Position Overview

The Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Public Affairs provides day-to-day administrative support for the Vice Chancellor and other members of the Office of Public Affairs. Key duties include scheduling and calendaring, managing correspondence, preparing briefing materials, arranging travel, billing and procurement, coordinating projects, maintaining mailing lists, serving as the primary contact for all phone calls and emails to the office, providing logistical support for signature events managed by the office, and managing operational needs as they emerge.

The Executive Assistant will report to the Vice Chancellor and spend the majority of his/her time (75%) providing service to the Vice Chancellor while also being responsive (25%) to the office’s Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications, Director of News, Director of Event Management and Protocol, and Director of Marketing Communications.

The Executive Assistant will need to be adept at handling sensitive information that requires problem solving, confidentiality and discretion. Additionally, this position requires the ability to work independently in a deadline-driven environment, often during times of intense public scrutiny and media attention.

The Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Public Affairs is a key member of the Chancellor’s executive team and responsible for developing a strategic communications agenda that advances the university's mission. The Vice Chancellor oversees the communications, marketing and advocacy efforts of the university. The Vice Chancellor also coordinates KU’s legislative agenda at all government levels, championing issues such as research funding, higher education policy, and healthcare. Besides leading public affairs for KU’s five campuses – including KU Medical Center – the Vice Chancellor coordinates communication among the KU Alumni Association, Kansas Athletics and KU Endowment.

Job Description

Administrative Support (65%)

• Manage a complex calendar for the Vice Chancellor.
• Schedule appointments and meetings and exercise judgment regarding staff priorities and availability.
• Collect and prepare briefing materials, agendas, notes and other materials in support of the Vice Chancellor’s appointments and meetings.
• For Public Affairs-hosted meetings, manage logistics such as food and beverage, guest parking and technology assets.
• Assist the Vice Chancellor with written correspondence such as letters, memos and personalized notes. Review documents submitted for the Vice Chancellor’s signature and ensure they are signed on time.
• Maintain mailing lists of key Office of Public Affairs audiences and partners such as legislators, policymakers, donors, alumni and university communications practitioners.
• Develop processes and organizational strategies to ensure these lists can be tailored for specific projects and needs.
• Coordinate all travel arrangements for the Vice Chancellor – including airline, hotel and ground transportation reservations – and prepare itineraries and reimbursement requests.
• Serve as the primary contact for all phone calls and email to the Office of Public Affairs – including during times of public inquiry and scrutiny – and exercise judgement as to how to manage inquiries.
• Screen the Vice Chancellor’s telephone calls and exercise discretion as to which inquiries require his/her attention and which can be redirected or addressed without his/her involvement.
• Seek opportunities to develop processes, databases and reports to make the office run more smoothly.

Project Coordination (10%)

• Work closely with the Office of the Chancellor and other campus offices regarding special projects, sensitive issues and priority requests.
• Monitor timelines and deadlines for the Vice Chancellor and help coordinate special projects requested by Office of Public Affairs staff.
• Work with vendors – printers, delivery companies, ad agencies, etc. – to ensure projects are on track.

Event Support (10%)

• Provide logistical support for Office of Public Affairs events.
• Work with the Director of Ceremonies and Special Events to support signature KU events, especially Commencement and school-level graduation events in May.

Office Management (10%)

• Resolve issues regarding Office of Public Affairs equipment and office space by partnering with colleagues in Human Resources, Facilities, Information Technology, Parking and related units.
• Store and maintain a supply of frequently requested KU promotional materials for partners and visitors.
• Monitor and order office supplies as needed.
• Ensure the Office of Public Affairs’ physical suite is clean, free of clutter and presentable for visitors.

Environmental Scanning and Issues Awareness (5%)

• Maintain a general awareness of local, state and federal issues affecting KU and higher education.
• Independently assess emerging issues that could affect KU and exercise good judgement in alerting appropriate Office of Public Affairs staff to these issues in a timely manner.
• Serve on committees or task forces as requested by the Vice Chancellor.

Position Requirements

1. This position has the option of being on-site or hybrid in which candidate would work remote and on-site based on a set schedule.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree and seven (7) years of professional office experience OR high school diploma/GED and 10 (ten) years of professional office experience.
2. Experience using Zoom and Skype.
3. Experience using the Microsoft Office Suite.
4. Experience using Microsoft Outlook for calendaring and scheduling.
5. Prior work experience that required strong organizational and prioritization skills.
6. Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills as evidenced by application materials and interview.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Executive/administrative assistant experience supporting a senior administrative position in a large organization.
2. Experience in a busy office with frequent interruptions, changing priorities and short deadlines.
3. Superior skills in drafting clear, concise business correspondence.
4. Experience creating and maintaining paper and electronic filing systems.
5. Experience with sensitive information and demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

Additional Candidate Instructions

A complete application includes:

1. Cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
2. Resume.
3. Contact information for three (3) professional references.
4. Completion of the online application.

• Application review begins Monday, September 26, 2022 and continues until a pool of qualified applicants is identified.

Contact Information to Applicants

Joe Monaco, jmonaco@ku.edu

Advertised Salary RangeMinimum $60,000, with final determination commensurate with experience Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm

Application Review Begins26-Sep-2022 Anticipated Start Date31-Oct-2022