About Mills College:

Located in Oakland, California, in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, Mills College is a liberal arts college for women and gender non-binary students, with graduate programs for all genders. Consistently ranked one of the top master's universities and one of the best value colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report, Mills also has been named one of the Best Colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The Mills experience is distinguished by small, interactive classes, one-on-one attention from exceptional faculty, a culture of creative experimentation, and cutting-edge interdisciplinary learning opportunities which empower students to make a statement in their careers and communities. As one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, we have a strong record of academic success with first-generation students, students of color, Latinx students, LGBTQ students, and other underrepresented students. Mills College has recently become a Hispanic Serving Institution. Applicants with expertise and experience in supporting and promoting success for Latina/o students are encouraged to apply.

Mills College encourages diversity in hiring and particularly welcomes applications and nominations from women, gender non-binary individuals, and minorities. Mills College seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice and our desire to maintain the excellence of our faculty. In so doing, we offer our students not only the opportunity to learn about varied disciplines but to engage with diverse perspectives and ways of knowing and learning. For more information, please visit www.mills.edu.

Job Description:

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
Reports To: Dean of Students/Vice President of Student Life
Supervises: Operations Assistant, front desk student assistants and other student employees

Summary of Position:
Reporting to the Dean of Students/Vice President of Student Life, the Executive Assistant performs administrative functions for the Dean of Students/Vice President of Student Life, and provides operations and budget support for the Division of Student Life. This position supports the goals of the Division of Student Life and the College, as well as the College's Strategic Plan, through the tracking of resources that promote community, student success and a vibrant campus life and administratively supporting all the work of the Division.

Essential Job Functions
Executive:

• Be the front line response for the Dean of Students and manage their schedule and meeting agendas to prioritize time and ensure the accomplishment of DSL strategic goals and mission;
• Speak on behalf of the Dean to various constituencies including parents, students, senior officers, police and hospital personnel.
• Manage budget for the Dean of Students and support directors administratively in their budget work.
• Schedule meetings, including securing rooms and providing resources and taking minutes where needed.
• Work with discretion and independent judgment in matters of policy and general operations of the Division of Student Life including controlling the release of sensitive information to authorized personnel and confidentially seeking information about students as needed.
• Utilize technological skills to help manage databases, create presentations, reports and collect information.
• Assist in the development and preparation of reports for the Board of Trustees, budgets and grant proposals; collect data and perform research as directed, including the preparation of a variety of financial and statistical reports, with attention to accuracy, completeness and conformance with applicable rules and regulations.
• Coordinate communication and interactions among the Dean of Students and other programs and divisions, and various groups such as students, College Officers, Senior Staff members, faculty members, Trustees, College staff, and community groups including drafting correspondence on behalf of the Dean.
• Develop, implement, and document Dean's Office policies and procedures.
• Work closely with the Dean of Students and the DSL to enlist or recruit students for various College-wide panels, programs or events.
• Coordinate specific activities and events of DSL and arrange for auxiliary services.
• As a member of the Division of Student Life, provide event support for campus-wide programs and serve on Divisional and campus-wide committees, as needed.
• Respond to questions requiring judgment, knowledge and interpretation of policies.

Operations:

• Serve as the operations lead for the functions of the Division of Student Life, in particular leader in the administrative staff and Cowell facilities.
• Deliver student-centered customer service; triage and route concerns to appropriate personnel in a timely manner.
• Make travel arrangements.
• Monitor progress of assigned projects; maintain schedules.
• Oversee the following functions for the Office of the Dean: route incoming mail, answer telephones; relay messages; screen and route calls and visitors; provide information regarding programs and functions of the Office of the Dean, oversee ordering and maintaining inventory of equipment, materials and supplies as needed by the Dean of Students.
• Supervise and direct work of student assistants and others as required; provide related training.
• Make arrangements for events, work orders for repairs, and purchase supplies and equipment.
• Maintain safe work conditions and comply with established safety policies, practices, procedures, and requirements.
• Perform related duties as needed.

Requirements:

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Office management
• Strong PC (MS Office) and Macintosh skills.
• Excellent oral, written, and communication skills,
• Resourcefulness and ability to think creatively and proactively.
• Budget management including accounting basics and general understanding of financial matters and practices.
• Capacity to take direction and collaborate with other staff in a team environment.
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends (e.g., Orientation, special events, etc.).
• Demonstrated expertise in event planning and management.

Skills/Abilities:

• Attention to detail
• Effective oral and written communication skills, including grammar, punctuation, and proof-reading.
• Ability to listen
• Supervisory skills
• Problem-solving, and analytical skills,
• Ability to take appropriate steps to promote and sustain effective working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment.
• Ability to understand the needs of a diverse population, including students of color and LGBTQ students.
• Ability to engage and work in collaboration
• Ability to navigate complicated institutional terrain with respect and diplomacy and respond to multiple constituencies
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and composure in response to multiple demands, competing priorities, in a multicultural environment and with frequent interruptions
• Ability to exhibit strong customer service orientation
• Ability to anticipate needs of the Dean and the Division and take initiative
• Ability to work independently, with flexibility, integrity, initiative and in a changing office environment with multiple priorities
• Ability to create PowerPoints, databases, attractive reports and newsletters, and accurate minutes
• Ability to work safely in compliance with College Injury and Illness Prevention Plan.
• Strong budgetary skills.
• Strong web and technology skills

Education and Training:

• Bachelor's degree
• 4 plus years of administrative experience, preferably in higher education
  

Physical, Mental, and Environmental Demands:

• Work involves possible week-end and evening availability.
• At times, the incumbent will be sitting for long hours and using computers.
• Hearing and speaking are required for communication.
• Work often requires flexibility in terms of time, and physical demands.
• Work occasionally requires physical exertion such as lifting heavy objects over 30 pounds.
• Interruptions and meeting with a variety of people will be required on a regular basis.
• There are a number of deadlines and multiple requirements associated with this position, which may cause significant stress.

This position description is not intended to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities. Additional duties may be assigned based on business operational needs.

Additional Information:

This is a full-time, exempt position. Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes an excellent benefits package including medical/dental/vision/life/LTD insurance, 403(b) retirement plan with college-matching after 6 month qualifying period, 10 days of vacation for year one, 15 days of vacation for years 2-10, and 22 days of vacation years 10+ plus, 12 sick days and 17 paid holidays (subject to annual review). Staff members also receive free admission to campus events, use of the pool, fitness center, and tennis courts. Tuition remission is also available after an introductory period. Voluntary benefits include: pet insurance, long-term care insurance, legal-assistance insurance, cellular provider discounts and computer hardware discounts.

Mills College does not permit discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religious creed, color, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. For more information on Mills' non-discrimination policy, please go to https://www.mills.edu/policies/ada-policies/nondiscrimination-statement.php.

All positions are subject to a background check. Prior to the first date of employment, an applicant's background check must be cleared.

Application Instructions:

Click the "Apply Now" button below and follow instructions to submit the following documents:

• Employee Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter and
• Contact Information for 3 References

Please note that you can only upload 6 "Other" documents. You can consolidate multiple pages/documents into one file upload. The file size limit for each upload is 10Mb.

Review of applicants will begin immediately; applications will be accepted until the position is filled.