Special Assistant for Operations, External Relations

Position Summary

The Special Assistant is a high‑trust, high‑visibility role that keeps the Senior Associate Vice President's office and the Operations Leadership Team operating efficiently and effectively. Reporting to the Chief Employee Engagement Officer, the Special Assistant also leads a small internal support function: the in‑house temporary administrative assistance program, currently staffed by two Advancement Associates. In this dual capacity, the Special Assistant is both an executive‑level administrator and a working manager — someone who can run the SAVP's calendar in the morning and coach an associate through a complex stakeholder request in the afternoon.

Overarching Goals

• Multiply leadership capacity by removing administrative friction from the SAVP's and Operations Leadership Team’s day‑to‑day so their time is spent on high‑value work.
• Build a strong and trusted support resource and grow the in‑house temp program into a reliable, well‑trained resource that Advancement leaders trust for coverage and project support.
• Keep Operations on track by serving as the central coordinator for the annual Operations work plan—surfacing status, flagging risk, and driving goals to completion.
• Strengthen how the team communicates and connects by ensuring meetings, retreats, and asynchronous updates are intentional, coordinated, and effective.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Support: Manage complex, shifting calendars for the SAVP and Chief Employee Engagement Officer, proactively resolving conflicts and prioritizing based on organizational impact; prepare polished communications, briefing materials, and presentations; draft, edit, and proofread correspondence; coordinate travel logistics and expense management; serve as a trusted point of contact for leadership, exercising sound judgment and discretion with sensitive information.
• Temporary Administrative Assistance Program: Administer the in‑house temp program that provides administrative support across projects and staffing gaps; manage, train, and develop two Advancement Associates, building their skills in professional support practices and internal systems; intake and triage assistance requests, matching associates (or stepping in personally) to the right project based on scope, urgency, and skill fit; establish service standards of excellence for support delivery and coach associates toward them; track program utilization and outcomes, and recommend improvements as demand evolves.
• Operations Work Plan Support: Partner with the Chief Employee Engagement Officer to manage the annual Operations work plan, tracking progress against goals across the Operations Leadership Team; maintain visibility into deadlines, dependencies, and deliverables; flag risks before they become problems; plan and coordinate Operations Team meetings, offsites, and retreats—including logistics, materials, and follow‑through on action items.
• Employee Engagement Project Support: Support project management for cross‑functional initiatives from kickoff through completion; coordinate committee and working group meetings—including logistics, materials, and follow‑through on action items; track logistics, timelines, and task statuses to keep programs on schedule; capture and distribute meeting notes, decisions, and next steps.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree or a combination of education and related experience in lieu of a degree.
• Experience: 4+ years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of administrative support experience, preferably in higher education, nonprofit, or complex organizational settings.
• High level of initiative, judgment, and problem‑solving ability.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, project management tools, and Salesforce CRM/database systems (experience with advancement or fundraising systems a plus).
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, maintain confidentiality, and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The role occasionally requires traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Salary Range

$68,000 – $75,000, commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

This is an exempt‑level, benefited position. The role offers a flexible, hybrid workplace; team members must maintain a secure home office with high‑speed internet and be able to collaborate using various technologies. The hybrid position can be worked remotely, though frequent in‑person work in the shared office space is required. The successful candidate must live within driving distance of Charlottesville, Virginia.

About UVA and the Community

External Relations at the University of Virginia (UVA) is part of a strong advancement community that includes a robust central advancement organization, 12 university schools, and more than 25 university‑related programs. UVA offers a wide variety of career opportunities and an outstanding environment for professional growth and development.