Assistant to the Dean - Design (71101)

Pratt Institute School of Architecture; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Pratt Institute School of Design in Brooklyn, NY, seeks an experienced Administrator to support the Dean’s Office, coordinating calendars, communications, travel, and events. You will work closely with academic leadership to ensure smooth operations across departments and external partners.

The role requires strong organizational, communication, and diplomacy skills, with experience in higher education administration and a commitment to equity and professional discretion.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree required; Bachelor's degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive administrative, operational, or executive support experience.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and CMS platforms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Commitment to an inclusive environment and working with a diverse community in higher education.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the Dean’s calendar and briefing materials; manage scheduling and background materials.
• Screen, triage, and route inbound correspondence and visitors.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel, accommodations, and honoraria for the Dean and guests.
• Assist in accreditation, assessment reporting, and annual program documentation.
• Support fiscal processing and facilities coordination within the Dean’s Office.
• Supervise student employees and graduate assistants and manage timecards.

Skills

Communication & discretion

Cultural competence

Organizational skills

Stakeholder management

Team coordination

Education

Associate degree

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office

Website CMS

Digital communication tools

Workday/Canvas (enterprise systems)

Job description

About Pratt

Pratt Institute provides the creative leaders of tomorrow the professional knowledge and experience to make a better world. A world-class and internationally ranked college with programs in art, design, architecture, liberal arts and sciences, and information studies, Pratt offers nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

About Pratt

Pratt Institute provides the creative leaders of tomorrow the professional knowledge and experience to make a better world. A world-class and internationally ranked college with programs in art, design, architecture, liberal arts and sciences, and information studies, Pratt offers nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The Institute’s impact expands beyond its 25-acre residential campus in Brooklyn to cutting-edge facilities throughout the borough, a landmark building and public gallery in Manhattan, as well as an extension campus, Pratt Munson College of Art and Design in Utica, New York. On Governors Island, Pratt is a core partner on the Stony Brook University team selected to develop the New York Climate Exchange, a research and educational hub poised to establish New York City as the global leader for the most pressing issue of our time: climate change. Another extension of Pratt’s campus is the Research Yard, a 20,000-square-foot facility that brings together the research activities of Pratt Institute under one roof in the Brooklyn Navy Yard (BNY).

Education

Since our founding in 1887, Pratt has upheld the belief that education should be accessible to all who wish to learn. As a community, we define ourselves as standard setters who are:

• Resourceful and collaborative problem solvers,
• Socially responsible and equity-centered creatives,
• Adaptable and resilient global stewards,
• Inquisitive and compassionate community members.

Description

The School of Design at Pratt Institute educates curious makers in design practice to impact the world through the design of messages, objects, spaces, and systems. Spanning five academic departments (Undergraduate Communications Design, Graduate Communications Design, Fashion Design, Industrial Design, and Interior Design), four undergraduate programs, five graduate programs, interdisciplinary programs, and associated production labs, the School believes design is a transformative force that connects, enables, sustains, empowers, and humanizes.

Reporting directly to the Dean and working closely with the Assistant Dean, Director of Finance & Operations, as well as engaging and coordinating with Department Chairpeople, Department Managers, and staff around the Institute, the Assistant to the Dean serves as the operational anchor and primary liaison of the Office of the Dean. The position manages the Office of the Dean’s business functions, executive administration, digital communications, event planning, and facilities workflows across the School’s multidisciplinary departments.

The Assistant to the Dean represents the Dean’s Office to internal and external constituents—including the Office of the Provost, Vice Presidents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, visiting designers, and industry partners as a member of a team passionately dedicated to design education and students’ futures—while upholding the highest standards of discretion, cultural competence, and institutional integrity.

