Executive Assistant to the Director

Job Posting Title:

Executive Assistant to the Director

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Hiring Department:

Jack S Blanton Museum of Art

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

In the last decade, led by museum director Simone J. Wicha, the Blanton Museum of Art’s profile has grown nationally and internationally.

The museum is known for its bold vision, from a dynamic reinstallation of the collection galleries in 2017, to the opening of Ellsworth Kelly’s monumental work of art, Austin, in 2018, and redesign of its grounds by Snøhetta in 2023 and the exhibitions and educational programs that define the museum’s role in the community.

The Blanton has transformed from a strong university art museum to being recognized as one of this country’s most impactful museums on the rise. With a proven track record as a museum that is deeply relevant, and where education is embedded into everything we do, we have put The University of Texas at Austin, and the city of Austin, on the forefront of the visual arts. 

At the Blanton, we welcome and respect all individuals and communities by valuing and consciously maintaining awareness of various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.  We believe the best ideas are born from sharing and reflecting viewpoints of the people, partners, and the communities we serve.  As part of The University of Texas at Austin, the Blanton is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.   

Benefits eligible Blanton Museum of Art staff enjoy the same competitive benefits offered to The University of Texas at Austin employees; this comprehensive benefits package includes health insurance, paid vacation, and retirement benefits in addition to other programs and services.  Blanton staff also have access to convenient covered parking, complimentary admission to the museum, access to selected museum events, and a 20% discount at the Museum Store. 

There is even more to come for the Blanton and the thousands of school and university students and visitors we serve.  Join our team as we further build a truly iconic art museum and fulfill the promise of our recent growth and emergence on the national stage.

The Blanton is home to a vast array of roles matching a wide range of interests and talents.  No matter your position at the Blanton, you are contributing to the preservation of culture and history for the entire community, both present and future. 

Purpose

To provide administrative support to the Director of the Blanton Museum of Art. Responsible for many complex office operations with minimal supervision, proactively managing the Director’s priorities and schedule, collecting information from a variety of sources, and coordinating and communicating with external and internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Schedules and maintains the Director’s executive-level calendar.

• Serves as main point of contact for the Director for both internal and external constituents, prioritizes and make complex decisions with minimal supervision.

• Arranges meetings (internal and external), prepares meeting agendas, and manages follow-up activities (including drafting of minutes, managing next steps, and distribution of relevant materials.)

• Meets regularly with the Executive Project Manager to strategize and report on key Director’s Office priorities managed by the Executive Assistant, including overseeing monthly museum All-Staff meetings and other group meetings involving the Director, identifying external stakeholders for Director to engage, and communicating with colleagues and stakeholders to advance initiatives.

• Works closely and frequently with the museum’s development team to prioritize and maximize Director’s role in fundraising and high-level donor relationships, which may include scheduling donor meetings, drafting emails, preparing the Director for related events, assisting development team with follow-up, and other key support.

• Responsible for understanding and managing constituent data for key VIPs across a variety of areas, from foundations and donors to community leaders; generate contact reports as needed.

• Manages project flow and approval process for various staff who report to the director.

• Manages communications to and from general e-mail address.

• Takes dictation, prepares, proofreads, and edits correspondence, reports, speeches, publications, and other director communications.

• Manages Director’s incoming mail and correspondence from other departments including reading, proofreading, and prioritizing.

• Creates travel plan proposals and itineraries and makes travel arrangements. Processes financial disbursements for director and other staff.

• Maintains print and digital records and files.

• Assists with special projects (including data collection, events, arranging group meetings).

• Refers pertinent information to the director and the museum staff and coordinates work with other museum and campus departments.

• Other related functions as assigned.

Additional Requirements

May be required to work some evenings and weekends during peak times or special events that require the Director's attendance and/or coordination with Development staff.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with five years of clerical experience, including two years of experience at either the Administrative Associate or the Senior Administrative Associate level.

• High school graduation or GED with nine years of clerical experience, including two years of experience at either the Administrative Associate or the Senior Administrative Associate level.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Highly proficient at anticipating issues and providing resolutions and/or options to concerns and problems.

• Professionalism and ability to communicate with sensitivity and discretion to high-level donors and leaders in the community.

• Demonstrated ability to work with highly confidential information.

• Exceptional attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage effectively multiple tasks with frequent interruptions.

• Experience providing excellent customer service in a professional and courteous manner.

• Demonstrated ability to work quickly and accurately.

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and work well under stress in a multi-task, fast-paced work environment and under strict deadlines.

• Excels at working both as a team member and independently.

• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills who can work with minimal supervision.

• Excellent work-related skills (punctuality, attendance).

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, English or an advanced degree.

• Museum experience or art history background.

• Knowledge of University operations.

Salary Range

$55,000 - $65,000

Working Conditions

• Typical office environment; hybrid work model.

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

• May remain stationary at workstation for several hours at a time.

• Occasional work outside of standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, is required.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information including email addresses; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English) [PDF]
• E-Verify Poster (Spanish) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right To Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 .

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.