Job Details

Executive Assistant - College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
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Position Number: 5213433
Location: Cheney, WA
Position Type: Executive Assistants

Executive Assistant - College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

About Eastern Washington University:
Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. EWUs 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washingtons second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelors and masters degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a 22-23 College of Distinction (CoD). Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2023.

Tribal Land Acknowledgement
Eastern Washington University resides within the traditional homelands of the Spokane People and other tribes who are connected through their shared history of this region. This land holds their cultural DNA and it is their Ancestors who are here and bring forth the knowledge of this place-the knowledge that comes from the land.

Job Summary:
The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Eastern Washington University invites applications to fill a professional level Executive Assistant to the Dean position.

This position reports to the Dean of the College and works to ensure effective college operations by providing executive level and administrative support to the Dean in a highly confidential and professional manner.

In this capacity, the position is responsible for planning, organizing, implementing, coordinating, and managing assigned administrative services for the College, exercising independent judgment, as well as decision-making authority in designated areas. The position requires a high degree of personal initiative, flexibility, and personal judgment in all assignments, along with strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to organize and prioritize tasks to ensure smooth workflow, excellence in work standards and a demonstrated interest in providing strong customer service.

The Executive Assistant will also provide support for the Associate and Assistant Associate Deans, Director of Finance & Administrative Services (DoFAS), Undergraduate/Graduate Services Administrator, and Fiscal Specialist II, as well as serve as a resource for the Chairs, faculty and staff of the College and its departments and programs.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative and caring faculty and staff committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to excellence in serving the community.

See Job Duties section for detailed description of the position's responsibilities.

In addition to salary, the university offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, life and disability insurance and retirement. In addition, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees and eligible family members, discounted EWU sports tickets, full access to our campus workout facilities at a minimum fee and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/benefits/insurance/.

EWU expands opportunities for personal transformation through excellence in learning.

Applications will be accepted until May 9, 2024; screening of applications will begin the next day. Applications will be kept confidential, and references will not be contacted until candidates are notified.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelors (any field). Additional years of senior level administrative experience may be substituted for the degree on a year-for-year basis.
At least five years of relevant administrative experience, demonstrating readiness to succeed in this senior-level position. To be considered qualifying, your years of experience must be beyond entry level and/or clerical tasks, and must include one or more of the following, which may come from one position, or a combination of positions, to equal at least five years of this administrative experience:
- Office management experience which includes supervising/leading other office workers; and/or
- Providing administrative support to an executive which includes exercising delegated authority to handle high level administrative responsibilities on behalf of an executive; and/or
- Directing projects, programs, or a department to include accountability for achieving objectives; and/or
- Experience performing the key responsibilities as defined for this position and which include decision-making authority and use of judgment in handling confidential matters.
At least one year of experience with design and development of marketing and communication materials. Experience may be a combination of Web site design and updating, design and development of newsletters, articles, brochures and/or other marketing and communication activities.
Outstanding interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills are also required.
Must have a valid Drivers License and access to a personal vehicle for occasional local travel to meetings as needed.
Demonstrated ability to apply a culturally responsive and flexible approach that is supportive to the diverse needs, including universal accessibility, of our students, faculty, staff and the public.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience gained in a higher education setting that matches at least one of the experience types listed under minimum qualifications.
Strong skillset in external relations.
Exceptional writing skills.
Experience in planning small to mid-size events (10 - 150 attendees).
Experience and/or training of university systems such as Concur, Banner, Travel Card, Purchase Card, etc.

Other Skills and Abilities:

Teamwork
Flexibility
Organization
Attention to Detail
Effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students and external constituents
Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a proactive manner

Job Duties:
% of Time: 40
Responsibility / Duty: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN

