Executive Staff Assistant

Job Description:

Working/Functional Title

Executive Staff Assistant

Position Summary

The College of Law Executive Staff Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational, and project support to the Dean and Chief of Staff. The position manages complex executive calendars, confidential communications, institutional reporting processes, and strategic initiatives on behalf of the Dean's Office. The Executive Staff Assistant serves as a key coordinator between senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, university administrators, and external constituents, ensuring the efficient operation of the Dean's Office and the timely execution of institutional priorities.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Executive Leadership Support and Calendar Management

• Manage and coordinate the calendars, meeting requests, travel arrangements, reimbursements, and priority commitments of the Dean and Chief of Staff.
• Balance competing priorities and independently resolve scheduling conflicts.
• Maintain a shared system for tracking executive priorities, action items, communications, deadlines, and follow-up assignments.
• Sort, review, prioritize, and route incoming correspondence and communications.
• Gather, screen, and relay information to the Dean or Chief of Staff as appropriate.
• Assist in preparing reports, surveys, briefing materials, presentations, and executive correspondence.
• Keep the Dean and Chief of Staff apprised of important events, issues, deadlines, and emerging matters.
• Represent the Dean's Office in interactions with university administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and external constituents.

Strategic Projects, Reporting, and Administrative Operations

• Support the Dean and Chief of Staff in coordinating strategic initiatives, operational projects, and institutional priorities.
• Maintain project plans, dashboards, timelines, status reports, and tracking tools.
• Track requests, assignments, and deadlines arising from Executive Leadership Team and other leadership meetings.
• Coordinate collection of information from administrative and academic units.
• Monitor compliance with reporting deadlines and facilitate required submissions.
• Assist Chief of Staff with ABA, AALS, U.S. News, governance, and other institutional reporting processes.
• Prepare issue summaries, briefing materials, decision-support documents, and executive reports.
• Maintain organized records and version control for reports, submissions, and executive projects.

Communications and Constituent Relations

• Serve as liaison to executive assistants and administrative staff across Michigan State University.
• Coordinate communications with the President's Office, Provost's Office, vice presidents, deans, and major administrative units.
• Coordinate communications with Advancement and Alumni Relations.
• Serve as liaison to external organizations including AALS, ABA, Big Ten Law Schools, and the State Bar of Michigan.
• Serve as a point of contact for faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, trustees, and visitors.
• Draft routine correspondence and acknowledgements on behalf of the Dean.
• Coordinate and track responses to inquiries and ensure timely follow-up.
• Maintain confidentiality, professionalism, civility, and discretion in all communications.

Confidential Processes , Governance, and Meeting Support

• Establish and maintain confidential physical and electronic files.
• Support the Dean’s role in faculty appointments, promotions, retention, annual reviews, and tenure-related processes.
• Maintain faculty and governance records and ensure compliance with established deadlines.
• Assist with responses to confidential and time-sensitive matters, including FOIA requests, legal matters, and OIE issues.
• Schedule and support faculty meetings, leadership meetings, Faculty Advisory Council meetings, and other committees.
• Prepare, assemble, and distribute meeting materials.
• Maintain meeting records, follow-up items, and action trackers.
• Provide meeting summaries and follow-up memoranda as requested.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Hire and co-supervise student workers in the Dean ’s Suite.

This position requires occasional availability outside of standard business hours to support critical operations, respond to urgent matters, or participate in time-sensitive meetings or events.

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge normally acquired through a high school education with course work in word processing, typing, shorthand, and grammar; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive University work experience in maintaining account ledgers, word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software; editing, composing correspondence, taking dictation; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Juris Doctor degree

• Experience in a university executive office or a private or public law firm working to support a managing partner or the leadership team

• Ability to work with diverse constituencies

• Excellent management of confidential office protocols and complex calendars

• Excellent communication skills

• Excellent organizational skills

• Experience working with computer applications including legal databases

• Experience with project management software

• Extensive knowledge of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Cisco Webex

• Expert knowledge of the Microsoft Suite including Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint and well as familiarity with complex internet systems
• Knowledge of the legal profession

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

Resume, cover letter, and three professional references.

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

www.law.msu.edu

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Bidding eligibility ends July 14, 2026 at 11:55 P.M.