• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35

Position Summary

The Executive Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external contacts with the Deputy Director of CWP. The Executive Assistant must be creative and enjoy working within a dynamic entrepreneurial environment that is mission driven, results driven, and community oriented. The Executive Assistant will act as liaison with the University community, interfacing with senior and professional staff and a wide array of University offices including senior administration and faculty. The ideal candidate possesses and applies significant experience and knowledge to the completion of assignments to successfully meet complex responsibilities with a strong sense of discretion, initiative and sound decision-making skills. They must exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. They must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.

Responsibilities

Acting as an individual contributor, the Executive Assistant will:

1. Manage successfully all critical aspects and deliverables for the Deputy Director's office with a hands-on approach, including but not limited to complex calendar management, extensive travel management, and meeting and conference management using sound judgment in determining priorities.
2. Plan, coordinate and ensure the Deputy Director of CWP's schedule is followed and maintained.
3. Work closely and effectively with the Deputy Director of CWP to keep them well informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, following up and updating appropriately.
4. Work independently on multiple projects with competing priorities as well as perform daily tasks with confidentiality and utmost discretion. Ensures project completion in a timely and accurate manner and with utmost discretion. Prioritize conflicting needs; handle matters expeditiously, proactively, and follow-through on projects to successful completion, often with deadline pressures.
5. Draft and initiate correspondence, manage various aspects of CWP expenses related to the development of fora. Resolve problems independently, relieving the Deputy Director of CWP of matters of detail.
6. Plan, implement, and coordinate meetings and events, working closely with the Columbia community and external partners. Gather resource information for meetings and prepares briefs, agendas, meeting materials, minutes and related correspondence.
7. Interface with senior administrators of the University and members of the CWP community on a consistent basis. Build productive relationships with key stakeholders and represent CWP by working directly with the offices of high-level constituents.
8. Oversee extensive travel itineraries for the Deputy Director of CWP.  Work collaboratively to manage travel agendas, briefings and itineraries for global travel.
9. Additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and/or its equivalent required.  Minimum three years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

A minimum of two years of support experience as an assistant at the executive level preferred.  An advanced degree is desirable.

Other Requirements

Superior verbal and written communication skills required. Strong computer skills required including proficient knowledge of MS Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Must be able to work with a sense of urgency and have a drive for results. Knowledge of modern office practices and strong organizational skills required. Must have the ability to retrieve and compile information from multiple sources to complete assignments. Confidentiality and discretion are required. Tact and good judgment in confidential situations and proven experience interacting with senior management required.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.