Simmons College

ABOUT SIMMONS

Located in Boston’s historic Fenway area, Simmons University has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons was founded for equality 125 years ago as one of the first higher education institutions dedicated to helping women become leaders. Today, our university continues to grow and evolve and now offers Boston’s only women’s undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all. 

You’re joining our community at an especially exciting time as we continue to innovate for the future. Simmons recently launched a six-school academic structure that leverages our expert faculty and longstanding expertise in professions that make our communities stronger. In addition, we continue to highlight our high-value education proposition that is delivering greater ROI to students and putting them on the fast track to career growth and success. You’ll find that people who work here truly believe in our mission of preparing students to become social justice-oriented leaders who excel in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace.

As a university that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.

JOB SUMMARY

The Administrative Assistant to the Dean will provide organizational and administrative support of a confidential nature to the Office of the Dean. Reporting to the Dean of the School of Nursing (SON), the Administrative Assistant will act as liaison with internal colleagues and external partners while promoting a culture of inclusion and responsiveness through customer-centric support. This position requires keen interpersonal skills, exceptional judgment to facilitate collaboration and communication among diverse groups, and the ability to proactively solve problems and/or independently handle issues. The Administrative Assistant is an integral part of a fast-paced and collaborative team of operations-related staff within the Dean’s Office and across SON. 

This highly visible role is critical to the function and success of the Dean’s Office. The Administrative Assistant serves as the first point of contact for inquiries related to the Dean and supports academic and individual calendar coordination, event and meeting preparation, data maintenance, and routine day-to-day operations. The ideal candidate will: maintain a strong customer focus; foster mutual respect; practice and promote teamwork; perform independently; maintain confidentiality; adhere to high standards of personal conduct; and maintain and enhance professional/job competency.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Calendar & Meeting Coordination 

• Coordinate individual calendars for the Dean, as well as scheduling SON faculty and committee meetings, using sound judgment to prioritize and commit time for meetings, appointments, and travel based on an in-depth understanding of the various priorities and needs for each group; and
• Arrange meeting and event logistics, including reservations, catering, agendas, note-taking and other related duties.

Administrative Operations & Projects 

• Support the Dean’s finance-related needs, including but not limited to purchasing supplies and travel expenses; processing of expense reports and credit card statements; verifying receipts; record and database maintenance requests; and complying with University budget policies;
• Assisting with onboarding logistics and scheduling for new SON faculty and staff upon hire;
• Support the promotion and tenure processes for SON faculty on behalf of the Dean's Office in alignment with University policies and procedures;
• Support the annual faculty review processes including tracking of deadlines, forms, signatures, and filing; and
• Maintain and organize confidential personnel files, documents, and communications in accordance with University policies and procedures.

Communications 

• Serve as the primary point of contact and coordinate communications to/for the Dean for internal and external constituencies, including phone, email, and in-person inquiries;

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Helping to hire and manage student workers, as needed;
• May assist with drafting and/or proofreading emails, letters, reports, or other documents and correspondence as needed;
• Cross-train and provide coverage for other Operations staff within SON and the School of Sciences and Health Professions;
• Assist with training of SON Operations staff, as needed; and
• Additional duties and special projects as assigned by the Dean and/or Operations Director.
• Support the SON’s Social Media efforts in coordination with the University’s Marketing/Communication team and in alignment with policies/procedures; and
• Maintain accurate School-wide contact lists/listservs, as well as School-wide documents, files, and shared Drives in collaboration with Operations staff.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience;
• One to three years of professional experience;
• Advanced proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
• Advanced proficiency with Google suite, including Google Calendar and Drive; 
• Proficiency with Zoom and/or video-conferencing software

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Administrative or executive assistant experience strongly preferred;
• Prior experience in higher education administration is a plus;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including editing and proofreading;
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills;
• Ability to take initiative and ownership of projects;
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive issues and maintain confidentiality;
• Proven ability to perform duties with a high level of punctuality, professionalism, flexibility; discretion, judgment, diplomacy, tact, and adaptability;
• Proficiency with Adobe Suites;
• Experience with social media in a professional setting is a plus; and
• Experience with purchasing and booking travel is a plus.

COMPETENCIES

• Communication - Able to respond and exchange ideas clearly and effectively through writing, speaking, and presentations; shares appropriate information to keep people informed; is seen as approachable.
• Teamwork - Values the opinions of others; assists others when needed; participates effectively as a member of a team; balances personal contributions and needs with those of other members of the team to achieve common objectives.
• Collaboration - Demonstrated ability to work with students, staff, and faculty across a broad range of social and personal identities and perspectives.
• Problem Solving - Analyzes problems to identify probable cause; thinks of new possibilities; identifies critical issues and develops options for addressing them; able to incorporate other viewpoints as part of the process of developing solutions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Full time position, 40 hours/week, with option to have a hybrid work schedule both on our Boston campus and remote
• Potential evening and/or weekend time may be needed several times a year to support special events
• 12-month year-round staff position
• Work will take place in an office environment
• Essential physical requirements include typing
• Physical effort/lifting not required

Required Application Materials:

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter
• References upon request

Salary Grade

H05

Instructions to Applicants: Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual’s community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.