Cornish College of the Arts is looking for an experienced Executive Assistant to support the Office of the Provost and join a dynamic team as an essential contributor. This position provides high-level administrative support to the Provost and performs the duties of the office in alignment with the mission of the College. This role will coordinate and manage the Provost’s scheduling, prepare and organize important academic hiring and accreditation materials and plans, and support high-level meetings, including the preparation of meeting materials. This role serves as the eyes and ears for the Provost’s office, connecting individuals, projects, or information to the Provost to best serve the interests of the College.

The role must interact seamlessly and with a professional demeanor across a broad range of individuals, from the Board of Trustees, to undergraduates on campus. To perform this job successfully, the individual is expected to handle highly sensitive and confidential financial, personnel, and institutional information while exercising professionalism and discretion. This is an onsite position.

The mission of Cornish is to provide students aspiring to become practicing artists with an educational program of the highest possible quality, in an environment that nurtures creativity and intellectual curiosity, while preparing them to contribute to society as artists, citizens, and innovators. Cornish realizes this mission by offering baccalaureate studies in the performing and visual arts and by serving as a focal point in the community for public presentation, artistic criticism, participation and discussion of the arts.

If you are looking for a culture and community that promotes and supports creative engagement, Cornish offers generous paid medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, paid time-off and holidays.

Job Responsibilities

Direct Provost Support

Completes a variety of complex administrative tasks for the Provost including but not limited to:

• Provide leadership on planning and project management for the Provost in a one-on-one working relationship
• Manage the Provost’s calendar, coordinate both internal and external meetings, compile meeting materials, and take minutes as requested
• Process a high volume of tasks, including correspondence and reports, while responsibly prioritizing information and communications
• Maintain all aspects of the daily operation of the Office of the Provost with budget oversight
• Assist in maintaining the Accreditation Calendar and spearhead the collection of accreditation materials across the College
• Greet visitors and respond to inquiries
• Coordinate all travel arrangements for the Provost’s office
• Manage the recruiting and hiring process for Faculty
• Hire, supervise, schedule and approve timesheets for work study students

Liaison Support

Assist the Provost with administration tasks involving faculty, including but not limited to:

• Hire, supervise, schedule (in consultation with Division Leads/Department Leads) and approve timesheets for Administrative Assistants/Department Coordinators within the Division of Academic and Student Affairs
• Work closely with Academic Affairs and Human Resources to coordinate ongoing faculty hiring processes
• Assist with certain Faculty Senate Committee processes
• Assist with Board of Trustees meetings and other College events as needed
• Initiate and complete a variety of independent projects on behalf of the Provost’s office

 Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus three years of experience supporting a C-suite executive, or eight years of experience supporting a C-suite executive
• Proven ability to handle highly confidential material and information
• Ability to meet deadlines and work independently
• Excellent judgment and ability to prioritize sensitive matters for the Provost’s attention
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, cross-cultural competencies, and commitment to working collaboratively with multi-cultural, multi-racial faculty, staff, and students with tact and diplomacy
• Excellent problem-solving capabilities and conflict management
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, including word processing, creating and editing spreadsheets, managing documents and files, creating and editing slide decks, etc.
• Superior written communication, proofreading and copy editing
• Exceptional ability to organize, prioritize, and analyze or synthesize a variety of qualitative and quantitative data
• Occasional light lifting required

 Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a related field
• Prior experience in higher education, ideally in Academic Affairs, providing Executive Assistance to a Dean or higher, or experience supporting an executive in another highly regulated industry
• Three years’ experience in increasingly complex staff support and/or program administration.

Three years managing an operating budget in an educational or other highly-regulated environment

Department: Provost Office
Reports To: Provost
Supervises: Administrative Assistants/Department Coordinators and Work Study Students
Pay Grade: Exempt; Full-time
Compensation: $68,000 – $70,000
Modality: In-Person position

Application Procedures

Please submit the following materials to careers@cornish.edu

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Cornish Employment Application

Equal Opportunity Statement

Cornish commits to demonstrating respect for individual expression and integrity; to promoting the equality of opportunity and rights of all persons within the community and to actively encouraging and maintaining the representation and inclusion of diverse cultures and backgrounds within the student body, faculty, staff and curricula.

We believe that diversity refers to a number of human qualities and characteristics. National origin, race, gender, age, socioeconomic background, religion, sexual orientation and disabilities are characteristics that combine in unique ways, forming the multiple identities we all hold. Those diverse characteristics contribute positively to the environment of Cornish and to an education that accurately reflects and contributes to the complex interplay of art, culture and society.

We hold ourselves responsible to fulfill the mission of Cornish by preparing students “to contribute to society as artists, citizens, and innovators,” and believe that the mission is best served by actively cultivating a positive environment in which to explore and express the diverse perspectives of a pluralistic society.

Cornish College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer intent on enriching the diversity of its faculty, staff, and students. Our goal is to create an intercultural learning environment comprised of people with varied experiences and perspectives. We strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups for all open positions.