Executive Administrator

The EPI Center; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation (EPI) is seeking an experienced Executive Administrator to provide high-level administrative and operational support to the CEO, while strengthening day-to-day business infrastructure.

The role combines executive administration with operations ownership, requiring a highly organized professional who can manage details, build reliable processes, and ensure organizational requirements do not fall through the cracks.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in executive administration or related area.
• Experience developing or improving processes, SOPs, workflows, or administrative systems.
• Strong project management, organization, prioritization, and deadline-management skills.
• Ability to coordinate work across departments and follow up with stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Serve as trusted administrative and operational partner to the CEO, tracking priorities and follow-through.
• Coordinate scheduling, travel, meetings, and routine administrative support with Administrative Assistants.
• Support executive and Board meetings with minutes, records management, and follow-up.
• Identify operational gaps and define ownership, bottlenecks, and recurring tasks.
• Develop, document, implement, and maintain SOPs, workflows, trackers, and templates.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects and track milestones, dependencies, and deadlines.
• Maintain centralized tracking for contracts, renewals, licenses, and insurance.
• Monitor licenses, registrations, and renewals across jurisdictions and coordinate renewals.
• Oversee expense administration, approvals, and purchasing with Finance.
• Provide concise updates to CEO on priorities, risks, deadlines, and decisions.
• Handle confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Executive administration

Business operations

Project coordination

Process improvement

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation (EPI) is seeking an experienced Executive Administrator to provide high-level administrative and operational support to the CEO while strengthening the organization's day-to-day business infrastructure. This role combines executive administration with business operations ownership and is ideal for a highly organized professional who can manage details, identify gaps, build reliable processes, and ensure important organizational requirements do not fall through the cracks.

The Executive Administrator will oversee key administrative and business operations functions, including organizational expenses, business insurance renewals, licenses and registrations across the jurisdictions where EPI operates, vendor and contract tracking, operational systems, standard operating procedures, and recurring organizational deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted administrative and operational partner to the CEO, helping organize priorities, track commitments, and ensure appropriate follow-through.
• Coordinate with EPI's Administrative Assistants regarding CEO scheduling, travel, bookings, meeting logistics, and other routine administrative support.
• Support executive and Board meetings through preparation, documentation/minutes, records management, and follow-up as assigned.
• Identify operational gaps, unclear ownership, bottlenecks, and recurring responsibilities that lack a defined process.
• Develop, document, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), workflows, checklists, trackers, and templates.
• Coordinate cross-functional operational projects and track responsibilities, milestones, dependencies, and deadlines through completion.
• Maintain a centralized system for tracking recurring business obligations, including contracts, renewals, registrations, licenses, insurance policies, and other critical requirements.
• Monitor business licenses, registrations, permits, and similar requirements in the jurisdictions where EPI operates and coordinate timely renewals.
• Monitor business insurance policies and renewal dates, coordinate required information with brokers or carriers, and maintain current coverage documentation.
• Oversee administrative expense administration and tracking, including supporting documentation, approvals, expense reports, purchasing records, and coordination with Finance.
• Track vendors, service providers, contracts, renewal dates, and recurring commitments and follow through on outstanding operational items.
• Provide the CEO with concise updates on operational priorities, risks, upcoming deadlines, and matters requiring executive decisions.
• Handle confidential organizational and business information with discretion and sound judgment.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in executive administration, business operations, office administration, project coordination, or a related area.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex administrative and operational responsibilities independently with strong follow-through.
• Experience developing or improving processes, SOPs, workflows, trackers, or administrative systems.
• Strong project management, organization, prioritization, and deadline-management skills.
• Ability to coordinate work across departments and effectively follow up with individuals who may not directly report to the position.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, solve problems independently, and appropriately escaláte matters requiring executive or functional leadership involvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations, organizational leadership, project management, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience in a nonprofit, education, grant-funded, academic, or public-sector organization.
• Experience managing business licenses, insurance renewals, contracts, vendors, organizational expenses, or compliance-related administrative deadlines.