Executive Assistant​/Project Specialist

University of Colorado Anschutz

Department:
Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

Position #:  – Requisition #: 39751

The Project Specialist & Executive Assistant provides a blend of project management expertise, operational coordination, and executive-level administrative support to the CU Anschutz Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs (EVCASA)/Provost. This role independently designs and applies project management methodologies, advises senior leadership on complex and strategic matters, and ensures alignment in advancing institutional priorities by providing guidance in complex crossunit initiative.

This includes conducting research and analysis, preparing high-quality executive materials, providing expert analysis, and implementing project management frameworks that strengthen alignment, efficiency, and data-informed planning across academic and administrative divisions.

In addition, this role supports the day‑to‑day operations of the EVCASA/Provost's office by managing email, calendar, communications, and priorities, preparing executive-level documents, and ensuring timely follow‑through on priorities and commitments. This role serves as a strategic operations partner to the EVC/Provost, managing executive workflows, priorities, and complex initiatives requiring independent judgment and discretion. This role acts as an institutional liaison on behalf of the EVC/Provost, representing the office in sensitive discussions and coordinating resolutions across multiple stakeholders.

Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer

None

• Independently determines project management approaches, timelines, communication strategies, and tracking methodologies for crossunit initiatives.
• Exercises judgment in prioritizing executive requests, escalating issues, and resolving conflicts related to scheduling, resources, and competing institutional priorities.
• Supports planning and logistics for retreats, work groups, and strategic planning sessions, including scheduling, preparing materials, documenting discussions, and summarizing next steps.
• Plans and manages crossunit projects by defining tasks, coordinating and facilitating meetings, gathering stakeholder input, maintaining schedules and Gantt charts, and tracking progress toward established goals.
• Coordinates cross functional project resources by maintaining resource allocation plans, aligning staffing with project schedules, and adjusting priorities as project needs evolve.
• Supports procurement and onboarding of external vendors and contractors to meet project requirements.
• Maintains project management systems, tracking tools, shared project folders, and reporting dashboards to ensure accurate documentation, transparency, and timely progress reporting.
• Independently conducts research and analysis on higher education trends, accreditation and compliance requirements, and emerging policy developments, synthesizing insights into actionable recommendations that inform Provos strategic planning.
• Provides general support to the EVC/Provost office, tracks priorities, gathers updates from units, and ensures information flows smoothly across teams.
• Maintains and updates standard operating procedures, project templates, and workflow tools to improve efficiency and consistency within the office.
• Develops and executes project communication plans, facilitates information sharing, updates, and follow‑up across campus units and stakeholders.
• Creates high‑quality executive briefing materials, presentations, reports, and policy analyses that distill complex information into clear, strategic guidance for senior leadership and stakeholders.
• Designs, standardizes, and continuously improves project management frameworks, tools, and reporting mechanisms used across the EVC/Provost office.
• Monitors emerging issues by collecting relevant information and preparing initial notes or summaries for supervisors to review.