The posting
Position: Executive Assistant to the Dean of Curriculum and Dean of Student Life
Status: Regular, Full-time, 12-month, Exempt
Department: Academic Affairs, with shared service to Student Life
Reports to: Dean of Curriculum (direct); dotted line to the Dean of Student Life
Salary: $63,500.00-$66,500.00/year
Description:
Paul Smith’s College seeks an organized, adaptable Executive Assistant to support two members of the President’s cabinet: the Dean of Curriculum and the Dean of Student Life. Working across Academic Affairs and Student Life, the Executive Assistant supports the effective operation of both offices, keeping longer-term work on track while responding quickly to more immediate needs.
The position combines long-term project support with the flexibility to pivot when needs arise. The Executive Assistant moves multi-semester projects forward, including documentation, reporting, data, and recurring cycles, and responds quickly to urgent matters such as student and family concerns, time-sensitive meetings, and crisis follow-up. The Executive Assistant also coordinates with the Executive Assistant to the President on cabinet-level matters.
The Dean of Curriculum serves as the primary supervisor, with responsibility for overall workload coordination. The Dean of Student Life directs work performed on behalf of Student Life. The deans collaborate to establish priorities and address competing demands, recognizing that the position will primarily support Academic Affairs while also providing regular, substantive support to Student Life. The deans communicate regularly regarding workload and priorities, and the Dean of Student Life provides input into the Executive Assistant’s performance evaluation.
Duties & Responsibilities:
The Executive Assistant performs all of the following for both deans.
Project and long-term support
- Manage timelines, task lists, and status tracking for multi-semester projects and initiatives; flag upcoming deadlines.
- Prepare, format, and proofread reports, submissions, memos, presentations, and policy documents, including required internal and external reporting.
- Maintain databases, trackers, and records for both offices.
- Coordinate the collection of information from relevant offices and departments; compile, analyze, and summarize data to support regular reporting, planning, and decision-making.
- Maintain SharePoint pages, Teams sites, and shared files so materials stay current and accessible.
- Track recurring cycles and committee work, and keep related documentation organized.
Responsive and agile support
- Reprioritize work quickly when urgent needs arise, and communicate shifts to both deans.
- Schedule and coordinate time-sensitive meetings with students, families, staff, and external partners.
- Serve as a first point of contact for both offices: triage calls and email, and route inquiries to the right office.
- Draft and send communications to students, families, and campus partners on the deans’ behalf.
- Provide administrative and logistical support for urgent and/or sensitive matters, including coordinating meetings and tracking follow-up actions as directed.
- Support events, programs, and initiatives with planning and logistics.
Office administration
- Manage complex calendars and coordinate meetings.
- Prepare agendas, materials, and minutes for meetings, committees, and retreats; track action items to completion.
- Process purchase requests, invoices, travel, and reimbursements; help monitor departmental budgets.
- In accordance with College policy, use approved AI tools to create documents and processes.
- Maintain confidential student and personnel records in compliance with FERPA and College policy.
- Coordinate with the Executive Assistant to the President on cabinet scheduling and materials.
- Coordinate with other administrative staff so coverage is clear and work is not duplicated.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Dean of Curriculum.
Qualifications:
- Associate’s degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- At least 3 years of administrative or executive support experience.
- Advanced skill with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Occasional evening or weekend work may be required for events (such as open houses) or urgent student matters.
- Ability to work with a broad range of diverse individuals and groups to form a safe and inclusive campus community.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines at once, and the flexibility to shift between planned project work and urgent requests without losing track of either.
- Sound judgment and discretion with confidential student and personnel information.
- Strong organization, follow-through, and attention to detail, especially with deadlines and document versions.
- A calm, professional, student-centered manner, including in stressful situations.
- Ability to work independently and anticipate needs before they become urgent.
- Ability to build working relationships with faculty, staff, students, families, and external partners.
Preferred:
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Experience in higher education, especially in academic affairs or student affairs.
- Familiarity with accreditation, state reporting, or other compliance documentation.
- Familiarity with FERPA and student information systems.
- Adept at leveraging AI to increase efficiency.
- Experience with basic data analysis and project management or request tracking tools.
Paul Smith’s College is an equal opportunity employer. Position descriptions are created that focus on essential functions, using inclusive language, and avoid unnecessary or discriminatory requirements.
Submission deadline of December 10th, 2026
