How to Apply
A cover letter and resume are important for us to understand your experience. In a cover letter of two pages or less, please tell us about your interest in the position and your directly relevant experience. Upload your cover letter and your resume as one file through the U-M Careers website. We will use your materials to assess your ability to share clear and succinct information.
Job Summary
As the Executive Assistant, you will provide confidential, executive-level support for the Dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). You will have independent responsibility for a significant volume and variety of high-level administrative and project-related responsibilities, often of a complex or time-sensitive nature. You will be an important member of our Dean's Office team and report to the Chief of Staff. We seek candidates willing to work onsite from the LSA building in Ann Arbor, MI, with the potential for 1 day of remote work per week.
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.
Who We Are
LSA is the largest and one of the oldest of the university's 19 schools and colleges, with more than 100 degree programs in over 75 academic departments and programs. Learn more about LSA at https://lsa.umich.edu. We strive to employ a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of Michigan, fulfill our mission, vision, and values, and sustain the excellence of LSA.
Why Work at Michigan?
We are proud that the University of Michigan offers comprehensive benefits to support your wellness as you plan for a stable and secure future. To enhance a career filled with purpose and opportunity, other benefits of working at LSA include:
- Generous time off programs.
- Our retirement plan provides two-for-one matching contributions.
- Comprehensive options for health, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance.
- Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.
- Tuition support, including the ability to take undergraduate courses in LSA at no cost.
- Meeting-free days and communication norms that help you to "unplug" from work.
- Access to deals, discounts, and attractions; see Uniquely Michigan for details.
While you will primarily work from our central campus in Ann Arbor, LSA offers flexible work options. To support work-life balance, LSA has an email policy that limits non-essential emails to weekday business hours.
Responsibilities*
- Provide advanced and detailed executive support to the Dean; perform administrative responsibilities of a confidential, complex, and time-sensitive nature
- Manage the Dean's schedule; coordinate complex calendars by scheduling in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and calls while demonstrating care for all details, no matter how small; manage impromptu requests to see the Dean and help prioritize commitments
- Partner with the Chief of Staff to ensure the Dean is prepared for all meetings, events, and activities; prepare meeting materials (briefings, agendas, talking points, etc.) while working with partners across the organization and seeking input from others
- Help manage the Dean's email traffic; draft and coordinate correspondence, including email and formal letters; oversee relevant distribution lists
- Coordinate and attend to the logistics for certain meetings and conferences; support events hosted by the Dean, collaborating with others involved
- Oversee travel arrangements and itineraries; reconcile purchasing card expenses and reimbursements, ensuring compliance with university policies
- Collaborate with the Chief of Staff to manage the Dean's priorities, projects, and deadlines; engage in select project management work
- Partner with the Chief of Staff on Dean's Cabinet crisis response protocols
- Coordinate with events staff, the marketing and communications team, and the development team on speaking engagements, run of show plans, and other stakeholder engagement activities
- Direct matters to appropriate team members; respond to inquiries by providing information to students, faculty, staff, and the general public; represent the Dean's Office to a broad range of individuals
- Liaise with the LSA Development Office for donor meetings, donor engagement, and event scheduling
- Greet visitors to the Dean's Office and assist with any special needs
- Manage confidential files; with help from coworkers, coordinate the filing and retention of documents and records; collaborate with others regarding the content and transmittal of historical papers to the Bentley Library; manage FOIA requests with appropriate offices
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications*
At the Senior Level, the selected candidate will have:
- Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience providing administrative support, with at least 3 of those years providing executive-level support to a senior administrator in an academic setting
At the Intermediate Level, the selected candidate will have:
- Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum of 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience providing administrative support, with at least 3 of those years providing executive-level support to a senior administrator in an academic setting
Required Qualifications
- Sensitivity and discretion in handling confidential materials and information
- Experience excelling in fast-paced environments through organization, time management, and prioritization among competing demands, including regular follow-up to inform colleagues of progress
- Excellent communication skills and experience drafting correspondence and other written communications; must have strong attention to detail
- Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, achieve high-performance goals, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced and frequently changing environment
- Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
- Experience achieving results in demanding environments, including motivating self and others for results through initiative and a solutions-oriented approach to work
- Success in collaborating with diverse individuals and groups, fostering transparency, trust, and resolving challenges in a respectful and open environment
- Proficiency in office productivity software for calendaring, emailing, and similar tasks
- Ability to maintain composure when faced with urgent or emergent situations
Desired Qualifications*
- Considerable knowledge of U-M's policies and procedures, organizational practices, and protocol
- Prior experience providing executive-level administrative support to a Dean or Associate Dean
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.
Underfill Statement
This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.
Additional Information
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 lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.
The salary range at the Senior level is $92,000 to $104,004. The salary range at the Intermediate level is $72,100 to $85,500. A higher salary may be possible for well qualified applicants.
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 anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.