Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Corporation and the Chief of Staff

• The Office of the President seeks an accomplished Executive Assistant to provide
• high-level administrative and operational support to the Secretary to the
• Corporation and the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff to the
• President. This position serves as a trusted partner to both leaders, managing
• complex schedules and priorities, coordinating meetings and travel, preparing
• correspondence and materials, and helping ensure commitments and follow-up
• actions are carried through.

• The Executive Assistant also supports select Board of Trustees activities,
• provides backup coverage for the Executive Assistant to the President, and
• contributes to the smooth operation of the Office of the President.

Ideal Candidate Statement

• The ideal candidate is an experienced executive support professional who is
• highly organized, resourceful, and comfortable supporting senior leaders and
• managing competing priorities. They exercise sound judgment and discretion,
• anticipate needs, communicate with confidence and professionalism, and take
• ownership of their work with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• They are collaborative, adaptable, and able to build trusted relationships with
• senior leaders, colleagues across the university, and external stakeholders.

Workplace Schedule Requirements

• This role requires occasional work outside standard business hours, particularly
• around Board meetings, commencement, presidential events, and travel by either
• principal. The office operates at a steady pace, with periods of higher activity
• around key events and institutional priorities.

Workplace Location

• On-campus position: This is an on-campus position, with the possibility of
• occasional remote workdays based on office needs, workload, and scheduled
• activities. Per Rice policy 440 [https://policy.rice.edu/440], work arrangements
• may be subject to change.

Workplace Requirements

• Movement: Walk, Occasionally (<33%); Climb Stairs, Ladders, Inclines,

Objects/Equipment, Step Ladders, Rarely/As Required

• Mobility: Sitting, Standing, As Required; Repetitive Hand/Wrist/Finger

Movement, Frequently

• Weight: 0-20 lbs.
• Sensory: Vision, Depth Perception, Hearing, Touch, Dexterity, Speech
• Environment: Office/Indoor
• Computer/Visual: Close visual acuity required for viewing computer monitors,

reading documents, analyzing information, and performing computer-based work.

• Hiring Range: Up to $90,000 annually, commensurate with experience and
• qualifications.

• Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA

• [https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/fair-labor-standards-act-flsa] are not eligible
• for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above

• and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent
• year-for-year basis.

• Two or more (2+) years of progressively responsible administrative or

executive support experience, including direct support of senior leaders.

• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential,

sensitive, and privileged information.

• Fluency in Google Workspace, including calendar delegation and management

• across multiple accounts, shared-drive architecture and permissions, document
• collaboration, and spreadsheet functions beyond basic data entry.

• Demonstrated proficiency with a project- or task-management platform and the

• capacity to work in Asana confidently and independently within the first
• several weeks.

• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to

draft correspondence on behalf of others.

• Proven ability to manage competing priorities from multiple principals,

• navigate changing demands, determine what requires immediate attention, and
• communicate effectively as priorities shift.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the poise to interact effectively with

trustees, senior university officers, external partners, and their staff.

• Meticulous attention to detail and consistent follow-through without

prompting.

Preferences

• Five or more (5+) years of progressively responsible administrative or

executive support experience, including direct support of senior leaders.

• Experience supporting and liaising directly with a governing board in any

sector.

• Working knowledge of Diligent Boards or a comparable board portal platform.
• Experience in higher education, a nonprofit governance environment,

• professional services, or another complex environment with comparable
• confidentiality expectations.

• Experience with enterprise financial and expense-management systems.

Essential Functions

• Executive Support
• Manage complex, high-volume calendars for the Secretary to the Corporation

• and Chief of Staff, proactively resolving scheduling conflicts and
• coordinating with senior university leaders, trustees, external partners, and
• their staff.

• Coordinate closely with the Executive Assistant to the President and

• executive assistants across the university to facilitate meetings, events,
• and institutional priorities.

• Prepare executives for meetings by coordinating agendas, briefing materials,

pre-reads, presentations, and other supporting information.

• Coordinate meeting logistics, including rooms, technology, catering, and

• virtual participation; attend meetings as needed to capture action items,
• coordinate follow-up, and track commitments through completion.

• Draft, edit, proofread, and coordinate correspondence, memoranda,

presentations, and routine communications.

• Assist with inbox management by identifying urgent matters, routing requests

appropriately, and tracking items requiring response or follow-up.

• Coordinate domestic and occasional international travel, including

transportation, accommodations, itineraries, and supporting materials.

• Prepare expense reports, reconcile procurement-card activity and departmental

charges, and coordinate with office business-administration staff as needed.

• Maintain appropriate contact lists, distribution lists, files, and other

administrative records.

Board and Governance Support

• Support the Secretary to the Corporation in coordinating the annual Board and

• committee meeting cycle and communicating with trustees, committee chairs,
• and their assistants.

• Maintain Board materials and information in Diligent, including posting and

organizing materials and managing appropriate access and permissions.

• Maintain organized and accessible governance files, corporate records,

• committee membership and meeting information, and reference materials,
• including coordination with university archives as appropriate.

• Prepare and format Board-related documents, resolutions, presentations,

correspondence, and other materials for the Secretary's review.

• Support Board and committee meetings through materials preparation,

• scheduling, room and catering arrangements, and day-of logistics in
• coordination with staff responsible for Board operations and meeting
• planning.

Presidential and Office Support

• Provide backup coverage for the Executive Assistant to the President during

• planned absences and periods of high volume, including management of
• presidential scheduling and meeting preparation.

• Ensure the President has appropriate materials and background information for

• scheduled meetings and provide day-of scheduling support when providing
• coverage.

• Assist with presidential correspondence during coverage periods, including

• mail, letters for signature, correspondence tracking, and triage of the
• President's general email account.

• Provide additional administrative and operational support to the Office of

the President as priorities require.

• Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
• [https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits]
• Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University
• [https://www.rice.edu/mission-values]

• Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and
• welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers
• qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion,
• age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin,
• genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides
• reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an
• applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or
• hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources
• Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

• If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank
• you for your interest in employment with Rice University.