Higher Education Project Assistant - Job Description

SUMMARY: The Higher Education Project Assistant will provide administrative support and help coordinate the survey research and institutional policy (SR&IP) team’s portfolio of initiatives, including institutional policy projects and research activities, institutional data related projects, polling projects, and other ad hoc projects of importance to research-intensive universities.

The Higher Education Project Assistant provides direct administrative support to the Deputy Vice President for Institutional Policy. The Assistant will also be responsible for meetings, workshops, and conference logistics (virtual, in-person and hybrid formats), including coordinating schedules, drafting, and sending communications, organizing travel, managing databases, and processing financial invoices.   

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.  Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.

On behalf of the Deputy Vice President for Institutional Policy:

• Schedule in-person and virtual meetings, workshops, telephone calls, and conference calls, ensuring meeting space is reserved, videoconference lines are set-up, and meeting minutes are taken.
• Anticipates schedule conflicts, preparation and travel time, and other events which might impact and influence schedule.
• Track and monitor project timelines and deliverables.
• Work on initiative program content, confirmation of speakers, preparation, and dissemination of pre-meeting materials. Coordinate logistics for initiative related conferences, workshops, and meetings (online registration, venue, room set-up, meals, registration packets, nametags). Provide on-site support for staff and meeting participants. Assists on-site with logistics as necessary.
• Provide administrative and logistical support for commitments to steering committees, advisory groups, boards, and other external groups.
• Administer travel and prepare itineraries, credit card reconciliations, and reimbursement forms.

On behalf of the SR&IP portfolio of initiatives and research projects:

• Coordinate logistics, develops agendas, participates in meetings and takes notes, and ensures follow-up is completed as needed. Organizes issue portfolio content on SharePoint sites and uses AAU’s online reservation system to schedule meetings in AAU’s conference room(s).
• Provide scheduling, logistical, and travel coordination in support of convenings and recurring meetings for SR&IP initiatives, including arranging travel for external AAU research team members and consultants.
• Prepare check requests for consultant invoices, advisory board reimbursements, and grant-funded activity, in accordance with AAU policies and procedures and grant requirements.
• Draft, prepare, and distribute correspondence, documents, and social media material, including creating initial drafts, proofing, editing, formatting, and working with mass emailing software (Exact Target).
• Post content to the AAU website and any departmental online community, including posting new documents and deleting obsolete information in a timely manner using AAU’s content management system (Drupal) and the online community (Senjii).
• Maintain, update, and track records in AAU’s database (Association Management System), retrieves and relays information from database.
• Cooperate and coordinate with other administrative assistants and fills in as necessary.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

CONSTITUTENT GROUP MANAGEMENT

ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS (AGS)

• Provide administrative support for the Deputy Vice President for Institutional Policy, and Higher Education Project Manager, and the AGS Executive Committee on program content and confirmation of speakers, in addition to providing on-site coordination and support.
• Coordinate with the Director of Meetings for logistics of the annual AGS conference (online registration, venue, room set-up, meals, registration packets, nametags).
• Assist AAU Associate of Graduate Schools (AGS) Executive Committee, scheduling conference calls and in-person meetings, maintains current membership list, facilitates communication with AGS members and AGS Executive Committee.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Superior organization and prioritization skills to manage multiple projects.
• Ability to create and process a high volume of accurate, detailed, and quality work product.
• Flexibility and ability to prioritize competing demands, adjust to change, and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment; work both alone and as a member of a team; and follow through in a timely manner, completing tasks without prompting.
• Ability to independently apply mature judgment and initiative to determine approach and actions; must be resourceful and possess strong and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Willingness to take ownership for wide-ranging responsibilities; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Must maintain a strict code of ethics in working with highly confidential data.
• Must promote and foster productive multidirectional communications with staff as well as AAU member university officials and external parties.
• Responds to member’s requests as appropriate in a professional, personable, and timely manner.
• Intermediate writing and editing skills; varies writing style and voice as needed.
• Works with integrity and ethically; must follow AAU's policies and procedures; is consistently at work and on time; ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent.
• Creates and supports an environment which fosters teamwork, cooperation, respect, and diversity.
• Must be fully vaccinated and up to date on vaccinations; remain vaccinated against COVID-19.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING/EXPERIENCE

• College degree; 1-3 years of administrative support. Experience in non-profit, higher education, and/or in grant logistical support preferred.
• Experience with meeting/event planning and creating social media content preferred.
• Must have fundamentals and display an advanced level of skill in the Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel and MS Word as well as Adobe.
• Experience working with Office 365/SharePoint or comparable cloud-based system (e.g., G-Suite), association management systems, mass email systems, and website content management systems is required.

TRAVEL. Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some evening, out-of-the-area, and overnight travel may be expected. Since this position will be providing administrative support for various meetings, travel will be expected.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY. This position has no supervisory responsibilities. However, the Higher Education Project Assistant is expected to coordinate efforts with key personnel in the department and the Association to achieve the position’s purpose.

WORK ENVIRONMENT. This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate and exchange information.

This is largely a stationary position; however, the employee is required to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. and operate a computer and other office productivity machinery and equipment, such as a copy machine, a computer printer, filing cabinets, etc. Some filing is required; this requires the ability to move files up to 20lbs across the office for various needs.

POSITION TYPE. This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

OTHER DUTIES. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not to be construed in a manner which implies an employee’s right to employee.  This job description is not a contract of employment, expressed or implied, nor is it an offer to enter into such a contract or guarantee of employment for any duration.

AAU is committed to a work environment that is inclusive to all and free of discrimination. It is our policy to be an equal opportunity employer without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, citizenship status or any other factors prohibited by federal, state, and local law. AAU will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with a disability.

MUST BE CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED TO WORK FOR ANY EMPLOYER IN THE UNITED STATES AND MUST BE ABLE TO WORK IN DC.