Assist the Dean and direct or support activities in relation to College goals and objectives. Exercise decision-making authority in designated areas and use judgment in handling confidential matters for the Dean and other administrative staff in the Deans office. Relay information and direction from the Dean. Assist the Dean in the development of College and department cohesion and morale.
Assist the Dean with personnel matters and matters of conflict. Fact-find and review documents, attend meetings as needed, and work with the Dean, Provosts Office, HR, Labor Relations Office, and university investigators to find solutions.
Advise and serve as a resource for the College. Attend designated meetings on behalf of Dean, to gather information, to represent the Dean and the college, to collaborate in analysis of issues and development of solutions or new process and procedures. Act as a liaison with CAHSS departments, Academic Affairs, and the other units of the university.
Interpret and advise deans, chairs, program directors, faculty, and staff on university policies, college and department policies and procedures, and faculty and staff bargaining agreements.
Collect information to support or aid the Dean in making decisions. Research, collect and analyze data and other information. Review materials submitted by departments. Prepare information and decision packets.
Develop reports that may include historical reviews. Compose designated portions of newsletters, policy statements, proposals, accreditation materials. Compose drafts and final responses to inquiries, letters, and questionnaires. Prepare materials for higher administration.
Oversee the preparation of publications/brochures for the departments and College for internal use and student recruitment.
Exercise delegated authority in managing the Deans calendar. Schedule, reschedule, postpone, or relocate meetings as necessary. Schedule appointments for and with the Dean, providing appropriate information for meetings as needed. Schedule meetings, reserve appropriate space, and ensure that accurate information is given to the Dean (and those attending) prior to the meeting for preparedness.
Coordinate all travel for the Dean, Associate, Assistant Dean and Deans Office Staff to include departments and programs where administrative vacancies occur. Compose associated electronic travel forms and reconcile documents after travel.

Essential Function Indicator: Yes

% of Time: 40
Responsibility / Duty: MANAGE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Develop and implement administrative and Dean office procedures, policies, and systems. Coordinate and supervise administrative tasks. Use delegated authority to make and implement plans, decisions and commitments in areas related to College administration and operations. Evaluate administrative or procedural problems and recommend solutions to the Dean and/or make changes.
Oversee the management of College information and data. Create, maintain, and manage databases, such as college phone and email contact lists, faculty and staff personnel information, and logs for promotion, retention, and tenure (PRT), professional leave, faculty and staff grant submissions, workloads, FAPs, and others. Maintain divisional and institutional documents and materials. Establish effective handling of highly confidential information and materials.
Maintain an accurate college phone and email list for distribution to the Deans Office and college departments and programs. This includes maintaining a list of accurate emergency contact information for the deans office and all departments.
Develop or update and implement office operations and procedures to include: filing and records systems, processing of mail, reception, inventory maintenance and control. Establish quality controls and procedures that lead to efficiency and effectiveness of the office.
Review parallel department procedures with Chairs and department staff to ensure alignment with the College. Work with departments on implementation on needed revisions.
Work closely with staff, faculty, chairs and others to respond to requests, resolve problems and refer to appropriate resources/personnel.
Assist as directed with the maintenance and/or management of the Deans office budget and foundation accounts; monitor, track and coordinate foundation donations and scholarships. Make foundation deposits and produce gift acknowledgement letters.
Support, execute or oversee (as designated) college operations including, but not limited to the areas of personnel administration, payroll, fund raising, recruiting, and budget maintenance.
Coordinate office moves, oversee and/or fulfill ordering furniture, supplies, and equipment.
Manage Procurement card and Travel Card, reconcile accounts monthly and annually. Create system efficiencies when able, as well as process-flow documents, that allow for easy understanding. Distribute to department staff and serve as resource for any questions. May delegate these duties to College Finance Officer or Fiscal Specialist II.
Assist the Dean in the administration of personnel practices and procedures. Develop job descriptions and performance expectations. Manage recruitment and hiring processes for faculty and staff in compliance with HR and university policies. Maintain personnel records and position information. Assist with orientation of new staff, faculty and chairs to the College; provide training as needed.
Oversee and manage hiring processes for all college faculty, staff, temporary and student employees. Work with departments to create and solidify job descriptions and position requests, consult with Dean and Budget Officer, maintain contact with Provosts Office and Executive Leadership Team regarding approval, communicate with HR and enter all necessary information into People Admin system to get position posted for recruitment. Serve as a resource and guide search committees through search, interview, and hiring processes. Prepare verbal and written offers for faculty and staff, and brief Dean before they make offer to final candidate. Draft contracts for all special, tenured, and tenure-track faculty.
Work with departments on classified and administrative recruitment processes. Meet with Department search committees to ensure policies/procedures are followed.
Help redefine job descriptions if needed. Make suggestions on appropriate classifications. Work with Budget Manager to ensure proper funding is available. Participate as part of the search committee when needed.
Coordinate cyclic leave process and prepare official notification paperwork. Monitor leave.
May assist, on an as needed basis, with budget management and related activities.
Interview, train, supervise and direct the work of other classified Deans office staff and student workers.
Oversee all department staff and admins. Run monthly/quarterly all-college staff meetings, prepare trainings and how-tos for staff, and serve as a resource and liaison for any questions regarding university policies, procedures, or requests (i.e., travel, purchasing, contracts, professional development, Records and Registration, Provosts Office, grants, etc.)
Supervise administrative staff when supervisory role is vacant, when admins are working for multiple departments or programs, or when deemed necessary due to extenuating circumstances. Approve timesheets, complete annual evaluations, and conduct disciplinary actions as needed.
Oversee the promotion, retention, and tenure (PRT) process for all college faculty. Create and run trainings for faculty, create and distribute notification memos and other vital process documents, organize all PRT faculty files, review PRT files for completeness and answer questions from faculty throughout process (often referring to the CBA, and college and department policy and procedure documents), track PRT files throughout the process and notify all parties of their status along the way, and draft review letters on behalf of the Dean.
In addition to PRT, tracks and assists with Faculty Activity Plans (FAPs), Professional Leaves, faculty and staff grants, and other vital college and university processes and tasks in accordance with the CBA and Calendar of Deadlines.
Create, distribute, and monitor all college and university timelines and guidelines such as those for promotion, retention, and tenure processes, professional leave, Faculty Grants for Research and Creative Works, Eagle Grants, Emeritus nominations, workloads, annual staff evaluations, Commencement, end-of-year student awards, online compliance, and others.

