Executive Assistant - Environmental Health & Safety

UT MD Anderson; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 53,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid medical coverage start 1

PTO & holidays accruals

Tuition Assistance Program after six 6

Defined-benefit pension

Job summary

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center seeks an Executive Assistant to support Environmental Health & Safety leadership. This role delivers high-level administrative support, manages confidential communications, and coordinates executive activities to advance departmental priorities.

Ideal candidates bring substantial experience supporting senior executives, preferably in healthcare, academic, research, or higher education environments, with strong project management, coordination,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Significant experience supporting senior executives, preferably within healthcare, academic, research, or higher education environments.
• Strong professionalism, discretion, organizational skills, communication abilities, and executive presence.

Responsibilities

• Acts independently as an assistant to an executive, handling highly confidential correspondence and information.
• Schedules, prioritizes, and maintains calendar, travel itinerary, meetings, and filing systems; prepares meeting agendas.
• Initiates meeting notifications, reminders, and cancellations for AVP-led meetings; maintains confidentiality and professionalism.
• Monitors and coordinates travel arrangements; ensures expenditures follow institutional guidelines and reimbursement processing.
• Identifies problems and communicates with AVP/Office Manager for resolution.
• Leads and participates in special projects; analyzes problems and makes decisions affecting the department.
• Composes correspondence, edits and formats presentations, and compiles reports with graphics where needed.
• Maintains AVP memberships, licenses, and certifications.

Skills

Executive support

Project management

Event planning

Executive reporting

Presentation prep

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Job description

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a world-renowned institution dedicated to cancer care, research, education, and prevention. The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) department supports a safe, compliant, and effective environment for employees, patients, visitors, and stakeholders through operational oversight, coordination, and administrative support.

The Executive Assistant - Environmental Health & Safety serves as a trusted partner to departmental leadership, providing high-level administrative and operational support. This role is responsible for managing executive activities, coordinating communications, and supporting strategic initiatives that enhance organizational effectiveness and advance departmental priorities. As a key contributor to the EH&S team, the Executive Assistant helps ensure the efficient operation of leadership functions in support of MD Anderson's mission of excellence.

The ideal candidate is an experienced executive support professional with a preferred bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Candidates should possess significant experience supporting senior executives, preferably within healthcare, academic, research, or higher education environments, along with project management, operational coordination, event planning, executive reporting, and presentation preparation experience. Strong professionalism, discretion, organizational skills, communication abilities, and executive presence are highly valued.

The successful candidate should possess a strong executive presence and the ability to interact confidently with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders. We are seeking an individual who is proactive rather than reactive, anticipates needs before they arise, and serves as a trusted partner to the Associate Vice President. Strong critical-thinking abilities, discretion, professionalism, and a commitment to excellent customer service are essential for success in this role.

Salary: Minimum $53,000 - Midpoint $66,000- Maximum $79,000

Why Us?

This role provides the opportunity to directly support leadership initiatives that advance UT MD Anderson's mission while building expertise in executive administration, operational coordination, and strategic project support. The position offers meaningful engagement with senior leaders, diverse stakeholders, and critical departmental initiatives in a collaborative environment that values professional growth, service excellence, and operational effectiveness.

• Employer-paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30+ hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
• Defined-benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer-paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

Key Responsibilities

Administrative Support to AVP:

• Acts independently as an assistant to an executive, handling highly confidential correspondence and information.
• Schedules, prioritizes, and maintains calendar, travel itinerary, meetings/conferences, maintains confidential files, creates and maintains appropriate filing systems, and prepares meeting agendas
• Initiates meeting notifications, postponements, cancellations, and reminders for meetings led or involving the AVP. Exhibits flexibility when necessary.
• Receives, places, screens, and transfers calls using appropriate telephone etiquette; responds to telephone information requests with courtesy, accuracy, and respect for confidentiality.
• Establish priorities and deadlines for completion of projects, and work with the Office Manager to support in overflow work and responsibilities.
• Identifies and communicates any current or potential problem areas to AVP/Office Manager for resolution.
• Coordinates, leads, and participates in special projects, independently analyzes problems, and makes decisions affecting the department.
• Composes formal and informal correspondence and documents, creates, edits, and formats presentations, and compiles reports, creates graphics, charts, and tables as needed.
• Maintains the AVP's memberships, licenses, and certifications.
• Arranges all travel preparations (scheduling airline reservations and hotel accommodations). Ensure that all expenditures are processed according to institutional guidelines. Process any necessary documentation for reimbursement.
• Coordinate educational programs, complex conferences, and workshops, as needed.
• Acts as FM Portal Content Manager, which consists of developing and maintaining sites and pages.

Financial Support

Monitors activity on the departmental funds; reconciles the accounts monthly and maintains the expenditures and reconciliation records for the account for monthly reconciliation submission.

• Responsible for entering, tracking, and following up on purchase requisitions, assuring all purchase orders are issued, paid, and closed in a timely and accurate manner. This includes keeping proper documentation for invoices, receiving documents, and all backup that is required for reconciliation.
• Compiles data and prepares reports as needed on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Processes and makes travel arrangements, reimbursements, license renewals, etc.
• Enters information in the electronic purchase requisition system, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and procedures.
• Handles ProCard purchases and monthly reconciliations for the department. Act as Reviewer for other ProCard holders' reconciliations, as needed.
• Assists the Office Manager and provides administrative support for specific human resource activities when needed. Processes personnel paperwork for recruitment. Sets interviews, prepares a question matrix, calculates interview scores, and maintains the record from the interviews.
• Plans, organizes, and coordinates special functions/events, including on/off-site departmental functions, employee recognition and educational programs, including but not limited to planning, coordinating logistics, scheduling visits, arranging facilities, and catering.
• Coordinates, tracks, and follows up on assignments and special projects on an ongoing basis.
• Serves as time-keeper for AVP direct reports and backup timekeeper for the department. Reviews timecards weekly and manually enters edits in Kronos.
• Serves as a backup to other administrative staff, when needed.

Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION

• Required: High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Preferred: Bachelor's Degree

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Required: 6 years Administrative/secretarial experience supporting a leadership/executive level position. or
• Required: 2 years Required experience with Bachelor's degree.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law.http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

• Employment Status: Full-Time
• Employee Status: Regular
• Work Week: Days
• Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 53,000
• Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 66,000
• Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 79,000
• FLSA: non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay
• Fund Type: Hard
• Work Location: Onsite
• Pivotal Position: No
• Referral Bonus Available?: No
• Relocation Assistance Available?: No