Assistant to the Executive Director (4702C)

UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA); Berkeley, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) invites applications for a senior administrative role supporting the Executive Director. The position manages the ED's office, calendar, board communications, and complex projects with a high degree of discretion.

The role emphasizes confidentiality, cross‑department collaboration, and proactive scheduling, travel and briefing support. A Bachelor's degree is required, with experience in a fast-paced environment and the ability to

Qualifications

• Previous experience performing administrative duties in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly organized with demonstrated skill for planning and prioritizing.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders at all levels; strong written and verbal skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; attention to detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level executive support and maintain the Executive Director's calendar.
• Prepare briefing materials and correspondence for the Executive Director.
• Coordinate board meetings, committees, and donor communications.
• Arrange travel and manage complex expense reports.
• Oversee office operations and ensure confidentiality and efficiency.

Skills

Administrative duties

Highly organized

Discretion/confidentiality

Effective communication

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Time management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related area or equivalent experience/training

Job description

Assistant to the Executive Director (4702C)

Position Overview

The Assistant to the Executive Director provides high-level, confidential, executive support on a wide range of projects including staff-wide initiatives, board and donor communications, programs and other topics as assigned. With a high degree of autonomy, this position manages the Executive Director's Office, the Executive Director's calendar, board meetings, and special projects involving the Executive Director. The Assistant to the Executive Director ensures seamless workflow and responsiveness in support of the Executive Director's office through strong organizational, communication, and relationship-management skills, sound judgment, and a demonstrated commitment to confidentiality, accuracy, and follow-through.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: August 31, 2026. For full consideration, please apply by the first review date. Applications may still be considered through September 16, 2026.

Responsibilities

Executive Support Functions (25%)

• Monitors projects the Executive Director is involved in, identifies and gathers relevant data, maintains deadlines, reminds Executive Director of matters that require immediate attention and offers assistance and analytical support.
• Supports Executive Director's activities with a high level of organization, efficiency, and detail. Prepares briefing materials and correspondence.
• Maintains log of action items, commitments and deadlines arising from ED meetings with the senior leadership team, staff, board, and donors, and proactively surfaces upcoming and overdue items to the Executive Director on a regular cadence.

Travel Arrangements and Reimbursements (25%)

• Make travel arrangements for Executive Director including booking travel, preparing itinerary, providing supplies, coordinating with trip hosts.
• Completing complex expense reports per university policies.
• Obtain preapprovals and flag issues in advance, as needed.

Management of Executive Schedule and Meeting Coordination (20%)

• Proactively manages the Executive Director's calendar to ensure time for ED's priorities, focused work, and travel, consistently re-prioritizing events, meetings and communications daily, weekly, and monthly; assessing and prioritizing the high volume of incoming requests, scheduling large and complex meetings with internal and external stakeholders, tracking requests, resolving conflicts appropriately in timely manner.
• Functions as the gatekeeper, understanding the requirements of the Executive Director, in order to prioritize issues according to urgency, and to allocate time for scheduled events, travel and meetings.
• Manages invitations and RSVPs.
• Manages logistics for internal meetings including scheduling, reserving rooms, supporting agenda development, facilitating, note-taking, communicating to key stakeholders, following up on action items, and setting up the appropriate tools and technology, such as Zoom.
• Organizes ad-hoc committees appointed by the Executive Director on a broad range of issues.
• With guidance from the Executive Director, responds to sensitive and important issues, and forwards situations and issues presented by board members, donors, staff, faculty and external constituents to appropriate senior staff members for resolution.
• As delegated, responds to inquiries from faculty, staff, students and the public on behalf of the Executive Director.
• Makes high-level contacts of a sensitive nature, internally and externally, requiring discretion and diplomacy.
• Serves as the intake point for requests, decisions, signatures, and follow-up items directed to the Executive Director from staff and the senior leadership team, ensuring these are logged as Asana tasks assigned to the Executive Director rather than communicated through informal channels.
• Redirects requests received outside this process back to the appropriate channel.

Advisory Board Coordinator (15%)

• Serves as a liaison with the BAMPFA Advisory Board.
• Manages the creation and implementation of the board calendar, including meetings, retreats, social activities, and specified committee meetings.
• Staffs committees as requested.
• Helps/assists/works with the board on any issue they may raise.
• Composes and edits written documents for the Board leadership and committees, such as agendas, summaries, reports, minutes, letters, directives, and visual presentations.
• Maintains accurate board files and records.
• Builds relationships with board members to effectively serve as a point person on staff by tracking communication preferences, special dates, and interests.
• Works with the Visitor Experience team to be aware of board visits to the museum to help ensure a warm welcome.
• Coordinates and communicates all details and logistics for board meetings with other staff. This includes preparing pre-reads, presentations, ordering gifts, ancillary materials, and ensuring that gatherings are presented in a professional manner.
• Creates and tracks a guest list of all attendees and makes accommodations for board members as requested.

Special Projects (10%)

• Performs and/or coordinates special projects independently, and/or as a member of a team.

Office Coordination and Operations (5%)

• Oversees and ensures that daily operations run smoothly for the executive's office.
• Keeps Executive Director's office neat and organized, filing documents, both digital and hardcopy, and other materials for efficient retrieval.
• Screens and prioritizes incoming mail for Executive Director's attention.
• Monitors and replenishes office supplies.
• Ensures compliance with all university policies.
• Identifies and recommends process improvements and administrative practices that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Executive Director's office and its interactions with the senior leadership team as it relates to managing information, projects and communications.

Required Qualifications

• Previous experience performing administrative duties in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly organized with demonstrated skill for planning and prioritizing.
• Political acumen and sensitivities to the differing perspectives and political circumstances within all levels of the campus.
• Strong analytical / problem-solving skills.
• Writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Strong service orientation.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff, faculty, alumni/donors, students, and external constituencies, both verbally and in writing.
• Strong skills in research, analysis, and complex problem solving.
• Ability to work flexibly and multitask with demanding timeframes.
• Ability to use high-level discretion and maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Ability to work successfully with a team and with one's own initiative.

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training. (Required)

Preferred Qualifications

• Advising and counseling skills.
• Awareness of and/or ability to learn about BAMPFA and its program goals.
• Experience working at a cultural organization.
• Experience supporting the work of an executive officer.
• Thorough knowledge of common campus-specific and other computer application programs or ability to rapidly learn these programs.
• Demonstrated skills in cross-departmental project management and event planning.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

The University's budgeted annual salary range for this position is $94,316.30 (Step 10) - $100,091.20 (Step 13). Due to compliance with California SB-1162, BAMPFA will not be able to offer a candidate anything above this posted amount. This is not a visa opportunity.