Main Campus - Boston, MAMain Campus - Boston, MAMain Campus - Boston, MA
R09146
Located in Boston's historic Fenway area, Simmons has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons University was one of the first higher education institutions to prepare women to become leaders and has evolved into a university offering a women's undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all.
You'll find that people who work here are truly committed to our mission of preparing students to become champions of social justice and leaders in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace.
Job Summary
Reporting to the General Counsel, the Executive Legal Assistant/Executive Assistant will provide organizational and administrative support to a team of three lawyers in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), including the Vice President and General Counsel who serves as Secretary to the Board of Trustees. The successful candidate will act as liaison with internal colleagues and external partners while promoting a culture of inclusion and responsiveness through a customer-centric approach. This position will interface daily with a wide range of constituencies, including but not limited to, the President and senior leadership, members of the Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff, alumnx, and outside law firms, and will demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, a collaborative approach, exceptional judgment, a clear understanding of the confidential nature of the work, and the ability to proactively solve problems.
Essential Functions
Board Meeting Organization and Preparation
Provide executive administrative support to the General Counsel in preparing for Trustee meetings three times per year, at minimum, which includes proactively managing logistics (meeting room reservations; ordering food; arranging for technical support, hotel rooms, and airport transportation, etc.), whether the meetings are held in-person or virtually; be available to assist other senior leadership members, such as the CFO or other Vice President's with Trustee meeting scheduling, reports, etc.
Manage meeting invitations to a broad constituency;
Manager, prepare, distribute materials and presentations via email, confidential site, etc.;
Proactively draft and distribute accurate and succinct meeting agendas;
Attend meetings and manage meeting minutes as requested by the General Counsel and other members of the OGC.
Communications
Serve as the primary point of contact for the OGC for internal and external constituencies, recognizing the importance of being a representative of both the Office and the University;
Manage communications from the OGC to internal and external constituents, including members of the Board of Trustees;
Respond to phone, email, and in-person inquiries in a timely, professional and respectful manner, while making autonomous, accurate, and swift judgments to triage inquiries;
Draft and/or proofread emails, letters, reports, or other forms of communication;
Maintain accurate records, contact lists and listservs;
Maintain confidentiality of information received and shared by OGC.
Administrative Operations & Projects
Assist with day-to-day operations within the OGC, including scheduling of meetings and arranging conference calls, as needed;
Coordinate trainings provide by the OGC through supporting invitation distribution, tracking attendance, and assisting with building digital presentations;
Support other operational activities, including data collection, analysis, and assisting with reports to external entities;
Suggest new processes/procedures to expedite projects and day-to-day workflow on behalf of the OGC;
Manage, organize, and meticulously maintain confidential records, including digital and hard-copy records and files;
Organize and maintain the workings of the OGC including, but not limited to, processing of invoices, expense reports, and credit card statements; ordering supplies; record and database maintenance requests, and complying with University budget policies;
Work on projects, providing project coordination, documentation, and support;
Assist with other duties as assigned by members of the OGC, which may also include occasional administrative support to other Vice Presidents on strategic initiatives or related projects.
Education
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience required.
Required Technical Skills
Advanced proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint);
Intermediate proficiency with Adobe Suites;
Advanced proficiency with Google suite, including Google Calendar and Drive;
Experience with online meeting technology using audio, video and shared desktop applications (e.g., Adobe Connect, Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, or Skype)
Experience with survey tools strongly desired.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Three to five years of professional administrative experience required; substantial executive assistant, legal administrative assistant, or legal assistant experience strongly preferred;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including editing and proofreading; demonstrates exceptional technological/document production skills;
Strong planning and organizational skills;
Ability to take initiative and ownership of projects; excels in multitasking, adapting to changing priorities, and meeting deadlines;
Ability to work well in a team environment;
Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive issues and maintain confidentiality;
Ability to work well within diverse populations within an organization;
Proven ability to perform duties with a high degree of professionalism, flexibility, discretion, judgment, diplomacy, and tact;
Knowledge of or ability to read and understand legal documents such as decisions, briefs, opinions, and contracts, regulations governing agency operations is a plus, not required;
Prior experience in higher education administration or a law firm is a plus, but not required.
Desired Competencies
Communication
Time Management
Collaboration
Personal Effectiveness/Credibility
Flexibility/Adaptability
Work Schedule
This is a 40-hour non-exempt position with a schedule of Monday through Friday during traditional business hours. Potential evening or weekend time may be needed several times a year to support Board of Trustees meetings and other special events. This position may be performed remotely 2 days per week, depending on the needs of the Office.
Required Application Materials:
Resume
Cover Letter
Salary Grade
H07
Instructions to Applicants : Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).
Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual's community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices-at all levels, for all positions-ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.
To apply, visit https://simmons.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Simmons-Careers/job/Main-Campus---Boston-MA/Executive-Legal-Assistant_R09146-1
Located in Bostons historic Fenway area, Simmons College is a small, private, non-sectarian College which has educated students for enriching careers and purposeful lives since 1899. Working at Simmons means joining a collaborative, diverse and mission-driven community of educators and professionals.
We prepare students to be leaders for themselves, their communities and the world. Our faculty and staff members lead by example - sharing a commitment to excellence and putting the students first.