Executive Assistant

Position Summary:

The Executive Assistant provides comprehensive high-level support to the Dean of the Vanderbilt Divinity School by managing the Dean's schedule, information flow, and constituent interactions. As a representative of the Dean, and in conjunction with the Director of Administration, this position must organize the flow of daily operations to ensure priorities are met. This position serves as a goodwill ambassador and is the first point of contact for the Office of the Dean.

This position completes various administrative tasks for the Dean and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, including managing extremely active calendars of appointments; completing expense reports; preparing confidential correspondence; arranging complex and detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas; and compiling documents for travel-related meetings.

The Executive Assistant is responsible for administrative support pertaining to all faculty actions including, but not limited to, faculty promotion, tenure, and reappointment, leaves and departures, contract and appointment letters, and searches. The Executive Assistant is responsible for maintaining the day-to-day operations of the office and serves as a coordinator of executive-level decision-making, ensuring the office has the necessary resources and capacity to meet its objectives while coordinating, progressing, and communicating the initiatives of the Dean.

In addition, this position provides support for procurement, event planning for Dean's office events, conducting research, preparing reports, handling information requests, and performing clerical functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings as needed.

About the Work Unit:

The Divinity School administrators and staff comprise a team committed to excellence in theological education. From different composite areas: admissions, community life, academics, special programming, communications, theological and religious library resources, and development and alumni relations, each person contributes to an innovative and collegial environment. The unit as a whole is committed to the mission of both the University and the Divinity School.

We seek to lead the nation in the care, preparation, and professional qualification of our students to the religious and theological professions.

In a global and multi-religious world, the Divinity school seeks to fulfill the following objectives:

* to engage in theological inquiry;

* to help persons prepare for the practice of Christian ministry and public leadership;

* to encourage personal and spiritual formation;

* to prepare agents of social justice; and

* to educate future scholars and teachers, locally and globally.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Administrative Support

* Manages complex and frequently shifting calendars for the Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, exercising independent judgment in prioritizing appointments, resolving scheduling conflicts, and coordinating high-level meetings and events.

* Coordinates complex domestic and international travel arrangements for the Dean, including itineraries, accommodations, transportation logistics, reimbursements, and related administrative support.

* Serves as primary administrative liaison for the Dean's Suite, maintaining effective communication and coordination among faculty, staff, students, senior leadership, and external stakeholders.

* Coordinates logistical arrangements for meetings including space reservations, catering, audio/visual needs, parking reservations for off campus participants, equipment set-up, and communication with meeting attendees.

* Anticipates administrative and operational needs of the Dean's office and proactively resolves issues to ensure continuity and efficiency of daily operations.

* Coordinates and supports faculty governance and leadership meetings, including preparation of agendas and materials at least one week in advance, communication with attendees, meeting logistics, and recording and maintaining official meeting minutes and documentation. Records and maintains official minutes for faculty meetings and designated faculty committees, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and timely distribution of materials.

* Manages administrative office staff and internal communications on behalf of the dean.

* Coordinates cross-team collaboration and trans-institutional engagement as assigned.

* Manage the flow of information to and from the dean.

* Schedules meeting dates for Divinity committees and shares schedule with Faculty/Staff.

* Provides staff support for Honor Council (reserves rooms, duplicates materials, distributes packets, procures refreshments).

* Makes assignments and oversees submission of the annual report to ATS.

* Updates VDS Faculty Handbook and manages the approval process for revisions.

* Processes documents for Visiting Scholars and serves as liaison.

Faculty Actions

* Coordinates and administers faculty affairs…