Executive Assistant to Vice President

Position: Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Advancement
Location : St. Davids
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 1096
Department: Advancement
Opening Date: 05/08/2026

Join our vibrant community of dedicated faculty and staff who work to create a transformative educational experience rooted in faith, reason, and justice.

Eastern University is a nationally-recognized Christian university enrolling approximately 9,000 students in a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, professional, and seminary programs. The university's main campus is located in St. Davids, PA, with many programs also offered online. Eastern's core values of Faith, Reason, and Justice are woven into all of its educational offerings. Through dynamic programs, a vibrant campus community, and meaningful service learning opportunities, Eastern University is committed to providing students with transformative, accessible, and affordable education.
Position Description

The Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Advancement provides high-level administrative, operational, and project management support to the University's chief advancement officer. This individual serves as the primary point of coordination for the Advancement Division, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations across fundraising, donor relations, alumni engagement, and advancement services.

The position requires exceptional organizational skills, a high degree of professionalism, and absolute discretion with confidential executive, donor, and financial information. The role requires the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment under the direction of a high-energy executive. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver who embraces productivity technology, demonstrates comfort learning new software platforms (including fundraising CRM systems and AI-powered tools), and anticipates needs before they arise.

As the advancement profession increasingly integrates data analytics, digital engagement platforms, and AI-driven workflows, this position is designed to evolve toward higher-level project coordination, technology adoption, and strategic support, ensuring the Division remains at the forefront of institutional fundraising excellence.

Position Responsibilities

A. Executive & Administrative Support:

1. Provides comprehensive administrative support to the Vice President for Advancement, including complex calendar management, meeting coordination, travel arrangements, and correspondence.

2. Manages the daily operations, systems, procedures, schedules, and workflow of the Vice President's office, serving as the primary gatekeeper and first point of contact for internal and external constituents.

3. Coordinates and prepares materials for meetings, including agendas, briefing documents, donor profiles, and follow-up action items; records and distributes minutes as requested.

4. Handles all purchasing, expense reimbursements, invoice processing, and credit card reconciliation for the Advancement Division.

5. Manages confidential donor, financial, and campaign information with the highest level of discretion and professionalism.

6. Represents the Vice President's office on institutional committees and at university events as requested.

7. Prepares administrative reports, dashboards, and presentation materials that support decision-making and strategic planning.
B. Advancement & Fundraising Operations:

8. Learns and actively supports the Division's fundraising CRM platform (currently Virtuous), including data entry, report generation, pipeline tracking, and donor record maintenance.

9. Assists in preparing campaign materials, gift proposals, donor correspondence, acknowledgment letters, and stewardship communications.

10. Coordinates logistics for donor meetings, cultivation events, fundraising dinners, alumni gatherings, and advancement-related programs.

11. Supports the Vice President in tracking and advancing the major and principal gift pipeline, including scheduling donor visits, preparing briefing packets, and documenting meeting outcomes.

12. Assists with the preparation and submission of grant applications and related reporting as directed.

13. Helps coordinate the work of advancement team members, facilitating communication and project timelines across fundraising, alumni relations, and advancement services functions.
C. Technology, Productivity & Communications:

14. Embraces and adopts emerging productivity technologies, including AI-powered tools, to improve office workflows, communication, scheduling, and data management.

15. Maintains and updates the Advancement Division's web presence, internal communications, and digital content as directed.

16. Assists in the creation and distribution of division newsletters, impact reports, and donor-facing publications.

17. Evaluates the effectiveness of office processes and technologies, recommending improvements to enhance efficiency and service quality.

18. Provides logistical and communications support for advancement events, board meetings, and campaign committee gatherings.
D. Institutional…