Administrative Assistant III

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

For over 55 years, the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) has advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Washington, a campus that sits on tribal land. Through our programs and partnerships, we create pathways for diverse populations to access postsecondary opportunities, nurture and support their academic success, and cultivate a campus climate that enriches the educational experience for all. This legacy of work continues to drive excellence at the UW and together, we help the university work toward its vision for becoming a more just and equitable campus community.

More information about the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity is available at https://www.washington.edu/omad/.

Within OMA&D is the College Access unit that implements programs focused on expanding access for underserved communities by partnering with K-12 school districts, two-year colleges, and community coalitions. The Washington Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program is housed within the College Access unit.

WA MESA has an excellent opportunity for an Administrative Assistant III/Board Liaison.

Launched more than 40-years ago, Washington MESA is one of the 11 "MESA States" in the national MESA USA network . Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) is nationally recognized for its innovative and effective academic development program. MESA engages thousands of educationally disadvantaged students, so they excel in math and science and graduate with STEM degrees. MESA partners with all segments of higher education as well as 6-12 institutions.

As a statewide organization, WA MESA is committed to building pathways to careers in science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) for traditionally underrepresented minority (URM) students, including women, Native Americans/Alaska Natives, African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders. WA MESA supports six (6) regional MESA 6 -12 Centers geographically placed throughout the state of Washington to coordinate and deliver STEM-focused programs and services to middle and high school students. In partnership with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), MESA Transfer Preparation Programs are housed within twelve (12) of the 34 community colleges in Washington. Through high-impact services and programming, Transfer Preparation Centers seek to accelerate the number of historically underrepresented community college students on their STEM career pathway. More information about WA MESA is available at https://depts.washington.edu/wamesa/.

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant III to provide executive secretarial and administrative support to the Executive Director, including managing the Executive Director's schedule and workflow, reviewing and prioritizing email, mail, and other forms of communication, planning, organizing, and preparing agendas, minutes, and reports. The Administrative Assistant III is essential to ensuring that the WA MESA's office is responsive to internal and external stakeholders' needs. We are looking for a talented individual who works well under pressure and have a demonstrated exceptional ability to collaborate and communicate effectively.

WA MESA oversees "decentralized" centers with offices located at other higher education institutions connected by subcontracts. WA MESA maintains an active and engaged advisory board. The Executive Assistant III position will serve the Washington MESA Advisory Board liaison and as the point of contact on behalf of the Executive Director.

The Executive Assistant III position is equally important to UW, OMA&D, legislators, funders, and WA MESA advisory board members. Key activities include event management, board liaison duties, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the Executive Director.

Duties & Responsibilities

Executive support

• 40%

• Act as confidential liaison between the Executive Director and the full range of internal and external individuals and offices with whom the ED relates: staff, advisory board members, 6 -12 College prep or Transfer Prep directors, staff, teachers, industry partners, community groups, etc. Exercise a high degree of professional judgment in communicating with all parties.

• Manage the Executive Director's email, reviewing all email and routing and/or delegating as appropriate, ensuring ED is aware of all matters requiring his attention. Independently draft and send email messages from the ED, using his voice and style.

• Maintains the Executive Director's calendar, arranges, and schedules all meetings both off and on campus

• Arranges travel to and from meetings with center directors, utilizing UCAR or travel agency

• Coordinates Executive Director visits, high-level receptions, and other special events; manage special events budgets and vendor contracts; coordinate schedules and assist with presentation details; ensure Executive Director is supported, and handle any problems that arise.

• Leads/provides support for WA MESA Days as well as other 6 -12 College prep or Transfer Prep events scheduled throughout the year. Responsibilities include managing travel. event budget, agenda participants, organizing volunteers, coordinating with leadership to establish an event theme, outreach and marketing, and day-of-event troubleshooting.

• Maintains WA MESA centers, responsible administrators, fiscal support, and WA MESA Advisory Board member listservs and written directories and acts as the primary contact for written correspondences. Drafts press releases and public service announcements.

• Serve as liaison between the Executive Director and other universities' responsible administrators, UW faculty and staff, and WA MESA staff.

• Communicate on behalf of the Executive Director with MESA USA and other MESA state organizations and national organizations.

• Prepare and review power point presentations, documents, records, or reports for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with rules.

• Type, proofread and edit the content of web site, documents, and presentation materials.

• Follow and/or update WA MESA branding guidelines on all correspondence and documents.

• Compose, sign, and release correspondence on behalf of the Executive Director.

Board liaison

• 25%

Prepare quarterly WA MESA advisory board financial report power point presentations.

Serves as the primary contact between advisory board members and the board committees.

Coordinates quarterly meetings, arranges venues and refreshments, assists Executive Director, chair and vice-chair with developing an agenda, compiles board reports, maintains accurate minutes including Robert's Rules of Order, summarizes, edits, and distributes advisory board minutes within seven days after the meeting

Updates WA MESA Advisory board by-laws and/or board orientation documents.

Maintains a working knowledge of the advisory board bylaws

Fiscal Support and Office Management

• 25%

• Secure a UW procard and make business purchases on behalf of WA MESA staff and/or advisory board related materials or supplies.

• Assist with WA MESA Sharepoint sites, including routing, invoicing, and payment.

• Prepare and update WA MESA scholarship application.

• Assist scholarship committee with the recipient selection process.

• Communicate with scholarship recipients for information to pay institutions directly.

• Schedule new staff orientation, distribute technology equipment, and ensure equipment is inventoried upon staff exit

Occasional activities may require working outside of normal business hours (e.g., WA MESA Advisory Board Meetings, evening events, special dinners, dignitary visits, etc.); may be on call while the Executive Director is traveling. The position requires a flexible work schedule to accommodate working outside of business hours. There is occasional travel in-state and out of state.

Other Duties as assigned

• 10%

Requirements:

Requires High School/GED AND four years of office or administrative support experience OR equivalent education/experience.

Desired:

Three years' experience as an assistant to a senior administrator in a university, business, or agency setting.

Exceptional administrative, project management, and organizational skills.

Highly accurate and organized with high attention to detail.

Interpersonal skills with a professional yet accessible demeanor to represent the Executive Director independently in person, on the phone, or in written communications.

Proven ability to handle sensitive situations and highly confidential information with tact, discretion, and diplomacy;

Ability to work as a team and interact well with persons of diverse backgrounds at all levels of the university and the community.

Demonstrated skills in writing, proofreading, and communications; ability to interpret and communicate complex policies to others.

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, manage priorities, work efficiently, handle multiple projects with tight deadlines, problem solve, and exercise good judgment in a dynamic environment.

Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), Sharepoint, SLACK, Zoom, UW Financial and Workday systems, Qualtrics, and other databases.