Executive Assistant to the Dean

Department
 

Law Dean's Office Support

About the Department
 

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind. Learning is participatory. UChicago Law does not seek to impose a single viewpoint or style of thought on its students. Instead, our faculty exposes students to contrasting views, confident in students' abilities to choose their own paths.

Job Summary
 

The Law School seeks an experienced Executive Assistant to support the Dean. The Executive Assistant is expected to independently and confidentially manage multiple administrative tasks and projects with competing priorities and deadlines. The Executive Assistant provides advanced critical support to the functioning and operations of the Law School.
A strong candidate will be driven to perform all duties of the office with excellence and an absolute attention to detail. The position requires someone inherently organized that creates order for others with ease. Strong emotional intelligence is needed to intuit needs and anticipate every eventuality. The primary focus of this position is to ensure that every need of the Dean is attended to and their schedule, meetings, travel and all events occur seamlessly. This position requires a high degree of diplomacy to maintain positive relationships with those interacting with the Dean’s office. A strong candidate will be proactive, flexible, resourceful and thorough.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with Dean’s Office team, including Chief of Staff and Dean’s Office Administrator, on a wide range of priorities, projects, and tasks in support of the Dean. Coordinates special projects on a regular basis or as assigned.
• Effectively and professionally communicates with a broad range of individuals internal as well as external to the University. Facilitates communications with and disseminates information to faculty, students, and staff within the Law School.
• Ensures accuracy in the preparation or review of written materials, including Power Point presentations, proposals, charts, and other correspondence and special projects. Initiates correspondence and other written materials under own signature or for signature of the leader.
• Updates and maintains Dean’s CV, publication/bio sketch, and other information, as requested.
• Triages emails and calls to the appropriate contact person, including follow ups as needed to ensure complete and timely responses.
• Exercises a tailored approach and sound judgment to interpret and communicate office policies and procedures, including unique situations.
• Regularly monitors and standardizes procedures to improve the efficiency of the Dean's office. May assist the Chief of Staff with developing Dean’s Office policies and procedures.
• Resolves routine and complex inquiries. Receives and investigates issues or questions needing a response from the Dean.
• Works closely with the Associate Dean for Administration on administrative and operational department tasks, including administrative items related to faculty recruitment.
• Coordinates information flow between Dean’s Office and University departments and units. Stays informed of activities relating to University programs and initiatives, apprising the leader of issues when deemed necessary.
• Exercises independent judgment, operates at all times with a high level of discretion, and maintains confidentiality across a wide range of issues and items.
• May assist with management of a portion of the leader's budget, monitoring and reconciling accounts. Prepares financial and/or administrative reports.
• Provides high-level administrative support for a Dean or Officer of the University. Proactively relieves the Dean or Officer of as much administrative detail as possible by efficiently and independently performing all duties. Manages the daily operations of the office, maintain files and processes mail for their executive. Drafts, edits, and prepares presentations and communications ensuring their executive is prepared with meetings materials and presentations, pertinent information and/or statistics.
• Maintains the Dean or Officer’s complex and extremely active calendar and logistical needs, exercising considerable discretion and judgment as to priorities and effective use of the executive’s time. Confirms all meetings, necessary materials, and meeting locations in advance. Reviews upcoming meetings and events weekly with their executive. Arranges complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas; and compiling documents for travel-related meetings.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 10+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive administrative experience

• Proven experience as an executive assistant

• Must be result-oriented, have a high standard of excellence, exceptional planning, execution, analytical and judgment skills, strong analytical skills, and an outstanding commitment to and proven ability to advance an organization's priorities.   

• Must be a resourceful, proactive, service-minded multitasker and problem-solver.

• Experience working with in an academic unit and/or complex research university environment.

• Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Familiarity with University of Chicago or higher education institutions.

Preferred Competencies

• High level of collegiality in working with faculty, departmental and university administrators.

• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Demonstrated time-management, proactive approach to problem-solving, organization and coordination skills to handle multiple, concurrent tasks with deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal skills including outstanding judgment, discretion, a strong ethical approach to decision-making and a demonstrated ability to resolve conflicts fairly and diplomatically, and ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Ability to work independently, take direction, and achieve consensus.

• Ability to edit and proofread documents at an advanced level.

• Ability to handle public contacts with courtesy, clarity, and diplomacy.

• Ability to maintain calm and courteous demeanor and to work productively and efficiently despite heavy workload, competing priorities, constant interruptions, complex problems, and tight deadlines.

Working Conditions

• Occasional extended work hours, evening work, work on short notice, and some weekend days.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Administration & Management

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.