Executive Assistant to the Dean

State of South Carolina; South Carolina; On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

State of South Carolina, College of Arts & Sciences, seeks an Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative, operational and strategic support to the Dean, Associate Dean and Office of Student Services.

This role coordinates external partnerships, communications and events, prepares reports and materials, and trains departmental staff while maintaining complex data systems and records across multiple departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and office management policies.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for reports and communications.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to build relationships with faculty, staff, students and the public.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and maintains administrative procedures and workflows.
• Liaises between the Dean’s Office, faculty, staff, students and external partners.
• Manages the Dean’s calendar and coordinates meetings with partners.
• Prepares meeting agendas, briefing materials, reports and minutes.
• Coordinates internal communications across 12 academic departments.
• Supports travel, procurement, events and campus activities.

Skills

Microsoft Office 365

Time management

Written communication

Oral communication

Confidential information handling

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Ellucian Banner

Job description

Job Responsibilities

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, the Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational and strategic support to the Dean, Associate Dean and Office of Student Services. This position serves as a liaison with external partners, alumni, donors and academic reviewers while coordinating executive operations, communications, event planning and daily college activities. Responsibilities include developing and managing written and digital communications, preparing reports and materials, facilitating training for departmental administrative staff and maintaining complex data systems and institutional records.

Job Responsibilities

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, the Executive Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational and strategic support to the Dean, Associate Dean and Office of Student Services. This position serves as a liaison with external partners, alumni, donors and academic reviewers while coordinating executive operations, communications, event planning and daily college activities. Responsibilities include developing and managing written and digital communications, preparing reports and materials, facilitating training for departmental administrative staff and maintaining complex data systems and institutional records.

Executive Operations & Administrative Leadership

• Establishes, documents and maintains administrative procedures and workflows.
• Serves as liaison between the Dean’s Office and faculty, staff, students, external partners and university offices.
• Coordinates and manages the Dean’s calendar and organizes meetings with community partners.
• Prepares meeting agendas, polished and professional briefing materials and reports, and meeting minutes.
• Coordinates internal communications across 12 academic departments.
  

External Partnership Management, Unit Reporting & Operational Support

• Serves as the office’s primary manager for community partnerships, alumni, donors and academic reviewers.
• Maintains professional relationships and manages engagements with external partners, which includes building invitations, identifying potential partners and maintaining relationships between the Dean’s Office and partner companies.
• Prepares various reports for community partners, accreditation visits and academic program reviews.
• Establishes training resources for department-level administrative assistants and faculty and leads workshops/training sessions.
• Maintains faculty assembly records and committee assignments and works with the Administrative Data Coordinator to support faculty meetings.
• Monitors operational workflows and ensures accuracy of departmental records.
  

Events and Engagement

• Publishes frequent postings to digital media platforms and serves as secondary web manager.
• Plans an array of campus-wide events, including an annual community forum, interdisciplinary conference, Dean’s Council meetings, workshops and seminars, industry advisory meetings, recruitment and retention events, alumni events, etc.
• Coordinates travel, lodging, itineraries, parking and hospitality (including gifts) for candidates and visitors.
• Participates in recruitment initiatives and prospective student engagement activities.
• Coordinates building tours and campus visit experiences.
• Plans and supports faculty development training sessions.
  

Travel & Procurement

• Manages/coordinates travel arrangements and conference logistics for the Dean’s Office and the Student Services team.
• Prepares travel authorizations and reimbursement documentation with attention to registration deadlines and expense submissions.
• Manages and leads purchasing and procurement processes for college-wide events, new faculty hires, unit functions, and academic accreditation and program reviews.
  

Scholarships

• Leads the college’s scholarship application process, ensuring students are aware of the opportunities.
• Creates digital communications for the college’s scholarship recipients and updates the scholarship and general recruitment websites.
  

Facilities

• Conducts visual facilities checks, submits work orders for maintenance and repairs, and follows up as needed.
• Works with the Dean and Associate Vice President for Facilities to prioritize projects and upgrades in Kinard Hall and serves as a reliable support for instructional faculty.
  

Minimum And Additional Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and at least one year of experience providing senior-level/advanced administrative support. (An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365.
• Robust understanding of office management policies, procedures and best practices.
• Effective organizational and time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines while juggling competing priorities.
• Effective oral and written communication skills and the ability to draft reports and other communications for distribution.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Good interpersonal and customer service skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students and the general public.
• Ability to leverage technology to efficiently perform position duties.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Ellucian Banner software.
• Experience coordinating events.
• Experience promoting academic programs using digital media.
• Experience managing complex academic operations comprising multiple departments at an institution of higher education.
  

Additional Comments

Travel/Overtime Requirements: Evening and weekend hours may be required to support specific events.
Telecommuting: Employees are not eligible for telecommuting/remote work during their 12-month probationary period. After that time, certain positions may be eligible for telecommuting/remote work at the discretion of the supervisor and in accordance with Winthrop policies.