A cover letter and resume are required for consideration for this position; the cover letter should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Please visit http://www.lsa.umich.edu/daas for more information about the Department.

The Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) is seeking an enthusiastic, personable, task-oriented Executive Secretary to join our administrative team. We seek a dynamic individual with excellent computer applications ability/knowledge and a desire to grow.  Applicants with adaptability, creativity, critical thinking skills, and experience with process improvement are strongly encouraged to apply; the position provides direct support to the Chair and emerging Committee needs of DAAS. 

In regard to meeting coordination, this position has a high degree of contact with faculty and students, providing faculty career, faculty instructional, and student related support.

As an Executive Assistant with DAAS, you will use a variety of project management and communication skills. You will work as a liaison between faculty and administration while maintaining workflow processes and managing activities. You will deliver exceptional customer service to faculty, collegiate fellows, staff, students, alumni, and visitors. The position often can be the first point of contact with the department for prospective and current faculty, collegiate scholars, students, as well as parents, staff from across campus, and beyond. This position reports directly to the Chief Administrator and receives additional guidance in specific areas from the department Chair.

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

This position is in-person with hybrid being available subsequent to the completion of training and the attainment of satisfactory proficiency.

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.

What will you be responsible for? Job duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Providing high level administrative support for the Chair
• Collaborating with the Chair and LSA Dean's Office to coordinate workflow for Lecturer and Tenure/Tenure-track faculty to include: Major reviews; Third year reviews; Promotions; Tenure
  material assembly, ensuring deadlines are met
• Becoming an expert in faculty lifecycle workflow processes to include recruitment, review, leaves, award nominations, and retirement
• Supporting our faculty and student needs to ensure projects deliver solutions they value
• Creative thinking, while embracing challenges and delivering results
• Communicate effectively to a wide range of constituents
• Ability to organize and execute a project
• Acting as liaison to donors. Navigating internal and external partner groups
• As a participant in the Leadership team, ensure continual innovation/process improvement and cross-team collaboration for the participants/members involved
• Coordinate and maintain relevant electronic files and information. Manage/oversee relevant collective email groups
• As needed, coordinate faculty visits, job talks, and manuscript workshops
• Provide support for department events such as orientation, graduation, etc.
• Coordinate annual faculty and staff retreat
• As directed, work on ad hoc committee at department and possibly college council level

• A high school diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience with five or more years of progressively responsible administrative support is required. The successful candidate must possess the following skills and experience:
• An enthusiastic, detail-oriented and positive persona is critically important to this position. Superb planning skills and efficiency, applicant must have the ability to produce accurate work
• Excellent time management with exceptional follow-through. Ability to be flexible in dealing with a changing environment and be willing to learn new skills and take on new projects.
• An extremely high level of organizational skills, the ability to work independently as well as part of a collaborative team while promoting a culture of respect and cooperation
• Exhibit excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills. Be a fluid writer with an ability to draft documentation, finalize correspondence, business letters, summaries, and reports; edit and proofread final products
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and successfully meet deadlines
• Reasonable knowledge of university policies, rules and administrative procedures relating to the work. Ability to follow department and college established procedures/processes
• Demonstrated high quality customer service skills. Highly effective rapport building, adaptability, task accomplishment, and flexibility are must have skills
• Ability to relate to a wide array of faculty, staff, and students. Must support and respect a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. Proven ability to work successfully in a team environment, as well as work independently, sometimes with minimal supervision
• Excellent computer skills. Computer competency for formatted documents, spreadsheets, databases, and data retrieval

• A Bachelor's degree in Afroamerican Studies, American Culture or a related humanities or social science discipline
• Experience providing administrative support for faculty review, tenure, and promotion cases as well as faculty recruitment
• Experience providing administrative support to an upper level manager/executive in an academic environment and/or higher education
• Ability to evaluate the effectiveness of process workflow and implement changes
• Knowledge of U-M and LSA policies and procedures.
• Expertise in Microsoft software applications, web authoring, Google suite, Qualtrics, Photoshop, InDesign is highly desirable.

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.

The salary range for this position is $58,000 to $72,000.  We encourage all interested parties to apply.

As one of the world's great liberal arts 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 anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.