Executive Assistant

A cover letter is required for consideration. Please upload your cover letter and resume as a single document, with the cover letter as the first page. The cover letter should describe your specific interest in the position and highlight skills and experience directly related to the role.

The Department of Human Genetics, part of Michigan Medicine, is proud to be recognized as the first dedicated human genetics department in the United States. As one of nine basic science departments within the Medical School, our mission is to advance the fields of genetics and genomics through teaching and research, deepening our understanding of biology and human disease.

The department is also known for its vibrant and collaborative community. We host annual social and academic events, including a department picnic and retreat, and foster connections among faculty, staff, and students. Our administrative team works closely together and values collaboration, service, and collegiality.

The Department of Human Genetics is seeking an Executive Assistant to join our administrative team. This position plays an important role in supporting the department's academic mission by coordinating events, supporting student-facing programs, assisting with training grant administration, and ensuring smooth day-to-day administrative operations.

This is a highly collaborative, people-centered role for someone who enjoys coordinating events, managing details, supporting faculty and students, and helping academic programs run smoothly. The successful candidate will bring demonstrated experience with event coordination and complex scheduling/calendar management. Training will be provided for University of Michigan systems, departmental procedures, purchasing, reimbursement processes, and training grant administration.

The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, strong organizational and problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, sound judgment, and a commitment to providing outstanding service to faculty, staff, students, trainees, and visitors.

This role may be especially appealing to candidates interested in developing a career in student services or academic program administration.

This position reports to the Chief Department Administrator and works closely with the Department Chair, GTP Director, Student Affairs Administrator, Research Administration Team, and other administrative staff.

The primary priorities for this position are event and seminar coordination, programmatic support for a training grant, complex scheduling and administrative support for department leadership, and support for other departmental academic activities.

• Coordinate meetings and provide complex calendar and scheduling support for the Department Chair.
• Schedule meetings involving multiple internal and external stakeholders; resolve scheduling conflicts and communicate changes professionally and promptly.
• Prepare and process expense reports and Emburse transactions for the Department Chair, Chief Department Administrator, visiting speakers, short courses, and lectureships, ensuring compliance with departmental and institutional policies.
• Research and resolve reimbursement, travel, purchasing, and payment discrepancies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Coordinate departmental events, seminars, lectureships, visiting speaker programs, retreats, and other academic or community-building events.
• Manage event logistics, including room scheduling, catering, equipment, vendor coordination, invitations, RSVPs, event communications, materials preparation, day-of support, and post-event follow-up.
• Collaborate with department leadership, faculty, staff, and external guests to ensure event objectives are met.
• Coordinate visiting speaker logistics, including travel, lodging, itineraries, reimbursements, honoraria, and related communications.
• Support major annual events such as the department picnic, faculty retreat, annual retreat, and other department-sponsored activities.

Provide administrative and programmatic support for the Genetics Training Program, an NIH-funded training grant program that supports graduate trainees in genetics. This role works closely with the GTP Director, DHG Student Affairs Administrator, DHG Research Administration Team, and student services staff to coordinate program activities, track deadlines, support trainees, and ensure compliance with NIH and program policies. Training will be provided on NIH training grant processes, University systems, and program-specific procedures.

• Learn and apply NIH training grant policies, as well as GTP-specific procedures.
• Assist the GTP Director with program communications, recruitment, and admissions activities.
• Process trainee appointments, reappointments, changes, and terminations in xTrain.
• Compile program data and prepare xTRACT…