Examples of Duties

• 2. Faculty Affairs, Search Coordination & Labor Relations (10%)
• 3. Academic Governance, Curriculum, Assessment & Accreditation (20%)
• 4. Strategic Communications, Events & Public Programming (15%)
• 5. Fiscal, Facilities & Records Management (15%)
• 6. Student & Graduate Assistant Supervision (10%)
• Perform all other duties as required.
• Executive Operations & Stakeholder Liaison (30%)
• Executive Calendar & Briefings: Direct and maintain the Dean’s executive calendar, managing complex scheduling, prioritizing appointment requests,
• resolving schedule conflicts, and assembling daily briefings, agendas, and necessary background materials in advance of events.
• Frontline Executive Triage & Reception: Serve as the primary point of contact, liaison, and gatekeeper for the Dean’s Office. Screen, triage, and route inbound correspondence, telephone calls, and visitors; independently resolve routine to moderately complex administrative inquiries from faculty, students, staff, and external partners.
• Interdepartmental & Institutional Coordination: Maintain regular communication on behalf of the Dean to the School’s five departments, the Office of the Provost, Vice Presidents, academic peers, and external partners.
• Travel & Guest Hospitality: Coordinate end-to-end domestic and international travel itineraries, accommodations, expense filings, and honoraria for the Dean and invited guests of the School (e.g., candidates, visiting critics, guest lecturers, external reviewers).
• Academic Search Logistics: Coordinate operational workflows for full-time faculty and administrative search committees. Manage candidate correspondence, schedule campus visit itineraries and public presentations, reserve rooms, arrange candidate travel, and maintain secure, confidential search records.
• Reappointment, Promotion & Tenure (RPT): Assist the Dean with coordination/organizing of documentation for the School’s annual faculty evaluations, appointments, reappointments, and tenure reviews. Also assist the Dean to ensure strict adherence to Pratt Institute policies and procedural deadlines.
• Governance Records & Meeting Administration: Coordinate logistical planning for all-School faculty meetings, administrative retreats, and standing committee sessions. Draft, archive, and distribute official meeting notices, calls for proposals, agendas, and formal meeting minutes.
• Accreditation & Assessment Reporting: Support the Dean and Assistant Dean in generating and assembling academic reports, including cyclical assessment reports, program reviews, and documentation/exhibit staging for professional accreditation reviews (e.g., Middle States, CIDA).
• Academic Bulletins & Publications: In collaboration with the Assistant Dean and academic leadership, collect, audit, and edit School of Design curriculum content for the annual undergraduate and graduate Institute bulletins/catalogues.
• Public Programming & Symposia: Plan and coordinate, where necessary, Dean’s Office events, design lectures, end-of-year exhibitions, symposia, and workshops. Manage venue scheduling, audiovisual technical requests, catering, outside speaker hospitality, event registration, attendee check-in, and post-event records/budgets.
• Digital Media & Content Production: Collect, curate, and edit content for School of Design digital channels, including community newsletters, web pages (via CMS), and social media platforms. Broadcast school milestones, student and faculty accomplishments, public lectures, and design exhibitions to internal and external audiences.
• Alumni & External Engagement: Support the Dean with outreach initiatives and events directed toward alumni, advisory boards, design industry partners, and global institutional collaborators.
• Fiscal Processing: Process purchase orders, check requests, invoice reconciliations, and expense reimbursements in compliance with Pratt’s financial policies.
• Facilities & Space Operations: Serve as the Dean’s Office operational liaison to Facilities and Space Planning. Monitor the physical conditions of the executive suite, production labs, studios, and shared facilities; log maintenance work orders; manage office equipment and supply inventories; and assist in compiling background materials for capital project proposals.
• Supervise, onboard, and train student employees, work-study students, and Graduate Assistants (GAs) assigned to the Dean’s Office.
• Allocate daily tasks, manage reception desk coverage, monitor project workflows, approve electronic timecards, and conduct routine performance evaluations.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Education: Associate’s Degree required; Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of progressive administrative, operational, or executive support experience (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).

• Technical Proficiencies:
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar) and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel).
• Familiarity with website content management systems, digital communication tools, and social media platforms.
• Experience with, or demonstrated ability to quickly master, enterprise higher education systems (e.g., Workday, Canvas, digital room-scheduling platforms).
• Communication & Discretion: Exceptional written, editorial, and verbal communication skills; demonstrated ability to handle sensitive personnel, labor relations, budget, and student data with absolute confidentiality.
• Cultural Competence: Demonstrated commitment to an inclusive environment, and proven capacity to communicate and collaborate effectively within a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior administrative experience within higher education administration (specifically an academic dean’s office or multi-departmental division) or a creative non-profit/arts organization.
• Direct experience working in an environment governed by a collective bargaining agreement (union contract), especially a teaching faculty.
• Background, academic degree, or demonstrable professional interest in design, architecture, visual arts, or creative production.
• Prior experience coordinating academic accreditation processes (e.g., NASAD, CIDA) and supporting institutional assessment reporting.

Supplemental Information

Key Performance Indicators (First 6–12 Months)

• Calendar & Workflow Precision: The Dean’s schedule operates without conflicts; daily briefing dossiers and background materials are prepared, vetted, and accessible at least 24 hours in advance.
• Operational Organization: Digital file archives, curricular change logs, meeting minutes, and accreditation materials are indexed, maintained securely, and readily accessible within Google Workspace.
• Stakeholder Integration: Productive, collaborative partnerships are established with Department Chairs, academic directors, production lab managers, administrative staff, and the Office of the Provost.

Working Conditions & Physical Demands

• Modality: On-site 5 days per week on the Pratt Institute Brooklyn campus, flexibility for hybrid during periods where School is out of session with advanced agreement with the Dean.
• Schedule Flexibility: Standard business hours, with periodic evening and weekend hours required to support public lectures, exhibition openings, symposia, and School-wide events.
• Physical Requirements: Standard office setting; prolonged periods of computer and desk work. Regular local campus mobility required to coordinate events and assess spaces across design studios, production labs, lecture halls, and galleries. Ability to occasionally lift and transport light event materials, signage, and office supplies up to 20 lbs.

** For consideration, please submit your resume and cover letter. If moved forward in the interview process, professional references will be requested.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, marital or domestic partnership status, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pratt Institute recognizes and values the benefits of a diverse workforce. At Pratt, we prioritize equity and have established a systematic approach to guarantee fair treatment for everyone. If your background and expertise align with the requirements of the position, you will be contacted for further instructions.