Executive Assistant

USNH Employees should apply within Workday through the Jobs Hub app

The Executive Assistant provides exceptional, high-level executive support to the university president, ensuring seamless operations in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, this position provides comprehensive administrative support while managing all aspects of the president’s engagements, schedule, and travel. The role requires a strategic thinker with exceptional organizational skills, the ability to anticipate needs, and a proven track record of navigating a complex environment with discretion and professionalism. The incumbent is a proactive, adaptable professional who thrives in high-pressure situations, excels at managing multiple projects simultaneously, and maintains grace under pressure.

Duties/Responsibilities

Executive Support and Preparation – 50%

• Proactively maintain awareness of substantive issues, activities, and events within the university community and a general knowledge of events and activities external to the university to assist in strategic scheduling and preparation.
• Proactively research and prepare comprehensive briefing materials and talking points, ensuring the president is well-equipped for all meetings and events. Accountable for delivering these documents, following appropriate reviews, with ample time for the President to prepare for events
• Anticipate and address operational needs, conduct in-depth research, and gather critical information to aid decision-making.
• Oversee and support university events at the president’s house. Coordinate general maintenance of the residence as an event space. Supervise the calendar of events at the residence while always balancing the President’s family needs at the residence.
  
  

Strategic Scheduling and Coordination– 35%

• Act as a primary point of contact and liaison for the president, balancing competing priorities while maintaining a comprehensive understanding of strategic objectives for the University.
• Analyze, prioritize, conduct research for, and execute complex scheduling requests, ensuring alignment with the university’s strategic priorities and the president’s goals.
• Manage logistics for the president’s complex travel, including preparing detailed itineraries, background materials, approvals, and expense reporting and reimbursements.
• Command a strong knowledge of the University’s organizational structure and the resources/stakeholders that can be utilized when making scheduling decisions/plans for the President.
• Manage donor and external stakeholder communications effectively and maximize the time of the President to enrich these engagements.
• Demonstrate strong judgment to create, adjust, and manage the President’s calendar, travel, and critical meetings to maximize the President’s effectiveness.
• On behalf of the President, initiate contact with a wide range of internal and external constituencies to accomplish strategic goals, including UNH and System administrators, faculty, staff, students, elected officials, donors, news media and members of public.
  
  

Office Operations and Administrative Leadership – 15%

• Represent the President’s Office with professionalism, serving as a primary point of contact for visitors and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with administrative staff to execute high-priority projects and events seamlessly.
• Maintain confidentiality and act as a trusted advisor in managing sensitive information and relationships. Set an example for the rest of the organization, managing confidential information and being a trusted advisor.
• Prepares confidential correspondence and other documents of a highly sensitive nature.
• Undertakes special projects, either individually or collectively,
• Plans, coordinates and implements special events and programs under the direction of the Chief of Staff.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree and six (6) years of progressive, relevant experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing complex schedules and communications at the executive level.
• Ability to prioritize time and manage multiple priorities under deadlines while maintaining a high level of professionalism and attention to detail.
• Exercises discretion and independent judgment in determining priorities of requests
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, tact, and discretion and maintain integrity with sensitive and confidential information.
• High emotional intelligence, with the ability to build and sustain relationships across various levels of the organization.
• Ability to analyze complex issues, conduct thorough and appropriate fact-finding inquiries, reason logically and articulate sound solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team.
• Proven organizational skills within a complex office environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Workday and/or similar office management systems, and scheduling tools.
• Ability to research and build briefing documents and presentations that effectively translate the messages of the President and other Senior Leadership as needed.
• Ability to work collaboratively and collegially with diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including professional experience in preparing, editing and proofreading reports, presentations and correspondence.
• Ability to occasionally work nights and weekends as needed.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education or similarly complex institutional environments.
• Demonstrated communications experience, including preparing, editing, and proofreading correspondence, reports, and/or presentations.
  
  

Required Applicant Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume/CV
• Contact Information for 3 Professional References
• 2 recent writing samples, such as executive briefings or event talking points.
  
  

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

Location:

Durham

Salary Grade

Exempt Staff 22