Executive Assistant
Requisition ID: 20078597
The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and is the largest private employer in the city of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, staff, and alumni that make this a top tier university.
The USC Libraries is seeking an Executive Assistant to provide executive-level support to the Dean of USC Libraries. This position manages 3 full-time office staff as well as student workers, provides leadership to identify, implement as approved, and manage effective systems and protocols within the Dean’s office and serve as the principal liaison between the Dean’s Office and other entities such as university administrators, executive offices, faculty, staff, board members, and committee chairs/co-chairs. The Executive Assistant manages the Dean’s calendar, prepares a daily agenda with meeting materials, facilitates the signing of confidential and sensitive documents, ensures conformity to university and department policies and procedures, and alerts the Dean to potential issues while maintaining confidentiality at all times. This position is expected to be proactive and anticipatory in identifying issues that could affect the operations of the library and/or the Dean’s office. As requested by the Dean, this position works closely with several departments including human resources, development, finance and accounting, and payroll.
We are seeking a candidate who has previous or comparable experience as an Executive Assistant, takes a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems, is able to manage staff and students so that they can meet their full potential, and is able to work with minimal direction yet knows when to seek guidance and clarification. The ideal candidate will be experienced in handling a wide range of administrative and executive support related tasks, will be exceedingly well organized and flexible, and capable of managing the administrative challenges of supporting a small office of diverse faculty and staff. This individual must be able to function effectively in a variety of roles within a dynamic environment under minimum supervision. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, discreet, and have a positive impact on the work environment. Additional requirements include excellent written and verbal communication skills, diplomacy, professional appearance and demeanor.
Responsibilities
- Reports to and provides support to the Dean of USC Libraries, which includes handling telephone and e-mail communications, addressing administrative matters and inquiries as appropriate; serves as the primary point of contact and principal liaison between the Dean’s office and faculty, staff, students, and external constituents on a range of day-to-day issues
- Ensures prioritization of the Dean’s time, manages tasks, and follows up on activities to ensure timely completion of assignments and projects. Prepares and collects information for use in discussions and meetings with faculty, staff, administrators, and executives
- Organizes meetings, arranges conference calls, and participates in the management of projects and events such as fundraising activities and the annual holiday party; schedules and coordinates dates/times, venues, agendas, reports, meeting materials, and catering; follows up with implementation, as appropriate, and records minutes as required
- Composes and prepares agendas, reports, and office correspondence; reviews and evaluates incoming and outgoing correspondence and prepares draft responses as appropriate
- Maintains paper and online records and follows University Archives procedures for the retention, protection, retrieval, transfer, and disposal of office records
- Assists with registration for annual conferences, travel, hotel accommodations, and long-term parking, as needed
- Monitors progress of department tasks, events, programs, and projects; apprises the Dean of progress toward and attainment of department goals
- Oversees the administrative budget for the Dean’s Office
- Directs the daily administrative operations of the Dean’s office, supervises all office staff and students; functions as a work leader to direct and oversee assignments; ensures conformity and maintains adherence to university and department policies and procedures
- Develops and maintains effective communication within the Dean’s office; ensures timely reciprocal exchange of information between Dean and university administrators, executives, faculty, and staff
- Establishes and maintains professional working relationships with USC Library faculty, staff, university administrators, executives, support staff, board members, and committee chairs and co-chairs
- Functions as a resource for faculty and staff to ensure situations and issues are properly managed and forwarded to the appropriate department for resolution
- Collaborates with Facilities Manager to ensure maintenance and repair of facility and office equipment and planning of space allocations, layouts, and floor moves as required; ensure security related matters are addressed, employee safety trainings are coordinated, and standards for security awareness and behavior are promoted; maintains knowledge of university’s campus safety and prevention programs and services
- Contributes as a member of the USC Libraries Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT); registers for training in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations
- Collaborates with Library Information Technology (IT) department staff to maintain and ensure effective operation of the Dean’s office equipment, including a desktop/laptop computer, additional computer hardware and/or software, mobile device, and tablet
- Assists with various payroll and human resource functions, such as, timesheet review, processing of bi-weekly payroll, and verifying accuracy of labor distribution and transaction detail reports; drafting job announcements and assisting new employees with orientation
- Participates in department planning and implementation processes. This may include but is not limited to budget, contingency planning, disaster preparedness, event/program, office space, staff, and strategic planning
- Supervises 3 full-time office staff, which includes Administrative Assistant I & II positions, a Development and Grants Coordinator position, and 2 part-time student worker positions to ensure efficient office operations; participates in and provides backup to these positions as needed; conducts annual performance evaluations
- Provides administrative and technical assistance on a wide range of special projects as assigned.
Benefits
USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for employees and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six (6) months of employment; tuition benefits for employees and their family; access to professional development opportunities; central Los Angeles locations with easy access to commuter trains, buses, and shuttle pick up services at no charge to employees; discounts to a wide variety of cultural, sporting, and other campus events.
The University of Southern California values diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.
Minimum Qualifications
1. Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training
2. A minimum 5 years of Executive Assistant experience or specialized administrative assistance experience
3. Advanced technical and computer skills to support administrative functions including Microsoft Office Suite with an emphasis on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and mobile phone hardware/software platforms and their various applications
4. Excellent project management skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to multi-task while providing a high level of customer service in all interactions
5. Ability to use high-level discretion and sound judgement to maintain confidentiality
6. Strong analytical/problem-solving skills
7. Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
8. Strong interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with all levels of administrators, executives, faculty, and staff
9. Excellent editing and proofreading skills
10. Ability to adapt and work independently and collaboratively in a team environment
11. Diplomacy, professional appearance and demeanor, and excellent attendance
Preferred Qualifications
1. Bachelor’s degree
2. 5 years of experience
3. Experience with SAP Concur, Kuali Financial System, and Salesforce
Salary
Starting salary dependent upon qualifications and experience.