A cover letter is required for consideration for this position. The cover letter must be attached as the first page of your resume and it should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that relate directly to this position.

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

The Department of History of Art in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is excited to announce an opening for an experienced Executive Secretary. This is an excellent opportunity to join a supportive and welcoming team of professionals who are passionate about their work in an environment that prioritizes individual professional growth for staff at all levels. 

One of the three largest departments of art history in North America with specialists covering every major continent, Michigan has ranked among the top art history doctoral programs nationally. The department traces its origins to 1910, and has been home to some of the most distinguished scholars in the field. We seek an experienced professional who can provide high-level administrative support to the Department Chair and senior leadership with exceptional efficiency, organizational skills, and perceptiveness. The ideal candidate takes initiative rather than waiting for direction, works effectively with a variety of groups, and advances important departmental initiatives with a service-oriented approach, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This role requires a steadfast individual who can navigate complex environments with discretion and confidentiality while continuously seeking opportunities to improve processes and develop innovative solutions.

The successful candidate will excel at managing substantial workloads in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, advancing multiple projects simultaneously. We are especially interested in candidates who think creatively about how work gets done, someone who can redesign a workflow that no longer serves the department, anticipate what a process will require before being asked, and coordinate the people involved with tact and clarity. Candidates with advanced computer skills, experience in academic human resources processes, and meticulous attention to detail are strongly encouraged to apply. This position reports to the Chief Administrator (CA) and receives a significant portion of daily work from the Department Chair.

This position provides high-level administrative support to the Department Chair, the Chief Administrator, and the History of Art leadership team. This position reports to the Chief Administrator and receives a significant portion of daily work from the Department Chair. Duties include, but are not limited to:

Executive Support to the Chair and Chief Administrator

• Expertly manage the Chair's calendar, committee engagements, meeting schedules, and project timelines, anticipating and resolving conflicts before they arise.

• Draft, edit, prepare, and distribute routine and exceptional correspondence, memoranda, reports, and manuscripts - including confidential and sensitive materials - in accordance with university policy and representing the department with the highest level of professionalism to partners within and outside the unit.
• Respond to and triage inquiries from department constituents, exercising judgment about what requires the Chair's or Chief Administrator's attention.
• Coordinate meetings with university, college, departmental, and external visitors.
• Arrange travel for the Chair, Chief Administrator, faculty candidates, visiting speakers, and other departmental affiliates.
• Safeguard the office's operational integrity by treating confidential information with the utmost discretion.

• Provide miscellaneous project support and attend meetings as needed.

Academic Human Resources and Faculty Support

• As a core responsibility manage and coordinate lecturer and faculty review, tenure, and promotion cases from initiation through final action.

• Develop and maintain a high level of understanding of all U-M and LSA policies, procedures, and timelines governing faculty review, promotion, leaves, hiring, and recruitment, and continually adjust departmental processes to remain current.
• Prepare sensitive academic personnel and program materials, including faculty appointments, scholarly leave requests, award and professorship nominations, and annual merit materials.
• Provide administrative support for faculty searches: advertise positions, create and maintain applicant files, arrange interviews, schedule campus visits, and assist with appointment paperwork. Work with the Chair and Chief Administrator to prepare offer letters for faculty appointments.
• Track and prepare requests for courtesy appointments, honorary and endowed professorships, and retirement memoirs in collaboration with the Chief Administrator.
• Work directly with faculty to ensure leave policies are understood and that requests are routed appropriately.
• Submit lecturer substitution hours to LSA as needed.
• Track and coordinate annual reports and the annual merit process.
• Monitor timelines and implement detailed procedural steps with attention to both fine detail and broader context, ensuring equitable implementation across the department and successful execution from start to finish.

• Maintain confidential personnel files.

Meeting, Committee, and Governance Support

• Provide support for Executive Committee meetings, core faculty meetings, Chair's subcommittees, and other special meetings as they arise.

• Prepare agendas with input from the Chair and other members; prepare and distribute materials; reserve rooms; take and disseminate meeting notes and minutes; and maintain a historical record of all related documents.
• Track service assignments and membership of departmental committees.

• Coordinate the annual department retreat in collaboration with the Chair, staff, and faculty leadership.

Departmental Administration and Project Coordination

• Track departmental projects to ensure deliverables meet timelines, and assist with related logistics.

• Anticipate and plan for activities that predictably recur each academic year, managing them within semesters and planning them regularly with the Chair.
• Maintain a variety of records, tracking spreadsheets, and documents for departmental processes using departmental shared drives and other electronic filing systems.
• Maintain, create, and update standard operating procedures and departmental guidelines so that resources remain current, relevant, and aligned across departmental activities.
• Oversee the faculty computer replacement process and maintain the faculty computer inventory.
• Maintain departmental email groups.
• Provide backup support to front desk staff.

• Participate in university-wide professional organizations and build connections with administrators and partner units across the College.

Advancement, and Alumni Relations

• Serve as the department's liaison with LSA Advancement, and assist the Chair and Chief Administrator with development and alumni relations activities.

• Prepare and send correspondence to department constituents, including donor thank-you letters and offer letters.

This position will also perform other duties as assigned in order to support the goals and objectives of the department.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Three or more years of directly relevant, high-level administrative experience.

Judgment, Discretion, and Independence

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively, exercising discretion, critical thinking, and sound decision-making in sensitive and confidential matters.

• Self-starter able to work with limited direction.
• Flexibility to adapt as priorities shift in a dynamic workplace, with excellent judgment and a consistently professional manner.

• Ability to navigate the complex scenarios that often arise when working within a large unit.

Organization and Project Management

• Exceptional organizational skills and strong attention to detail.

• Ability to track, prioritize, and advance multiple complex projects and processes simultaneously while managing and archiving detailed records.
• Ability to produce accurate, high-quality work in a busy academic environment, independently or as part of a team.
• Knowledge of best practices for time management and organization to enhance the work and mission of the department.

• Experience coordinating projects and/or events.

Communication and Service

• Outstanding written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to create and maintain a wide variety of written documents intended for a range of audiences.

• Previous experience editing and proofreading copy for public dissemination.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Experience fostering a welcoming and respectful work environment through effective communication and collaboration with multiple groups, including demonstrated ability to work as a member of a team and build positive relationships.

• Proven ability to interact professionally with diverse populations.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite, Google Workspace applications, Adobe Acrobat, and Zoom.

• Experience with scheduling and the use of a calendar program.

Desired Qualifications

• Five or more years of administrative support experience in an academic setting, with specific expertise in faculty review, tenure, promotion, and recruitment processes.

• Demonstrated experience providing high-level administrative support to upper-level managers or leadership in an academic environment.
• In-depth knowledge of U-M and LSA policies and procedures, particularly those related to faculty hiring, leaves, tenure, and promotion.
• Demonstrated ability to handle materials of a confidential nature.
• Ability to critically evaluate and optimize process workflows while identifying and addressing potential interdepartmental impacts.

• Proficiency in specialized software, including Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), U-M Dropbox, Emburse Enterprise, Qualtrics, LSA's Management Reporting System, the Faculty Life Cycle Portal, and U-M's MCommunity.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

This is a full-time, year-round position with a hybrid work model during the academic year. The role requires four days on-campus and one optional remote workday per week. 

This is a nonexempt position with a Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm work schedule. 

The salary range for this position is $61,800 to $77,250, please note a higher salary may be offered based on equity and the selected candidate's experience.

As one of the world's great liberal arts and sciences colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision. 

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.