Executive Secretary

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Job Summary

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is the largest of the University of Michigan's 19 schools and colleges, enrolling more than 18,000 students. Within LSA, the Division of Undergraduate Education (UGED) is a large, complex organization that supports every LSA undergraduate through a wide range of programs and services. We are seeking an experienced, energetic Executive Secretary to join UGED's vibrant and collaborative community.

The Executive Secretary will serve as a trusted partner to UGED's senior leadership team, working closely with the Associate Dean, Assistant Deans, and Executive Director. This highly collaborative, people-centered role is well suited to someone who enjoys managing complex calendars, coordinating meetings and events, overseeing logistics and follow-up, and serving as a professional point of contact for faculty, staff, and students seeking assistance..

The successful candidate will exercise a high degree of initiative, discretion, and sound judgment when handling highly visible and often confidential matters. They will bring excellent interpersonal and communication skills, strong organizational and problem-solving abilities, careful attention to detail, and a commitment to providing outstanding service to faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Responsibilities*

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Executive Support: 35%

• Effectively manage the Associate Dean's and Assistant Deans' calendars, exercising a high level of discretion and independent judgment as to priorities.
• Work closely with the Undergraduate Education deans to maintain cohesiveness and efficiency within the department, to sustain our commitment to exceptional customer service, and to determine other duties and priorities necessary to support LSA Undergraduate Education.
• Respond on behalf of the Associate and Assistant Deans as appropriate, using tact, discretion, and diplomacy in matters of a highly sensitive and confidential nature, including issues requiring comprehensive knowledge of University and College policies.
• Manage communications, including responding to phone calls and emails; manage communications as requested by the Associate Dean, Assistant Deans, and Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, assess urgency and triage inquiries or complaints.
• Provide support for leaderships' priority initiatives as needed
  
  
  

Coordination of Meetings and Events: 20%

• Coordinate and schedule meetings with University, College, departmental staff, faculty, students, and outside visitors.
• Provide hosting and administrative support for meetings as required, including collecting, preparing, and distributing materials to attendees, developing agendas, and handling follow-up on action items.
• Provide full event planning and management support for key meetings (e.g., directors' meetings).
• Attend meetings, take minutes/notes, track action items and decisions made, and generate all necessary follow-up correspondence to ensure work is completed as appropriate to support related projects, and to prepare for subsequent meetings.
  
  
  

Correspondence / Communication: 15%

• Initiate original correspondence requiring interpretation of policies; assist, edit, and prepare confidential and sensitive reports, and correspondence for the department leadership, Undergraduate Education directors' group and other key stakeholders as needed.
• Manage inquiries from faculty, students, and staff, coordinate meetings with university, college, departmental staff, and faculty.
• Provide support for the UG Ed Division website, making updates and user enhancements.
• Develop and utilize strategies for managing information across multiple systems including MBox, Google Drive, and Shared Drive. Create, update, and maintain email groups, rosters, org charts, and contact information.
• Maintain files, correspondence, and documentation in a confidential manner.
  
  
  

Additional Responsibilities: 30%

• Develop and maintain a rigorous follow-up system to ensure that deadlines are met and materials are received on a timely basis.
• Review, update, and use annual planning calendar to make note of activities happening at various times and to identify topics to address at key times for senior-level meetings.
• Provide administrative support for job searches for select Undergraduate Education positions and ensure selected candidates are onboarded to university, college and divisional processes and systems.
• Coordinate travel arrangements (domestic and international), ensuring all necessary materials and supplies are assembled, itineraries are prepared and expense reports are submitted.
• Oversee the expense reimbursement process for the Associate and Assistant Deans.
• Manage process for notification and allocation of cash prizes for annual awards offered through the Office of the Dean.
• Supervise 1-2 part-time student workers. Provide ongoing training to existing student workers and hire, onboard, and train new student workers. Plan overall workload and assignments.
• Manage day-to-day office/staff needs including interfacing with LSA IT, LSA Facilities, and LSA Operations Program Manager, conducting inventory of and ordering office supplies, and serves as the point of contact for the office suites in the Chemistry and LSA Buildings.
  
  
  

Required Qualifications*

• High school education or equivalent and at least five years of directly related experience.
• Outstanding interpersonal as well as written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated strong customer service orientation and commitment to exceptional service.
• Extensive knowledge and experience using Microsoft Office software including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Google Suite including mail, Google Drive, Google forms and sheets, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Proven punctuality and time management skills.
• Outstanding diligence.
• Proven ability to work under dual supervision model.
• Experience handling highly confidential and sensitive information with demonstrated ability to use sound judgment, discretion, and diplomacy.
• Proven ability to set priorities with the flexibility to change focus and priorities quickly as priorities shift.
• Proven success working independently as well as part of a team utilizing collaborative team skills.
• Ability to work and focus in an open neighborhood workspace. Successful candidate must be able to demonstrate support and camaraderie within the Associate Dean suite.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work on assignments from multiple team members; ability to manage and meet multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate projects and carry them through to completion.
  
  
  

Desired Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• More than five years of progressively responsible administrative experience, preferably at the University of Michigan.
• Knowledge of University and College policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to use advanced software and computer applications and the demonstrated capacity and willingness to learn such applications.
• Working knowledge of teleconference systems (Zoom)
  
  
  

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

This position jointly reports to the Undergraduate Education Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Associate Dean.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit https://lsa.umich.edu/lsa/about/vision-mission-values.html.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.