Executive Assistant to the President

PURPOSE:

The Executive Assistant to the University President is a highly visible role that requires interaction with
students, faculty, staff, curators, senior administrators, alumni, executives, public and private officials,
community partners, the media, and donors. They provide expansive support to the President and members of
the Leadership Team. The Executive Assistant maintains strict confidentiality and helps the President stay
focused on institutional priorities. The Executive Assistant works independently to manage complex and
sensitive situations that possess the potential to have major impact on the university. They exercise good
judgment in a range of circumstances, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative,
organizational skills, and maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities working effectively under
pressure.

The Executive Assistant to the President relieves the President of operational and administrative details and
performs varied, highly responsible, complex, and non-supervised administrative and office management
functions. They must possess a thorough knowledge of university policies, procedures, and operations, and
an understanding of the University's role within the community.

The Executive Assistant to the President exercises initiative and independent judgment in managing the
President's schedule and the office's activities, events, budgets, and projects. The Executive Assistant to the
President uses discretion in the dissemination of information to faculty, students, staff, and the various
publics served by the University and coordinates activities with several major subordinate administrative units
of the University.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides sophisticated calendar management to the Office of the President, prioritizing inquiries and requests while troubleshooting conflicts. Exercises independent judgement to ensure smooth day-to-today logistics and engagement. Works closely with the president to keep him/her well informed and prepared for upcoming appearances, meetings, speaking engagements, and activities. Maximizes the president's time to meet personal, board, and institutional goals. Maintains a keen eye for details regarding travel, meeting location(s), agenda, participants, attire, set up, logistics, and supporting documents/materials is essential.
2. Serves as the key front-facing representative of the Office of the President and promotes a positive image of the University by greeting and receiving visitors to the President's office, responding to inquiries from University publics (e.g., students, parents, faculty, staff, legislators, alumni, the media, and public and private officials), providing authoritative information regarding University policies or decisions, referring inquiries or problems to the appropriate office or person, resolving problems, and following up to determine the inquirer's satisfaction with the response. providing for smooth communication and engagement between the university president and internal and external constituents. This position serves as the primary gatekeeper for visitors, phone calls, and documents arriving in the president's office. Provide hospitality to all guests while maintaining credibility, trust and support among key internal and external constituents.
3. Provides proactive email management. Maintains consistent, ongoing scrutiny and maintenance of the president's university email account. Exercises independent judgement in responding to, deleting, forwarding, reassigning, sharing, and following up on issues raised via email. Keeps the president up to date on emails that require his/her immediate personal attention. Maintains an archival system of key emails to ensure future availability upon request.
4. Coordinates the flow of incoming communications and outgoing communications by receiving, routing, and/or responding to incoming communications and determining the appropriate office, department, or agency for outgoing communications.
5. Serves as liaison between the President and other University administrators, members of the Board of Curators, public and private officials, various boards, faculty, staff, students, and the various publics served by the University by communicating and/or interpreting policy, decisions, and documents issued by the University, gathering information and providing information to the President, and representing the President's Office on select University and civic committees.
6. Safeguards the confidentiality of university administration by exercising discretion in communicating information to faculty, students, staff and the various publics served by the University and in handling administrative records, files, and similar confidential items.
7. Provides high-level administrative support, assisting with special projects, exercising independent judgement on how to proceed to accomplish outcomes; manage sensitive matters and documents with a high level of confidentiality and discretion; design and produce complex documents, reports, and presentations; collect and prepare information for meetings, compose and prepare correspondence; answer the main phone line and convey messages as appropriate; maintain office supplies and gifts; keep contact lists current and readily available; make travel arrangements; and complete expense and mileage reports.
8. Assists the President by reviewing correspondence and documents prepared by other offices for the president's signature.
9. Assists with coordinating and facilitating the success of events hosted by the President's office by scheduling events with appropriate offices and agencies, advising/contacting participants or invited guests, preparing agendas and programs, arranging for audiovisual and associated support equipment, using independent judgment regarding event alternatives, modifications, or last-minute changes, and coordinating or providing support during the events.
10. Performs office management responsibilities by assuring the proper accountability of university property and equipment assigned to the office, providing office personnel with necessary supplies and equipment, and maintaining office equipment in working condition.
11. Works independently with limited supervision by gathering and organizing required information, maintaining required records, evaluating various approaches to completing projects, developing tools and utilizing available resources to achieve desired outcomes, exercising judgement to make decisions, and assuring effective communication with stakeholders.
