illinois fiscal policies, administrative procedures, and applicable regulations; manages all travel and expenses anticipated and incurred by the Dean and Provost within University and State of Illinois guidelines.
• Cross-Department Coordination and Support (25%):
  • Special Enterprise Projects and Performance Tracking: Coordinates cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the Dean and Provost by bringing together leaders across departments to advance enterprise priorities and ensure successful execution; maintains executive dashboards for enterprise-wide performance metrics and status reports to monitor progress toward strategic goals and support executive decision-making; coordinates cross-department special projects and enterprise initiatives assigned by the Dean and Provost, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and successful completion.

Qualifications

• High school graduation or equivalent
• Any one or any combination totaling five (5) years (60 months) from the following categories:
  • College course work in business, finance, accounting or a related field: 60 semester hours or an Associate's degree equals one (1) year (12 months); 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months); 120 semester hours or a Bachelor's degree equals three (3) years (36 months); Master's degree or higher equals four (4) years (48 months)
  • Progressively more responsible professional, managerial and supervisory experience that included experience in areas such as supervising staff or a job function, organizing and coordinating office operations, and performing duties that lead to knowledge of generally accepted office management principles
• As required by the position to be filled, education, training and/or work experience in an area of specialization inherent to the position may be required to meet credential requirement #2 above

Required skills

• Behavior Standards: Demonstrates, by actions, commitment to the mission and the behavioral standards of SIU School of Medicine
• Confidentiality: Must maintain full confidentiality in all matters and possess the ability to exercise sensitivity to employee and management concerns and issues
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are critical to the success and reputation of this unit, as the ability to accurately communicate professionally and respectfully with applicants, employees, and administrators will set the tone for how the Dean's Office is perceived
• Customer Service: Dedication to excellence in customer service with both internal and external customers, including both the ability to look for creative solutions that will meet the customer's need and the ability to deliver unpleasant answers tactfully when there are no options
• Excellent computer skills and demonstrated ability to work with both mainframe and PC systems; aptitude in a variety of software applications (Web-based applicant tracking system, MS Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint, Email and calendaring, web-design applications, etc.)
• Presence: Ability to provide professional presence for the Dean's Office to the public, faculty and staff, including professional demeanor and attire
• Multi-tasking: Skilled at managing multiple priority activities to meet tight deadlines. Requires skill in time management, priority setting, and ability to adjust appropriately to distractions and changing priorities and still produce a quality work product/service
• Thoroughness: Ability to work effectively with large amounts of data and maintain accuracy and attention to detail
• Problem-solving skills: Experience and proven ability to employ critical thinking skills, creativity, and ingenuity for effective and timely problem-solving. Requires ability to accurately interpret or analyze information and apply logic in making sound decisions; ability to appropriately communicate interpretation to others
• Flexibility and ability to work effectively as a team member and/or project leader
• Sensitive to the needs of underrepresented minority populations
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person
• Computer Skills: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to set up functions, enter data, or process information. Accounting, Calendar/Scheduling, Database, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Word Processing, Spreadsheet software
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork
• Obtaining Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events
• Written and Oral Comprehension: The ability to read and listen/understand information and ideas presented in writing or orally
• Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas verbally so others will understand
• Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand

Condition of employment

Out of State Applicants that apply to Springfield vacancies in classifications in the occupational area of Professional, Semi-Professional, or Managerial will be subject to the following Condition of Employment: Pursuant to the State University Civil Service System, an out-of-state resident who is hired into this position must establish Illinois residency within 180 calendar days of their start date.