Assistant to the Vice President

The Division of University Relations (UR) encompasses a variety of offices and departments whose shared mission is to advance the university’s goals through philanthropic fundraising and meaningful engagement with alumni and friends of the university as well as the greater community. The Office of the Vice President for University Relations (VPUR) seeks a highly motivated, organized, and detailed-oriented professional to become an integral member of our team.

The Assistant to the Vice President provides high-level executive administrative support to the VPUR and to the Assistant to the VP & Chief Administrative Officer (AVP-CAO). This role is responsible for strategic oversight of the VPUR’s day-to-day schedule and long-term calendar; preparing, and gathering from colleagues across the division and university, a high volume of meeting and briefing materials; independently initiating and responding to correspondence on behalf of the VPUR with important internal and external stakeholders; completing (or distributing/tracking progress on) action items arising from the VPUR’s workflow; managing all logistics for the VPUR’s travel; directing routine office operations; and serving as an ambassador on behalf of the VPUR office, often as the first point of contact to multiple constituencies, including members of the President’s Cabinet and Deans, Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation (UMCPF), members of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents, as well as donors, volunteers and prospects that are the focus of UR’s advancement mission.

The Assistant to the Vice President is often responsible for appropriately navigating highly sensitive and confidential information in cooperation with and for the VPUR and AVP-CAO. They will develop familiarity and cultivate professional relationships with Trustees, Regents, donors and prospects as well as senior administrators at the university. This is essential to their responsibility for anticipating and troubleshooting routine and unique matters that arise.

As part of the VPUR office team, the Assistant to the Vice President will partner with colleagues to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of complex routine operations across the UR division and with other high-value stakeholders on campus.

The ideal candidate will work autonomously and collaboratively; be adept at working in a flexible, dynamic, and high-stakes environment; and demonstrate excellent written, interpersonal, constituent relations, and time management skills.

This role requires an in-person presence in the office during the majority of core University business hours and access to a vehicle as needed for certain work-related tasks.   Education: Bachelor’s degree required.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of professional administrative experience.
• Experience supporting one or more senior-level managers or experience handling complex scheduling for an executive leader.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Maintaining a positive, professional, adaptable and solution-oriented demeanor while anticipating and troubleshooting routine and unique matters that arise in a high-volume, high-stakes environment.
• Cultivating and sustaining collegial professional relationships with staff at all levels of the division and with internal and external stakeholders (campus leaders, donors, volunteers, alumni and public officials).
• Prioritizing and satisfying competing needs and requirements of diverse interest groups (with time constraints in mind) and demonstrating a high level of problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Lending a high degree of professional judgment.
• Navigating appropriate handling of highly sensitive and confidential information with appropriate discretion and tact.
• Taking an amicable and assertive approach to channeling the VPUR’s time and bandwidth.
• Collecting, compiling and organizing disparate data and information for deliverables produced for use by the VPUR
• Demonstrating excellent written and verbal communication skills. with strong attention to detail and proficiency in proofreading and editing.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite and Google applications, especially Google Calendar, Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets, and PowerPoint/Slides, with specific experience formatting attractive and effective documents and slides.