University of Utah is hiring: Executive Assistant in Salt Lake City

Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) 11/30/2025

Job Summary

The Administrative Assistant provides executive-level support to the Dean of the College of Education. The successful candidate will be able to exercise sound judgment in various situations, demonstrate strong written and verbal communication, administrative, time-management, and organizational skills, and display high social and emotional intelligence. This position requires the ability to prioritize and manage multiple priorities and projects with attention to detail. We seek a detail-oriented self-starter with a strong work ethic and customer service mindset. The ideal candidate will have superior scheduling and organizational skills, be capable of working independently on projects from conception to completion, and thrive in a fast-paced environment where they must meet deadlines and produce high-quality work under pressure. Confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism are essential in all aspects of this role.

Responsibilities

• Provides high-level executive support to the Dean and Associate Deans, exercising sound judgment and managing sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Oversees and leads complex projects and initiatives on behalf of college leadership, ensuring timely coordination, follow-up, and completion across multiple stakeholders.
• Manages and prioritizes complex calendars, schedules, and meeting logistics for the Dean and Associate Deans, including coordination across time zones and with internal and external partners.
• Anticipates leadership needs and proactively prepares materials, agendas, and briefings for meetings, retreats, and external engagements.
• Coordinates and supports faculty searches, executive appointments, and other high-impact administrative processes, including document tracking, travel logistics, and reimbursement processing.
• Drafts, edits, and manages communications, reports, presentations, and correspondence on behalf of the Dean and Associate Deans for both internal and external audiences.
• Coordinates travel arrangements, prepares detailed itineraries, and ensures smooth logistics for off-site meetings and events.
• Serves as a key liaison between the Dean’s Office and college departments, university offices, external partners, donors, and advisory boards, ensuring smooth communication and alignment.
• Supports the planning and execution of events hosted by the Dean’s Office, including logistics, hospitality, vendor coordination, and communication.
• Maintains efficient workflows for information management and task prioritization in the Dean’s Office, including file organization, tracking action items, and supporting office operations.
• Supervises and supports other administrative staff as needed, helping manage workflow and providing coaching and feedback to ensure operational excellence.
• Assists with the development and implementation of college-level policies and procedures, contributing to continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Conducts research and analysis and prepares summaries and reports to inform leadership decision-making.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of the Dean’s Office and the mission of the College of Education.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Incumbents use independent judgment in resolving various problems that involve faculty, staff, students and the general public. Must use judgement and discretion when advising others of the executive’s view on policies and other issues. Incumbents in this position may be required to represent the executive at meetings and interact with individuals at the highest levels in public and private organizations on a local and national basis.

This job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work Environment and Level of Frequency typically required: Nearly Continuous — Office environment.

Physical Requirements and Level of Frequency that may be required: Nearly Continuous — Sitting, hearing, listening, talking. Often: Repetitive hand motion (such as typing), walking.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree (or equivalency) in Business, Finance, Health Care Administration or a related field. Two years office management and supervisory experience, demonstrated knowledge of finance and budgeting, and public relations skills required. Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills are also required.

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience. (Example: bachelor’s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience). Applicants must demonstrate the potential ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Preferences

The following qualifications are preferred, but not required:

• Experience in roles demonstrating high-level administrative support, initiative, and independent decision-making.
• Prior experience in a higher education setting.
• Event planning and coordination experience.
• Familiarity with University of Utah policies, procedures, and systems (e.g., Concur, ePR, UBox).
• Experience managing small to mid-level projects involving multiple stakeholders.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Do you have a bachelor\u2019s degree or equivalency (1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience)?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Indicate the number of years of office management and/or supervisory experience that you have:
  • Less than 1 year
  • 1 year or more, but less than 2 years
  • 2 year or more, but less than 4 years
  • 4 years or more, but less than 6 years
  • 6 years or more
• * Do you have previous work experience in a college/university environment?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References

Optional Documents

• Historical Only – Do Not Use – See Document Description for More Information – Addendum to the University of Utah – Veteran Only
• Historical Only – Do Not Use – See Description for More Information – Appropriate discharge document (such as DD-2214) – Veteran Only

University Human Resource Management
250 East 200 South, Suite 125 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Contact us: (801) 581-2169 By Email: employment@utah.edu