Executive Assistant

Department: Advancement and Alumni Relations Classification: Gen Admin Supv 1/Coord 1 Job Category: Classified Staff Job Type: Full-Time Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk) Location: Fairfax, VA Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible Pay Band: 04 Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience Criminal Background Check: Yes About the Department: The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 135 FTE.

Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, donor relations and stewardship, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.

Advancement and Alumni Relation's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university's aspirations and priorities.

The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning.

Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.

About the Position: The Executive Assistant has primary responsibility to provide C-suite level administrative support to the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations/President of the George Mason University Foundation Inc.

The Executive Assistant is responsible for conducting research, preparing agendas, handling information requests and performing clerical functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, answering and directing phone calls, distributing communications, arranging conference calls, making travel arrangements, preparing reimbursements, and scheduling meetings.

Responsibilities: * Serves as the Vice President's Primary Schedular and Prepares Briefings According to Commitments: * Manages the VP's complex calendar and time commitments and prioritizes in alignment with VP goals and strategies; * Prepares VP for upcoming engagements by organizing a daily agenda, follow-up and action items; * Briefs the VP regularly on inquiries and issues; * Coordinates appointments and meetings with direct reports, donors, trustees, faculty, and others both inside and outside the University community; * Confirms meeting times and participation daily; * Arranges meetings, coordinating space, equipment, catering, and room setup according to program/meeting requirements; * Attends meetings with the VP to collect meeting notes as needed; * Prepares meeting materials and documents for VP's daily review; * Coordinates advancement related events, meetings and activities with the Office of the President, Provost, and Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance, and University Deans; prepares briefings and provides logistical support in the execution of these activities, works closely with those offices to coordinate joint activities and programs between those office and the Vice President's office; greets visitors to the Vice President's office; and * Submits research requests to the systems team as needed and provides detailed, confidential information to VP and OTP in a timely manner.

* Serves as the Vice President's "Action Officer": * Forwards correspondence to the correct office for action(s); * Screens all VP's incoming mail and takes action or redirects it to the appropriate university office for response; * Answers all phones for the Vice President: taking messages or fielding/answering all routine and non-routine questions, working and coordinating with Executive Assistants in Advancement to ensure phone coverage, serving as backup to Executive Assistants in Advancement to provide coverage; * Receives, reviews, and logs paperwork for VP's signature; * Coordinates, procures, and ensures appropriate delivery of the Vice President's stewardship including notes, acknowledgement letters, flowers, and gifts; * Coordinates ongoing gifts for prospects and volunteer groups and leads/coordinates EOY VP gift initiatives; * Supports data analysis activities, contributes to data reports as directed, collects, compiles and distributes data and reports to the VP, senior staff, various university constituents and outside vendors as appropriate; * Exercises sound judgments about issues requiring engagement of the VP, while independently responding to senior leaders, donors, employees, and schools and units, or initiating administrative projects, where appropriate; * Conducts research on topics of both strategic and tactical importance, as directed by the Vice President or in support of Advancement, including collecting, analyzing, and reporting on data gathered across the Advancement, the university, or elsewhere via various data gathering means, including Internet searches, calls and correspondence with faculty and other professionals, using Advancement and University data bases and systems, and conducting surveys; research may require understanding of basic statistics; and * Serves as a steward of highly confidential information and acts as a trustworthy liaison between the Office of Advancement and internal and external stakeholders.

* Coordinates travel arrangements and briefings: * Coordinates and arranges event registration and travel details, including flights, trains, hotels, registration, and car rentals; * Coordinates payment of flights with the operations team; * Completes and confirms conference registration and travel arrangements before travel; and * Prepares detailed briefing for conferences and regional tour travel detailing travel arrangements, speaking engagements, and conference schedules.

* Perform a variety of clerical duties in support of the Vice President: * Files, prepares and processes reconciliations, expense reports and reimbursements; * Maintains gift inventory and prepares gifts as needed; * Athletic ticket management: corresponds with volunteers and issues electronic tickets and well mails parking and green room passes as needed.

* Prepares outgoing mail, orders and maintains the Vice President's office supply inventory; and * Prepares correspondence, reports, forms, power-point and presentation slide decks, and other documents in support or requested of the Advancement and the Vice President's activities or as directed by the Vice President.

* Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned or directed: * Plans, promotes, coordinates, and monitors special events as directed by the VP; * Provides secretarial support to the Board of Visitors, Development Committee including outreach to committee members to secure prep meetings and confirm attendance; drafts meeting minutes following each committee meeting and serves as a back up to the Secretary pro-term in the event of their absence; * Owns special projects and ensures proper strategy, planning, coordination and execution to achieve desired outcomes; and * Maintains professional presence as first contact on behalf of the Vice President.

Required Qualifications: * Demonstrated experience with executive calendar management and coordination of planning and preparation logistics prior to scheduled meetings and events; * Demonstrated experience exercising attention to detail and accuracy in matters of proofreading, document processing, and relaying messages; * Experience handling confidential information; * Experience writing general correspondence; * Experience working with diverse groups of people, working under pressure, multitasking, and handing confidential matters; * Experience working in a high-volume, fast-paced office.

* Demonstrated skill in verbal, written, and interpersonal communication; * Demonstrated proficiency in the use of computers with expert Level Microsoft Outlook Skills and advanced Microsoft Office Skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.); * Outstanding customer service skills demonstrated by the ability to interact effectively with administrators, faculty, and staff as well as partners outside of the University; * Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to make rapid, independent decisions regarding high priority requests; research independently the best solutions for problems when they arise; * Ability to work within multiple internal databases and maintain consistent organization; * Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and tact; * Ability to build and maintain collaborative working relationships; * Ability to perform duties under limited supervision; exercise substantial attention to detail in work being performed; multi-task, prioritize work, and meet deadlines; exercise effective time management with flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of Advancement's administration; and * Ability to effectively manage a senior executive's calendar, including coordinating with others as needed, issuing reminders, and prioritizing requests for the executive's available time; take accurate, concise, and well-organized meeting minutes/summaries without the use of an audio recording device.

Preferred Qualifications: * Bachelor's degree in related field; * Demonstrated experience providing executive administrative support; * Experience in higher education; experience working effectively with staff and external constituents at all levels of the university; * Experience with Affinaquest (Salesforce) or similar software; * Knowledge of various university policies including FOIA; and * Knowledge of basic data analysis.

Instructions to Applicants: For full consideration, applicants must apply for Executive Assistant at Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date: April 10, 2024 Posting Close Date: April 24, 2024 Open Until Filled?: No