Senior Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President & Provost

Stony Brook University’s Office of the Provost is seeking a highly experienced Senior Executive Assistant to serve as the primary administrative partner to the Provost, the university’s Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice President.

About the role

The Senior Executive Assistant ensures the Provost is comprehensively prepared to navigate daily obligations and strategic priorities, many of which are complex and time-sensitive. The incumbent will take decisive action, delegate related tasks, and ensure complete follow-through on behalf of the Provost. Impeccable professional judgment, utmost discretion, exceptional attention to detail, and strict confidentiality are essential at all times.

Reporting directly to and collaborating closely with the Chief of Staff, the Senior Executive Assistant orchestrates the Provost’s schedule and obligations to maximize the effective use of their time. As a public-facing representative of the Provost and the Provost's Office, the incumbent will engage frequently with a wide array of internal and external stakeholders and maintain a welcoming, highly professional, and collaborative demeanor.

This is an in-office, full-time, FLSA-exempt position based on the Stony Brook, NY campus. Occasional nights and weekends may be required as institutional needs arise.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily and long-term schedule of the Provost, coordinating complex meetings with internal and external stakeholders, responding to meeting requests, and organizing relevant information.
• Ensure the Provost is properly briefed for meetings, conferences, and events by compiling pre-meeting/event briefs, talking points, correspondence, and research reports into a daily briefing packet.
• Apply exhaustive attention to detail to ensure the Provost has all necessary materials well in advance of each day, verifying and confirming all meeting and event details.
• Serve as a highly-respected and trusted representative of the Provost, maintaining professional relationships with colleagues across the university and critical external stakeholders.
• Coordinate complex domestic and international travel arrangements for the Provost, systematically managing all related expenses and reimbursements with precision.
• Staff the Provost’s meetings as requested, including meeting documentation, conference room and Zoom set-up, and ensuring comprehensive support for all meetings led by the Provost.
• Attend and participate in select meetings with the Provost, ensuring follow-up on priority agenda items.
• Act as the initial point of contact for requests for the Provost’s time or university business, including continuous follow-up on pending issues.
• Manage Provostial correspondence, interacting daily with high-level administrators on sensitive and/or confidential issues, including matters related to faculty members represented by the bargaining unit.
• Communicate regularly with staff, faculty, and community constituents on behalf of the Provost.
• Support the Provost in managing highly sensitive correspondence, working closely with the Chief of Staff.
• Serve as the first point of contact for the Provost, interacting with both internal and external stakeholders, assessing and prioritizing requests throughout each day.
• Draft polished email responses and other correspondence on behalf of the Provost for their review, ensuring strict adherence to executive voice, institutional context, and grammatical accuracy.
• Process and track correspondence requiring approval by the Provost.
• Proactively integrate modern digital tools to expedite drafting, streamline email tracking, and optimize the consistency, speed, and accuracy of the Provost’s outgoing communication.
• Provide leadership and direction for visitor policies/protocol, ensuring a high degree of courtesy, sensitivity, and hospitality for international guests, donors, university leadership, faculty, staff, students, and other key external partners.
• Design, document, and maintain a training curriculum and "Suite Playbook" for student assistants and other staff, establishing standards for suite etiquette and phone triage.
• Recruit, hire, and train high-caliber student workers and/or professional staff.
• Manage work schedules to ensure minimal staffing thresholds are met, guaranteeing the physical front desk and phone lines are consistently monitored during operational hours.
• Oversee shared space management, ensuring the Provost’s conference room and lobby are perpetually presentable and technology is ready and reset after every meeting.
• Perform other duties or projects as assigned, which may include working beyond the normal workday to complete critical assignments and communicating via email during non-business hours.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher).
• Six (6) years of full-time administrative experience providing high-level support to an executive in a complex organizational environment.
• Experience managing administrative operations/office management.
• Experience providing executive meeting preparation through detailed briefings on key stakeholders, organizations, and relevant business matters.
• Experience coordinating complex travel arrangements and managing executive calendars.
• Experience interacting directly with and providing support to executive-level leadership.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and/or Google applications, Teams, and/or Zoom.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (foreign equivalent or higher).
• Seven (7) years of full-time administrative experience providing high-level support to an executive in a complex organizational environment.
• Experience supporting a university president, provost, vice president, dean, or other executive-level leader within a higher education institution.
• Experience working for a government entity.
• Supervisory experience.

Pay

$105,000–$115,000 per year.