Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President for Communications

About the role

The Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President (SVP) for Communications supports the leadership function of a division committed to providing strategic direction in communications, reputation elevation, marketing and constituency engagement. Reporting directly to the SVP, the Executive Assistant functions as a central point of communication to the full staff reporting to the SVP, and works closely with the SVP’s team members to ensure open communication and progress on issues and special projects.

Responsibilities

• Play a key role in managing core aspects of the operations of the Office of the Senior Vice President, including constituent relations, financial coordination of the central budget and various cost centers, vendor contracts, invoicing, and human resources.
• Serve as first point of departmental contact for the Senior Vice President, triaging questions and proactively identifying critical issues, consulting with the SVP’s direct reports and delegating issues as appropriate.
• Serve as a key liaison between the SVP and OUC staff, sharing key information about operations, deadlines, and materials.
• Work closely and communicate effectively with the SVP to establish clear prioritization of responsibilities and projects.
• Support the SVP in communicating with a broad range of campus partners and stakeholders, as well as external constituencies.
• Engage in writing, editing and oral communications to assist the SVP in communicating with a broad range of campus partners and stakeholders, as well as external constituencies.
• Support the SVP as an executive editor for web content, video, and a full range of editorial and marketing collateral by updating content across a broad range of communications platforms.
• Engage in various forms of research as a collaborative partner and advocate for the SVP’s initiatives.
• Exercise diplomacy and discretion in supporting the SVP and managing sensitive information.
• Manage the Senior Vice President’s schedule and planning for internal and external meetings, serving as a collaborative partner and advocate for the SVP in sustaining relationships with other campus executives, stakeholders, and constituents through responsive scheduling and balancing shifting needs and priorities.
• Play a key role moderating content for the Today@Brown daily email distribution that shares campus announcements and events.
• Provide primary oversight of event moderation through the Events@Brown's general submission form.
• Assemble and synthesize data on emerging matters; prepare briefs on issues; and provide the SVP with relevant background or information for engaging on issues.
• Support and staff major events and initiatives, such as Commencement and Reunion Weekend.
• Manage and organize the SVP’s calendar in conjunction with the Brown University calendar to schedule regular standing and cyclical meetings and events in support of long-range planning and scheduling.
• Research and prepare details in preparation for travel and make necessary travel arrangements.
• Prepare detailed briefing packets, background materials and logistical materials for the SVP to ensure the SVP is prepared for meetings, including itineraries and materials for meetings requiring travel.
• Steward the SVP’s evolving schedule day to day with notifications between meetings and periodic updates of the week’s schedule.
• Help sustain a sense of togetherness and community across teams by taking the lead on OUC social gatherings.
• Assist the SVP with research on special projects and initiatives requiring administrative support.
• Work with project managers in Client Relations, News and Editorial Development and Web and Digital Communications in the Office of University Communications to input or update content edited by the SVP for marketing and communications projects.
• Use web CMS (content management systems), design software and digital document sharing platforms to make content edits or updates provided by the SVP.
• Audit content edited by the SVP to ensure no changes requested for writers, designers, web developers or other members of project teams were overlooked.
• Pursue professional development to ensure skills and capacity working across communications platforms remain up to date.
• Read the Morning Memo daily clips distribution, Today@Brown and News from Brown as information sources about the institution and work that the Executive Assistant is intended to support.
• Participate in Workday Learning and other trainings on Brown business systems, policies and tools.
• Participate as a member of relevant committees, including OUC All-Staff, Brown Communicators Group etc.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least 5 years of professional experience, preferably in a communications, public relations, marketing or higher education environment
• Experience with financial management preferred

Skills

• Excellent writing and editing skills, as well as excellent oral communication and ability to distill concepts
• Full proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Strong computer and transcription skills and a commitment to attention to detail
• Capacity to take the initiative in problem solving; ability to learn new processes with minimum supervision, and confidence in decision making to move projects forward
• Experience working with web content management systems and digital project management platforms
• Strong knowledge of social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Ability to conduct research and share conclusions
• Demonstrated planning and organizational skills with a strong customer service orientation
• Capacity to manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines, keep calm under pressure, prioritize, and exhibit confidence to seek guidance when needed
• Discretion, diplomacy and the ability to maintain confidential information
• Professional demeanor with the ability to project a positive image and represent the Office of University Communications

Benefits

The benefits of working at Brown include:

• ...