Confidential Executive Assistant (Legal) - Excluded

The City University of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 86,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

The City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine seeks an Executive Assistant to the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee. The role provides confidential administrative, operational, and legal support, manages calendars, schedules internal and external meetings, and assists with legal matter coordination, ensuring timely updates and accuracy.

Responsibilities include drafting confidential correspondence, maintaining filing systems, and acting as liaison with university staff and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and four years' related experience required.

Responsibilities

• Provides high-level confidential administrative support to the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee and the Office of Legal Counsel.
• Manages the complex calendar; coordinates meetings and priorities.
• Assists with coordination of legal matters, deadlines, and communications.
• Drafts and finalizes confidential documents and maintains records.
• Represents the Office of Legal Counsel to university staff and external parties.

Skills

Administrative support

Calendar management

Independent judgment

Discretion

Communication skills

Research skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

4 years related experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

POSITION DETAILS

The CUNY School of Medicine (CUNY SoM) located in the heart of Harlem, New York, is the only medical school in the City University of New York system and the only public medical school in Manhattan. Building upon 50 years of success as the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, the institution transitioned to the CUNY School of Medicine (SoM) in 2016. The CUNY SoM offers an accelerated BS/MD degree (7-year program) and a Physician Assistant Master's Degree (27 months program). True to its legacy of access, opportunity, and community transformation, the medical school's mission remains to recruit highly talented students as diverse as New York City itself. CUNY SoM places a special emphasis on training high quality, culturally competent health professionals and scientists equipped to address the healthcare needs of New York's medically under-served communities. As a major priority, CUNY SoM also seeks to enhance the recruitment and retention of senior leadership, faculty, and staff to more closely reflect the diversity of our student body.

The Confidential Executive Assistant serves as a key administrative and professional support resource to the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee and the Office of Legal Counsel. The position operates in a highly confidential and professional environment and supports the effective administration of legal office functions, requiring discretion, initiative, sound judgment, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work independently with sensitive information and matters involving the SoM.

Responsibilities

• Provides high-level, confidential administrative, operational, and legal support to the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee; exercises independent judgment in managing priorities, sensitive matters, deadlines, correspondence, and day-to-day operations of the Office of Legal Counsel.
• Manages the complex and frequently changing calendar; schedules and coordinates internal and external meetings, resolves scheduling conflicts, organizes meeting logistics, and communicates competing priorities and potential solutions.
• Assists with the coordination and administration of legal matters, including litigation, arbitrations, hearings, investigations, subpoenas, disciplinary matters, human rights complaints, contracts, affiliation agreements, and other legal proceedings; monitors deadlines, maintains status information, and provides timely updates to legal counsel.
• Conducts research on legal, regulatory, policy, labor, and institutional matters at the direction of the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee; researches CUNY policies, collective bargaining agreements, statutes, regulations, and other authoritative sources and prepares and prepares summaries and reports for attorney review.
• Assists with Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests by gathering, reviewing, analyzing, organizing, and maintaining responsive records; identifies records requiring Attorney review for redaction or disclosure and assists in ensuring responses are processed within applicable deadlines and confidentiality requirements.
• Assists with legal matter intake, including initial screening of matters involving discrimination, harassment, sex-based misconduct, employee and student concerns, and other matters referred to the Office of Legal Counsel; prepares interview and intake summaries and ensures relevant information is accurately documented and communicate to appropriate legal personnel.
• Drafts, proofreads, and finalizes confidential correspondence, memoranda, reports, presentations, agendas, minutes, and other materials; compiles legal and administrative data and prepares periodic statistical and narrative reports.
• Develops and maintains secure electronic and paper filing systems for confidential legal records, including litigation, investigation, contract, subpoena, disciplinary, and other legal matter files; ensures records are accurately organized, securely maintained, and accessible to authorized personnel.
• Serves as a liaison between the Office of Legal Counsel and University administrators, faculty, staff, students, external parties, and other University offices; responds to inquiries, coordinates communications, and exercises discretion when communicating on behalf of the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee.
• Coordinates legal office operations and projects, including Board meetings, legal team meetings, training and legal programming, distribution lists, expense reports, action-item tracking, and special projects; coordinates with Attorneys, administrative staff, and other support personnel to ensure assignments and projects are completed accurately and timely.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and security of privileged, sensitive, and legally protected information in accordance with CUNY policies and applicable laws; supports process improvements.
• Performs other related duties and special assignments as assigned by the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and four years' related experience required.

Preferred

• Experience providing administrative support to an Attorney, General Counsel, or Senior Administrator, preferably in higher education, government, or a public-sector environment.
• Knowledge of CUNY policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements, and University operations.
• Experience handling confidential personnel, labor, legal, student, or institutional matters.
• Experience assisting with legal matters such as litigation, investigations, FOIL requests, subpoenas, contracts, hearings, or disciplinary matters.
• Strong research, writing, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, manage competing priorities, and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Ability to work effectively with Attorneys, Administrators, Faculty, Staff, Students and external parties.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic records and document management systems.

Cuny Title Overview

• Creates appointment and meeting schedules, arranges meetings, and prepares for a variety of special events; maintains an ongoing calendar of reports, deadlines, and key dates and incorporates these into a schedule.
• Coordinates Executive communications, including those requiring a high degree of sensitivity; responds to public inquiries as well as requests from within the Campus/University community.
• Organizes, creates, and distributes key, complex management reports with a high degree of accuracy.
• Organizes, manages, and tracks written and email correspondence, maintaining logs and records of follow-up activities.
• Procures required internal and external resources and services and manages their utilization.
• May supervise office staff, performing basic Human Resources functions such as recruiting and interviewing.
• Participates in special projects and efforts to improve unit effectiveness.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

This position is excluded from union representation.

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Assistant

FLSA

Non-exempt

Compensation And Benefits

Salary Range: $85,556 - $102,460

Salary commensurate with education and experience.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

CLOSING DATE

Open until September 29, 2026.

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID

32769

Location

CUNY School of Medicine

Job Type

Full-Time