Department: College of Education and Human Development

Classification: Gen Admin Supv 1/Coord 1

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is an innovative, inclusive, and cutting-edge college that successfully prepares professionals to promote learning and development across the life span while contributing meaningfully to research in human and organizational performance as well as in the learning and developmental sciences. The college, with nearly 130 full-time faculty members, more than 300 part-time faculty members and nine academic divisions offers 27 academic programs, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, across its three schools, the School of Education, the School of Kinesiology and the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management. In addition, faculty engage in an extensive portfolio of research and are fully engaged in the community. The CEHD is ranked among the top 100 Colleges of Education in the world by the Shanghai ranking of world universities and is among the top tier in the rankings of the US News and World Report.

About the Position:

This position is foremost responsible for all aspects of the Dean’s schedule, including organizing day-to-day meetings, events, and travel with consistent and acute attention to detail. This role will interact with students, faculty, and staff on behalf of the Dean and serve as a key liaison between the Dean and various internal and external stakeholders, and will be entrusted with handling highly sensitive and confidential information. The Executive Assistant to the Dean is a self-directed team player who takes initiative, anticipates needs, ensures consistent high quality work, and adapts to different situations.

Responsibilities:

• Scheduling and Planning Coordination:
  • Schedules appointments for the Dean, ensuring optimal use of their time and prioritizing competing demands;
  • Coordinates complex and dynamic schedules, managing multiple calendars and ensuring appointments are efficiently scheduled and conflicts are resolved;
  • Identifies and develops systems to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Dean’s activities;
  • Creates and compiles detailed briefing materials for the Dean prior to meetings. This includes gathering relevant information, synthesizing it into clear and concise briefing materials, including relevant facts, data, and background information;
  • Drafts, proofreads, and finalizes memos, correspondence, and documents with attention to detail, accuracy, and overall quality;
  • Responds to email, texts, and phone calls outside normal hours as needed for urgent matters; and
  • Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion and appropriate judgment in all matters related to the Dean's business.
• Organizational Collaboration and Communication
  • Manages the meetings of the Dean's office proactively from organizing agendas to taking minutes and ensuring appropriate follow up;
  • Helps develop and sustain an effective support structure for integrated work relationships among senior leadership of the college;
  • Serves as a central resource to the leaders in the Dean's office responding to special requests and coordinating schedules and priorities as needed;
  • Collaborates with various units within CEHD and across Mason to collect and analyze data, ensuring accurate and timely responses to external requests and/or internal initiatives; and
  • Interacts with students, faculty, and staff on behalf of the Dean, providing information and addressing inquiries or concerns.
• Special Projects:
  • Manages special projects and initiatives as assigned by the Dean; and
  • Advises on proper protocol and etiquette for visiting guests and arranging necessary accommodations, transportation, and meetings as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent;
• Considerable experience in an administrative or executive assistant role;
• Expertise in Scheduling and Planning: Proven ability to manage complex schedules and coordinate multiple calendars, with a strong focus on efficiency and time management;
• Strong Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational abilities to handle day-to-day meetings, events, travel arrangements, and special projects with acute attention to detail;
• Excellent Communication Skills: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with proficiency in drafting, proofreading, and finalizing various types of documents and correspondence;
• Discretion and Confidentiality: Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion and integrity;
• Proactive Approach: Demonstrated initiative and foresight in anticipating the needs of the Dean and the ability to adapt to different situations;
• Team Collaboration and Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to collaborate effectively with different units within the college and across the university, as well as a knack for interacting with students, faculty, and staff in a professional and courteous manner;
• Data Management and Analysis: Skills in collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing data to produce clear and concise briefing materials and reports;
• Proficiency in Technology: Well-versed in using productivity software and tools such as Microsoft Office suite, Teams, Zoom; comfortable with learning new technology;
• Flexibility in Availability: Willingness to respond to emails, texts, and phone calls outside normal business hours for urgent matters;
• Project Management Skills: Competence in managing and overseeing special projects or initiatives; and
• Problem-Solving Skills: Excellent judgment and problem-solving abilities to handle complex situations and make informed decisions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field; and
• Experience in an academic environment.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Executive Assistant at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date: February 21, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: March 13, 2024

Open Until Filled?: Yes