Executive Assistant to the President and Dean

The Executive Assistant to the President and Dean serves as a trusted partner in managing the Dean's demanding schedule, institutional relationships, and professional commitments. This highly proactive role combines executive administration, personal logistical support, and relationship coordination to help the Dean focus her time and attention on the School's highest priorities.

The Executive Assistant anticipates needs, exercises independent judgment, manages details, and follows through on commitments. The position also provides administrative support to the Chief of Staff and coordinates activities involving the executive leadership team and Board of Trustees.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Executive and Personal Support

• Manage the Dean's calendar, daily schedule, travel, meetings, events, speaking engagements, and commitments, anticipating needs and adjusting priorities as circumstances change.
• Prepare daily briefings, schedules, itineraries, and meeting materials to ensure the Dean is informed and prepared.
• Protect the Dean's time by managing requests, coordinating commitments, and identifying opportunities to delegate or streamline activities.
• Provide hands-on logistical support, including accompanying the Dean to meetings and events, coordinating transportation, and occasionally driving to local engagements to enable productive use of travel time.
• Anticipate and resolve scheduling conflicts, logistical challenges, and other issues with minimal direction.
• Coordinate travel arrangements, correspondence, expense reports, reimbursements, and other executive administrative needs.

External Engagement and Relationship Management

• Accompany the Dean to selected institutional, community, alumni, donor, and professional events, providing logistical and relationship support.
• Track significant contacts, conversations, commitments, and opportunities arising from the Dean's external engagements.
• Develop relationships with external stakeholders and their administrative staff to facilitate communication, scheduling, and follow-up.
• Research individuals, organizations, and opportunities to prepare the Dean for meetings and inform decisions about future engagement.
• Identify potential follow-up opportunities and provide recommendations to the Dean regarding relationship priorities and next steps.
• Coordinate with Advancement, Marketing and Communications, and other departments to ensure appropriate talking points, background materials, travel arrangements, and event logistics are prepared.
• Facilitate timely follow-up on introductions, meetings, invitations, and institutional commitments.

Executive Office and Institutional Support

• Provide administrative support to the Chief of Staff, including scheduling, correspondence, meeting preparation, and other assigned responsibilities.
• Coordinate executive leadership meetings, including scheduling, agendas, materials, attendance, minutes, and follow-up.
• Support Board of Trustees meetings and activities in coordination with the office responsible for Board governance.
• Serve as the Dean's principal point of contact and liaison with internal and external stakeholders, managing communications and requests with professionalism and discretion.
• Support the Dean in sensitive and confidential personnel matters, including coordination of meetings, correspondence, and related administrative processes.
• Draft and edit executive correspondence, briefings, reports, and remarks, coordinating with Marketing and Communications as appropriate.
• Coordinate with institutional leaders and administrative staff to support executive priorities and ensure effective communication.
• Maintain confidential records, track commitments, and manage the administrative operations of the executive office.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of executive office operations, professional protocols, and the demands of supporting senior institutional leadership.
• Exceptional organizational, time management, and prioritization skills, with the ability to anticipate needs and manage complex schedules and competing commitments.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, solve problems proactively, and make appropriate decisions with minimal direction.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare polished correspondence, briefings, and executive materials.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and professional presence when interacting with trustees, donors, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to coordinate complex logistics, manage details, and ensure timely follow-through on executive commitments.
• Ability to maintain composure, adaptability, and responsiveness in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least five years of progressively responsible administrative experience, including direct support of a senior executive or organizational leader.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality, exercise discretion, and appropriately handle sensitive personnel, institutional, and executive information.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated ability to anticipate needs and work independently.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, professional presence, and ability to develop productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Sound judgment, discretion, adaptability, and ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and executive scheduling, communications, and administrative systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing high-level executive or personal assistant support to a president, CEO, dean, or similar leader.
• Experience coordinating executive events, external relationships, travel, or Board activities.
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, or other complex institutions.

Additional Position Expectations

• Regular on-campus presence and flexibility to work occasional evenings or weekends to support executive commitments.
• Willingness and ability to accompany the Dean to meetings and events, including occasional overnight travel
• Valid driver's license and ability to pass an MVR.
• Commitment to Mitchell Hamline School of Law's mission and values.

Position Acknowledgment and Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the employee assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Responsibilities and title may change based on institutional needs. Mitchell Hamline School of Law retains the discretion to add duties or change the duties of this position at any time.