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
The College of Literature, Science, and Arts is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Executive Assistant.
As the Executive Assistant, you will provide confidential, executive-level support for the LSA Chief of Staff, the LSA Chief Financial Officer, the Assistant Dean of Advancement, and other senior staff as assigned. The selected individual will provide highly responsible, proactive, and professional administrative support on matters of a visible and confidential nature, using sound judgment, dependability, flexibility, discretion, and excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. This individual handles multiple complex tasks and interacts with individuals at all levels of the College, University, and externally to the University. You will have responsibility for a significant volume and variety of high-level administrative 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. This position requires work onsite from the LSA building in Ann Arbor, MI, with the potential for one 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.
A core liberal college in one of the nation's premier public research universities, the College offers a vast array of opportunities for learning and research both within the traditional disciplines and in interdisciplinary programs, along with a range of resources that perennially attract the strongest students and faculty.
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*
Administrative Support Duties
- Manage calendars, schedule appointments, and prioritize tasks for Dean's Office leadership, using discretion and independent judgment.
- Draft, review, and finalize correspondence and other written materials (e.g., letters, agendas, reports, presentations), ensuring accuracy and clarity.
- Monitor and manage email communications, draft responses, track outstanding follow-up items, and monitor approaching deadlines.
- Create and maintain a project dashboard, updated daily, to support day-to-day workflow and project tracking.
- Provide project management, including independent research and preparation of complex documents and spreadsheets for special assignments.
- Reconcile select accounts and purchasing card, and hosting expenses using Imburse.
- Greet visitors to the Dean's Office, delivering exceptional customer service in a confidential, flexible, and collaborative environment.
- Perform general office duties such as filing, copying, and scanning.
- Provide primary phone coverage for the front office and backup coverage for other offices as needed.
- Offer coverage and administrative assistance to other areas of the Dean's Office, including on behalf of the Divisional Associate Deans and the Dean when regular staff are absent.
- Collaborate closely with staff to foster a positive, engaged, and creative office culture that supports learning and continuous improvement.
- Perform additional duties as assigned to support the goals and objectives of the Dean's Office.
Coordination Duties
- Coordinate regular and ad hoc communications as assigned.
- Track and facilitate follow-up on emails and upcoming deadlines.
- Collaborate with the assistant to the finance team to advance the Budget and Finance division.
- Support and help execute new and ongoing priorities, proactively developing timelines, project plans, and tracking progress.
- Provide administrative support to committees as assigned.
- Assist with FAD (Faculty Administrative Directors) weekly meetings, including planning, preparing materials, taking minutes, and maintaining files.
Event Planning
- Serve as the planning specialist for event requests from the Dean's Office.
- Lead planning and execution of in-person and virtual events, including logistics management (budget, room scheduling, equipment, vendor coordination, catering, invitations, RSVPs, communications) and on-site support.
- Document and track follow-up activities related to events and community-building initiatives.
Required Qualifications*
- Prior experience providing administrative support in a fast-paced, professional office environment (preferably in higher education or a comparable setting).
- Proven ability to manage complex calendars and schedules with accuracy and discretion.
- Strong organizational skills, demonstrated initiative, acute attention to detail, and the ability to set and adjust priorities independently.
- Experience with project management, including tracking action items, developing timelines, and monitoring progress.
- Demonstrated proficiency in preparing, editing, and finalizing professional correspondence, reports, and presentations.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to draft, proofread, and edit documents.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills; ability to handle confidential information with integrity and professionalism.
- Demonstrated customer service orientation, with experience in greeting and assisting visitors in a professional setting.
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a diverse, collaborative team and to contribute to a positive office culture.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and comfortable with learning new software and tools (e.g., Emburse, project management dashboards).
- Proficiency in Google and the Adobe Suite
- Familiarity with or ability to learn university administrative, accounting, and event management systems.
- Experience planning and supporting meetings and events, including logistics management (space, catering, technology) for both in-person and virtual formats.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines related to event planning, including on-site support and follow-up.
- Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing priorities, work independently, exercise sound judgment, and solve problems creatively.
- Commitment to continuous process improvement and professional development.
Desired Qualifications*
- Bachelor's degree in a related field is preferred.
- Knowledge of LSA and U-M policies and procedures.
- Experience working in an academic or higher education environment.
- Prior experience supporting senior leadership.
- Knowledge of University of Michigan systems, processes, and administrative units.
Work Schedule
Monday-Friday - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In-person meetings and events are expected for this role, and the incumbent in this role should plan to work on campus at least four days per week, with one remote day each week during the academic year. More flexibility may be offered in the summer (June through mid-August).
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
The salary range for this position is $57,600 to $71,000. A higher salary may be possible for well-qualified applicants.
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.
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.