Executive Associate

The Executive Associate will provide executive-level support to the executive suite of the Office of Research & Partnerships (ORP). This is a fast-paced and multi-tasked environment requiring the incumbent to perform with initiative, resourcefulness, and sound judgment. Responsibilities include tasks such as managing complex calendars, travel arrangements, drafting communications, preparing meeting documents, assisting with event/meeting organization and other general office duties as assigned. This position will report to the Executive Associate to the SVPR of ORP.

This is a fast-paced and multi-tasked environment requiring the incumbent to perform with initiative, resourcefulness, and sound judgment. To be successful in this role the incumbent must be professional, proactive, confidential, be able to communicate effectively and professionally with strong written and verbal communication skills, be able to prioritize and meet deadlines. The ability to work independently and be self-motivated is highly important to identify and address the needs of RII senior leadership. The ideal candidate will be highly experienced in delivering either university or corporate leaders' administrative requirements, will be an outstanding communicator, and will be excited to work in an environment focused on advancing transformative excellence in research across campus, with particular attention to our land-grant mission of service to the State of Arizona.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Administrative Support Functions:

• Regularly communicate with senior leaders, deans, direct reports, internal and external stakeholders to ensure efficiency in meeting SVP RII requirements and intent.
• Coordinate the preparation, review, and finalization of reports and presentations.
• Provide initial triage for situations, processes, and events, offering recommendations to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.
• Engagement in the development or proofreading of letters, memos, reports and correspondence to senior leadership or others, on behalf of the SVPRII.
• Coordinate communication triage.
• Create itineraries and agendas for various meetings.
• Processes PCard purchases, travel expense reports, reimbursements and reconciliation ensuring all documents are submitted in a timely fashion according to deadlines and process reimbursements.
• Assist in arrangement of domestic and international travel, including accommodations, transportation, and itineraries.
• Manage travel-related expenses, process reimbursements, and maintain accurate records.
• Ensure all travel arrangements are documented, and back-up plans are in place in case of changes.

Calendar & Scheduling Management:

• Organize and maintain calendars, scheduling meetings, appointments, and events with precision and attention to detail.
  Coordinate and prioritize meeting requests, ensuring alignment with time zones, regions, and international considerations.
• Ensure proper meeting platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, in-person) are scheduled and accessible, assist with preparation for meetings and seamless participation.
• Proactively identify and resolve scheduling conflicts, providing timely reminders and preparation materials for all engagements.
• Strategically manage Senior Vice President and Vice President time; working closely with the SVP RII Office Manager, and with the principals calendars and other staff to ensure meeting time is being used efficiently to move initiatives forward; closely monitoring commitments to external and internal stakeholders, events and other activities; managing travel arrangements and expenditures. Ensuring that SVP RII and VP calendars activities are associated with appropriate reference materials and other resources for efficient preparation, and use during meetings and with relevant stakeholders.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience.
• A minimum of 3 years relevant work experience.

• Writing Prompt #1 Scenario: You are the Executive Associate supporting a senior executive leader. A document critical to moving forward with an external partnership has been delayed because it has not yet been signed by your executive due to competing priorities. Instructions: Please draft an email on behalf of the executive to the external partner explaining the delay.
• Writing Prompt #2 Scenario: You are an Executive Associate supporting a senior executive. Two weeks ago, you reached out via email to an internal partner, Jordan, to coordinate schedules for a key strategy meeting requested by your executive. Jordan never responded. Today, your executive forwards you an email from Jordan. In it, Jordan expresses frustration that the meeting has not yet been scheduled and implies that your team has been unresponsive, unaware that he failed to reply to your original outreach. Your task is to draft an email response to Jordan on behalf of your executive. Instructions: Write the body of the email you would send to Jordan. You may assume access to calendars and suggest specific dates/times.