Essential Function Indicator: Yes

% of Time: 20
Responsibility / Duty: SPECIAL PROJECTS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Manage and coordinate special projects as assigned. Independently think through complex projects (operationalize new programs, identify issues, determine steps to completion). Determine procedures and necessary steps, develop plans for accomplishing project tasks, and execute and/or assign project tasks.
Manage and oversee the maintenance of the College web site. Design, compose, and publish College news blasts and newsletters, quarterly event flyers, working with departments/programs, faculty, staff, and other university offices as necessary. May delegate to others.
Manage and coordinate recruitment and other events and activities for the College such as but not limited to retreats, award ceremonies, commencement, and conferences. Duties include scheduling, participant communications, and handling or overseeing logistics (site, catering, equipment, audio support, IT support, and other required logistics).
Prepare presentations, programs, scripts, awards, contracts, etc. Serve as resource person to departments and university regarding events involving the College.
Facilitate end of year student, staff, and faculty awards.

Essential Function Indicator: Yes

Conditions of Employment:
Must be able to work occasional nights and/or weekends to fulfill special projects and events, have a valid Drivers License and access to a personal vehicle for occasional local travel to meetings as needed.

This position, during the course of university employment will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value; as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16.The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.

All new employees must comply with EWU Immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU. Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.

This is an Administrative Exempt position and is covered by EWU Policy 406- 01, Exempt Employment: https://inside.ewu.edu/policies/knowledge-base/ewu-406-01-exempt-employment/

Upon hire you must complete required DEI, Hazing, Harassment and Title IX training, and other federal, state & university mandated trainings. You can access the online training at https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/training/orientation/ or complete the training in person or via Zoom. In person and Zoom training opportunities will be posted on InsideEWU and are listed on Human Resources https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/training/
Salary Information: The salary for this position is $69,150 (minimum) up to $83,059. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills.

Posting Date: 04/25/2024
Open Until Further Notice: No
Closing Date: 5/9/2024
Screening to Begin: 05/10/2024

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit https://jobs.hr.ewu.edu/postings/12176

EWU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, age, marital status, families with children, protected veteran or military status, HIV or hepatitis C, status as a mother breastfeeding her child, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, as provided for and to the extent required by state and federal laws.