Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Communications

Wesleyan Assurance Society; Middletown (CT); On-site; USD 63,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Wellness programs

Generous paid time off

Retirement plans

Flexible work schedules

Tuition programs

Job summary

Wesleyan University, in Middletown, CT, seeks an Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Communications. The role emphasizes proactive calendar management, discretion with confidential information, and high-quality executive support across leadership, faculty, and staff.

Responsibilities include coordinating complex schedules, preparing drafts and presentations, managing special projects, and ensuring efficient office operations across campus locations.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree and at least five years of admin/EA or similar experience.
• Ability to manage an executive’s calendar with discretion.
• Experience with project management tools.
• Strong relationship and confidentiality skills.
• Ability to work autonomously and anticipate needs.
• Flexible schedule including some evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Manage scheduling for the Vice President, including calendar, calls, travel and meetings; prepare materials.
• Prepare confidential correspondence, documents, and presentations; manage information flow to leadership.
• Handle special projects including higher education surveys.
• Support project organization; track invoices and archiving.
• Evaluate and improve office procedures for efficiency.
• Coordinate day-to-day operations and office logistics at two locations.
• Monitor budgets and process invoices; provide regular account summaries.
• Coordinate logistics for events and programs sponsored by Communications.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Calendar management

Discretion with confidential info

Time management

Communication skills

Relationship management

Gatekeeping

Multitasking

Customer service

Education

Associate’s degree

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project management tools

Database reporting tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Office of Communications shines a spotlight on the people and programs of Wesleyan University to enhance its reputation as a leader in liberal education. In so doing, it serves as a partner with units across campus, providing expertise in brand management, strategic communication, media relations, digital and social media strategy, website development, content training and strategy, print and online publications and videography and photography.

Reporting to the Vice President for Communications, the Executive Assistant is primarily responsible for managing the Vice President’s agenda and schedule. The Executive Assistant will be trusted with highly sensitive and confidential information and is expected to exhibit the highest level of discretion in handling this information.

The Executive Assistant proactively manages the Vice President’s time, priorities, and day-to-day activities to ensure the Vice President operates efficiently and effectively. This includes assessing and prioritizing requests; managing a complex calendar; anticipating scheduling needs and conflicts; redirecting requests to appropriate individuals; ensuring the Vice President is prepared, on time, and informed of schedule changes; and supporting immediate, short-term, and long-term priorities.

Serving as the first point of contact for the Vice President’s office, the Executive Assistant interacts professionally with University leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, external partners, and visitors. The position requires strong judgment, initiative, attention to detail, discretion, and consistent follow-through. The Executive Assistant is expected to anticipate emerging issues and needs, proactively communicate relevant information, and keep the Vice President informed of matters requiring attention or action.

The Executive Assistant also manages the office’s daily administrative activities and performs functions requiring a thorough understanding of University and office policies, procedures, and operations. The position works closely with the Director of Operations on special projects and administrative initiatives, including coordinating and managing the University’s participation in higher education surveys and other institutional projects as assigned.

The Executive Assistant proactively manages the Vice President’s time by assessing, prioritizing, and redirecting requests to others; keeping them on track, on time, and operating efficiently; and assisting with immediate, short term and long terms needs. The Executive Assistant will prioritize and handle correspondence, research, and handle special projects. The Executive Assistant will have a sense for emerging issues and keep the Vice President updated.

The Executive Assistant will manage the office’s daily activities and perform administrative functions that require a thorough knowledge of office policies, procedures, and operations.

Responsibilities:

• Manage scheduling for the Vice President, including agendas, calls, travel arrangements, complex and extensive calendar management, meetings and other logistics. Proactively prepare files, correspondence (email and mail), talking points, presentations and gather background materials for Vice President’s meetings and project work.
• Conduct research, draft, prepare and distribute final versions of confidential correspondence, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Manage content and flow of information from the Vice President to Communications leadership and University Cabinet.
• Handle special projects as assigned including higher education surveys.
• Support project organization, including tracking invoices, archiving digital assets, and archiving projects.
• Evaluate office procedures; implement procedures that will increase efficiencies.
• Coordinate day-to-day operations of the office including providing reception, processing incoming mail, submitting work orders, maintaining, organizing and ordering equipment and supplies for employees. at both office locations.
• Monitor budgets, run financial reports and provide regular account summaries. Perform budget processing and reporting, including processing vouchers, invoices, staff purchasing cards, and student timesheets for multiple department accounts.
• Coordinate logistics for events, meetings and programs sponsored by University Communications.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate’s degree and a minimum of five years of experience as an administrative assistant/executive assistant, project manager/coordinator or similar role or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and independently and manage and conserve an executive’s time by effective calendar management, prioritizing conflicting needs, reading, researching, routing correspondence, drafting letters, and documents, collecting and analyzing information, anticipating needs and identifying potential issues before they occur.
• Experience with project management tools.
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to exercise discretion at the highest-level while being trusted with sensitive and confidential information.
• Demonstrated ability to act as a gatekeeper when required, while maintaining an engaging and courteous approach.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and improve processes.
• Strong time-management skills and the ability to organize and coordinate multiple projects/matters at once effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other office productivity tools, with aptitude to learn new software and systems.
• Experience with database management systems (including creating detailed reports).
• Excellent customer service skills and proven professionalism when interacting with others.
• Effective communications skills.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule which includes work on some evenings and weekends.
• Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and interact collegially with individuals of different backgrounds.

Preferred Skills

• Experience providing support to C-Level or Senior-Level Executives role strongly preferred.
• Experience with event management and logistics.

Compensation: $63,100-$74,400

Work Location: On Campus

All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed toVice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator.

Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University’s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at https://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/clery.html.

Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers.

• comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans, flexible work schedules, and employee and dependent tuition programs.

Benefit eligibility varies based on position type, length of appointment, and scheduled work hours. Temporary employees, per-course visitors, and all other part-time appointments, including visiting faculty appointments, that are scheduled for less than half-time work are generally limited to those benefits required by law.

Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.