12. Facilitates the work of the Office of the President by keeping contact lists updated for large mailings, compiling an annual university wide memberships report, distributing and keeping accurate records of complementary tickets for various events, and ordering and distributing Presidential parking passes to emeriti and selected individuals.
13. Facilitates efficient and cost-effective official travel for the President and other official visitors by making travel arrangements and preparing associated approval forms and expense reports for travelers.
14. Prepares correspondence for distribution or approval and signature, checking the documents for completeness and accuracy.
15. Assists with development and management of the budgets under control of the President's Office by maintaining budget records, reconciling and verifying vouchers and receipts for accuracy, producing financial reports and summaries, approving expenditures, completing budget transfers, and verifying and approving all international travel for the University.
16. Performs records management of a complex filing system by overseeing the filing system, creating files and records as necessary using judgment and knowledge of office requirements, updating files and records, determining retention and purging schedules, and retrieving files and documents as needed.
17. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional relationships with colleagues, attending professional development seminars, and attending training and/or courses as required by the President.
18. Contributes to the overall success of the University by performing other essential duties and responsibilities as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of executive-level administrative practices, including calendar management, correspondence preparation, and handling confidential information with discretion.
• Understanding of higher education governance structures, policies, and institutional operations.
• Knowledge of budgeting processes, financial record reconciliation, and expense tracking procedures.
• Familiarity with professional office procedures, records management practices, and document retention standards.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft professional correspondence, reports, and presentations.
• Advanced organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize competing demands in a fast-paced executive environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with diverse. stakeholders, including senior leadership, board members, faculty, staff, students, and community partners.
• Expert proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and related productivity software, including the ability to develop professional presentations, reports, and communication materials.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to anticipate needs, identify solutions, and make sound decisions independently.
• Ability to manage complex scheduling and logistical coordination across multiple priorities and stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive information. 
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in preparing documents, reports, and communications.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining high levels of organization and efficiency. 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and demonstrate initiative in identifying priorities and completing tasks.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and respond appropriately to urgent matters.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and composure when interacting with individuals at all organizational levels.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with external partners.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Ability to coordinate high-level meetings, travel, and events with strong attention to detail and logistical accuracy.
• Ability to maintain flexibility and responsiveness to communications outside of standard business hours when necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education/Experience: Requires a bachelor's degree and five to ten years of professional experience in an administrative setting with three to five years supporting upper-level executives. 
• Maintain an extremely high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential interactions, documents, and information.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced executive environment demonstrating a high degree of professionalism in dealing with diverse groups of people, including board members, senior executives, donors, elected officials, and community and governance group leaders.
• Excellent verbal, written, and communication skills are required, i.e., the ability to communicate effectively verbally and through written correspondence as well as in communicating with individuals in one-on-one situations. Exceptional organizational skills and impeccable attention to detail.
• Expert proficiency with Microsoft Office and desktop publishing software; ability to design and edit graphic presentations and materials.
• Ability to be responsive to emails, texts, and phone calls with regular contact outside normal business hours.
• Experience in maintaining, monitoring, and reconciling financial records and accounts is preferred.
• Ability to complete a high volume of tasks and projects with little or no guidance.
• Ability to make appropriate, informed decisions regarding priorities, resources, and issues.
• Ability to switch gears/direction at a moment's notice and react with appropriate levels of urgency to situations and events.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Work is primarily performed in a professional office environment.
• Requires the ability to operate standard office equipment, including a computer, keyboard, telephone, and other common workplace tools.
• Requires the ability to communicate effectively to exchange accurate information in person, virtually, and in writing.
• May involve remaining in a stationary position for extended periods of time.
• May occasionally require moving about the office or campus to attend meetings or events.
• May involve moving light materials such as files, documents, or office supplies.
• May require the ability to adjust work schedules periodically to support meetings, events, or operational needs.

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of Lincoln University. Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.