Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean

Provide expert administrative support to the Dean. The Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean is proactive, anticipates future needs of the Dean’s Office, demonstrates responsiveness, strong customer service, independent thinking, and solid judgment in a demanding and fast-paced environment.
Administrative responsibilities include, but are not limited to, answering phones, scheduling appointments and travel, reconciling expense reporting, composing acknowledgement letters, maintaining confidential information, and other administrative tasks. In addition to supporting the Dean, the Senior Administrative Assistant works collaboratively with other Dean’s Office and departmental staff including, but not limited to, the Associate Deans and Directors of Operations, with a willing attitude, clear and thorough communication, and the ability to follow through, whether it is preparing materials for a meeting or helping a colleague meet a deadline.
Special project responsibilities will require skill in managing and prioritizing multiple projects in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean serves an important and visible role, communicating and interacting with senior leadership (including, but not limited to, School and University leadership, key constituents, faculty, staff, and students) and important external clients.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative Support:

• Along with the Director of Administrative Operations, directs the daily administrative tasks of the Dean’s office.
• Functions as a gatekeeper to assure prioritization of the Dean’s time; manages the Dean’s calendar, including making appointments, all travel arrangements, conference and event registrations, and prioritizing the most sensitive matters; creates task lists and actively follows up to help assure timely completion of projects; ensures Dean is informed of priorities, deadlines, and challenges.
• Coordination of meetings with detailed meeting plan management; records minutes or notes of meetings as required.
• Maintains and manages a database of contacts, to assist with tracking internal and external contacts.
• Uses multiple computer applications and university systems/platforms, following training, policies, and procedures to accurately support key administrative functions.
• Assists the Director of Administrative Operations with:
  • Collecting and preparing information for use in discussions and meetings with executive management and external individuals.
  • Drafting briefing documents and memos, as well as correspondence, communiques, and other communications projects, on the Dean’s behalf.
  • Writing and editing emails, creating PowerPoint presentations, coordinating monthly reporting, and maintaining complex Excel spreadsheets.
  • Maintaining comprehensive and accurate records.
  • Planning and implementing special projects and events, as needed, that required a combined knowledge of administrative, logistical and technical operations.
  • Responding to a wide variety, and large volume of inquiries from faculty, staff, students, and prospective students.
  • Responding to routine & non-routine inquiries regarding the school and campus operations, policies and procedures.
• Responds to a wide variety of requests for information, to ensure situations and issues are appropriately managed as well as forwarded to appropriate staff members for resolution.
• Analyze needs and problems to determine approach and priority.
• Makes high-level contacts of a sensitive nature regarding routine & non-routine issues internally and externally requiring a high degree of discretion and diplomacy and time sensitivity.
• Understands the program goals and priorities of the Dean to prioritize issues according to urgency.
• Manages multiple tasks with competing deadlines.
• Provides back-up administrative support to other areas in the School as necessary.
• Available periodically during off-hours (evenings and weekends).
• Other duties as assigned.

Budget and Financial:

• Will need to acquire a working knowledge of LU’s financial system.
• Process receipts, coordinates payment of Deans purchasing card and administrative purchasing card.
• Coordinate payment process for external vendors. Properly document all charges and account for all receipts.

Special Projects:

• Must be skilled in managing and prioritizing multiple projects simultaneously and effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Provides administrative and technical assistance on a wide range of special projects as assigned by Dean.

Attends and participates in project meetings/updates. Responsible for correspondence and special reports.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CREDENTIALS

Required Qualifications

• Three to five years’ prior experience in supporting an executive.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources management, or healthcare-related field.
• Operate independently with minimal supervision.
• Advanced technical and computer skills to support administrative functions including MS Office Suite with an emphasis on PowerPoint, Excel and database skills, electronic calendar management, various videoconferencing applications such as Teams etc., and email applications.
• Detail-oriented, self-starter and results-driven achiever with excellent organizational and project management skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and operate with a high sense of urgency, manage multiple assignments, set priorities, and adapt to changing conditions.
• Strong analytical/problem-solving skills using sound judgment within policy parameters.
• Provides high quality customer service orientation.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with all levels of staff both verbally and in writing, with excellent editing and proofreading ability; must be an exceptional listener.
• Strong ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Ability to use high-level discretion and maintain a high level of confidentiality in all aspects of services provided.
• Diplomacy, professional appearance and demeanor, and excellent attendance.
• Social perceptiveness, being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management training preferred but not required.

Physical and Sensory Abilities

• Occasionally required to travel to local and campus locations.
• Frequently required to sit for extended periods to perform deskwork or type on a keyboard.
• Regularly required to hear and speak in order to effectively communicate orally.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, and climb stairs to move about the building.
• Regularly lift 10 or fewer pounds.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work Environment

The working environment in which one will typically perform the essential functions of this position is a climate-controlled office setting. It is well lighted and the noise level is moderate.

Driving Requirements

Use of one’s personal vehicle (or LU vehicles) is required for travel in the performance of the essential functions of this position. Proof of a valid Virginia driver’s license, an acceptable DMV record, and liability insurance is required.

Target Hire Date

2025-12-03

Time Type

Full time

Location

Lynchburg - In Office

The University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it is our moral and legal obligation to meet the responsibility of ensuring that all management practices regarding employees are conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner. In compliance with Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and other applicable federal and state statutes, all recruiting, hiring, training, and promoting for all job classifications will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including state of employment protected classes. It is, therefore, our policy and intention to evaluate all employees and prospective employees strictly according to the requirements of the job. All personnel related activities such as compensation, benefits, transfers, job classification, assignments, working conditions, educational assistance, terminations, layoffs, and return from layoffs, and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment will be administered without regard to race, color, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability, military veteran status or other applicable status protected by law, including all applicable state of employment protected classes. The University is a Christian religious-affiliated organization; and as such, is not subject to religious discrimination requirements. The University’s hiring practices and EEO discrimination practices are in full compliance with both federal and state law. Federal law creates an exception to the “religion” component of the employment discrimination laws for religious organizations (including educational institutions), and permits them to give employment practice preference to members of their own religious beliefs.