Executive Administrator to College President

Summary

The Executive Administrator to the College President plays a crucial role in the overall operation and management of the President’s Office. This position performs a wide range of high-level professional and administrative duties, strategically managing the President’s calendar to align with presidential and institutional goals and objectives, and serving as primary liaison with internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, this role involves understanding and communicating the President’s vision for events to ensure institutional alignment across stakeholders. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a high level of professionalism and competence in a fast-paced environment while effectively and efficiently managing multiple priorities. This role requires a demonstrated understanding of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity, along with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

Organizational Relationships

The Executive Administrator reports directly to the College President. The position also collaborates and works closely with other Senior Leaders and departments to accomplish specific projects, committee work, and event objectives.

Who We Are

At our award-winning Early Childhood through grade 12 Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia’s team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of alumni and friends.  

At Principia College, our globally-focused curriculum honors diverse perspectives and develops creative changemakers who use their academic skills for good in service to themselves, their communities, and the world. In-depth study meets real-world experience through study abroad programs, internships, capstone projects, and a robust slate of student activities, including a world-renowned mediation team, top-ranked solar car team, national champion rugby club, and the nation’s oldest student-run public affairs conference. 

Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversees administrative operations of the Office of the President, including but not limited to the President's Office and events budgets, collaboration with and administrative point of contact for the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and other key internal and external constituencies
• Provides high-level, proficient, and diverse executive support for the College President in an efficient manner that maximizes the President’s productivity, including but not limited to greeting guests, managing hourly employees, and managing the College President’s calendar 
• Participates as a key contributor and coordinator to the planning of major campus events by translating the President’s vision, priorities, and preferences into clear guidance for planning teams; oversees and supports alignment and coordination across stakeholders for events, including but not limited to, Commencement, Convocation, Parents’ Weekend, and the Speaker Calendar; ensures all parties (e.g. Marketing, Alumni, Advancement Catering, Events) effectively collaborate and communicate.
• Serves as the central point of coordination for Hutchison House, the President’s on-campus residence and events space, overseeing scheduling, event preparation, and integration of college-related functions held at the home. In alignment with the President’s calendar and priorities, all event requests, space usage, maintenance needs, and logistical coordination related to Hutchison House flow through this role to ensure appropriate planning, discretion, and alignment with institutional objectives.
• Maintains a system for anticipating key institutional dates, projects, initiatives, and deadlines
• Understands organizational policies and procedures to ensure appropriate decision-making protocols are followed 
• Engages in root cause analysis—often without prompting from the President or others—on issues and opportunities that could impact the agendas of the President, SLT, and/or President's Council
• Ensures the President has what they need (e.g. backgrounders, agendas, data) for meetings requiring the President’s participation
• Supports the effectiveness of the SLT and President’s Council through preparing and sharing the agenda for the Senior Leadership Team, taking minutes, and managing action items and holding members accountable for meeting objectives
• Efficiently maintains official records, documentation, and minutes for the Office of the President
• Reviews the President’s Office email on a daily basis and coordinates the President’s responses, as appropriate, including working with the Marketing team for response to external and internal audiences
• Arranges travel for the President, including itinerary and all logistical arrangements; ensures that the President has accurate documents for travel
• Works collaboratively with the Executive Assistant to the Dean of Academics and serves as part of a coordinated network of executive and administrative assistants across the College; provides primary administrative support to the Office of the President while offering backup support to the Dean of Academics’ office, and receives reciprocal backup as needed. Maintains close alignment with the assistants to the Chief Executive, Head of School, and Executive Team to ensure consistent communication and institution‑wide coordination.

Core Competencies

Principia values the unique strengths each employee brings to their role. The following competencies are especially important for success at Principia: 

• Continuous Learning & Expertise: Demonstrates mastery in your area of responsibility and seeks opportunities for professional growth and development. 
• Accountability & Results Orientation: Manages time and priorities effectively, meets commitments, and consistently delivers high-quality outcomes. 
• Problem Solving & Judgment: Approaches challenges thoughtfully, considers multiple perspectives, and makes sound, timely decisions that support institutional goals. 
• Proactivity & Ownership: Takes initiative, anticipates needs, and drives projects forward with minimal supervision while taking responsibility for outcomes. 
• Excellence & Attention to Detail: Produces accurate, polished, and high-quality work; continuously looks for ways to improve systems, processes, and results. 
• Service Orientation: Builds positive, supportive relationships and responds promptly and professionally to the needs of students, colleagues, and other stakeholders. 
• Collaboration & Collegiality: Works cooperatively across departments and teams; values input from others and contributes to a positive, respectful environment. 
• Communication: Shares information clearly and concisely; listens carefully to others and adjusts communication style for different audiences and situations. 
• Inclusion & Belonging: Demonstrates respect for all people; values diverse perspectives and fosters a culture of inclusion, belonging, and mutual respect. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Student of Christian Science  
• Supportive of Principia’s guiding statements as articulatedhere https://www.principia.edu/about/guiding-statements  
• Bachelor’s Degree  
• 6 years of administrative experience with a track record of progressively responsible roles in administrative positions 
• Experience in supporting a Chief Executive Officer, President, or senior executive, preferably in higher education or another type of non-profit organization
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) 
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple budgets in support of program objectives 
• Related technology experience and willingness to learn and utilize new technology as it develops, preferred

The statements above describe the general nature and level of work but are not a complete list of responsibilities and are subject to change at the discretion of Principia.  

Compensation and Benefits

We offer a competitive starting salary range for this position: $66,000 – $78,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

In addition to salary, our comprehensive total rewards package includes:

• Generous Employee Tuition Discount: Enjoy a 90% discount on tuition (pro-rated for part-time staff) for your eligible children enrolled from Pre-K3 through College (infant and acorn programs excluded). 
• Relocation: Principia provides a relocation reimbursement of up to 12% of your annual salary, when moving from outside a radius of more than 50 miles. 
• Professional Development: Access to learning opportunities, training programs, and career growth support.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Learn more about all our benefits here, including comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, paid time off, a 403(b) retirement plan with Principia matching, and more. 

Equal Opportunity  

Principia, a mission-driven institution, believes every person has the right to an equitable and respectful educational environment and workplace. Principia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender (identity or expression), sexual orientation, family status, disability, age, or military or veteran status.  

In hiring, admissions, and related decisions, Principia—as an institution with a religious mission—gives preference, where appropriate, to Christian Scientists.

Salary : $66,000 - $78,000