Executive Assistant for Finance and Administration

Aurora University (AU) is committed to the transformative power of learning by creating a student-centered environment and an equity of experience and opportunity, to ensure that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel welcome and included. Our culture of collaboration, generosity, and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty, and staff.

AU is grounded in the transformative opportunity it provides to a diverse student body. As a private university with a public mission and a commitment to making a difference in peoples’ lives, AU has a long history of resilience and of providing access to an education that values innovation, focuses on continuous improvement, and has a positive impact on the communities we serve. We are proud of our service to and economic impact on the state of Illinois, where over 80% of our students stay to live and work, where 90% of our students come from, and where we foster strong community partnerships to develop the workforce in areas such as nursing, education, business, technology, and social work.

We are looking for passionate and purposeful individuals who represent the full diversity of Aurora and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ability, identity, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at AU, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative, and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice requiring broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and community partners.

At AU we believe that continuous learning is a fundamental part of working life, and our goal is for all colleagues on our campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support our community by providing all employees with opportunities to engage in professional development activities, as well as a range of tuition and employee benefits that can be found here.

Position Purpose:

The Executive Assistant for Finance and Administration supports learning by providing executive level and confidential administrative support to the Senior Vice President for Business and Finance (SVPB&F) and the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (EVP/COO).

Core Competencies:

  1. Represents Aurora University in the most positive manner with prospective, former and current students, clients, suppliers, and the community we serve. Interacts effectively with a diverse group of faculty, staff, students and other customers of our service, learns and uses operating practices of the department and Aurora University.
  2. Upholds the Mission Statement: Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and examined lives. We empower our students to achieve lasting personal and professional success.
  3. Handles all information with tact and discretion and recognizes the confidential nature of university business.
  4. Supports learning through performance of essential job functions and performing other duties and functions as necessary or as assigned.

Essential Job Functions:

  1. Provide direct confidential and administrative support to the SVPB&F and EVP/COO and their teams including, but not limited to scheduling meetings and managing appointments, writing and sending correspondence on behalf of the SVPB&F and EVP/COO, recording meeting minutes for Board of Trustee committee and other meetings, and assisting with preparation of materials for Board of Trustees, President, and other constituencies.
  2. Manage the university credit card program.
  3. Assist with risk management responsibilities including, but not limited to processing clinical and other experiential learning site affiliation agreements, processing driver motor vehicle histories, processing waivers for various campus student events, and managing certificates of insurance.
  4. Coordinate and schedule meetings that involve multiple participants including securing a location, requesting and managing technology needs to accommodate both remote and in person attendees, organizing the schedule for the day, managing any catering needs, accommodating last minute requests, and communicating with invitees.
  5. Assist with the procurement and payment of departmental invoices via preparation of requisitions and processing of invoices.
  6. Serve as the first point of contact for the department by greeting guests, answering calls, taking messages, and reviewing internal and external mailings for proper distribution.
  7. Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion with private and/or sensitive information.
  8. Receive, compile, and maintain confidential documents and records on behalf of the SVPB&F and EVP/COO.
  9. Perform a wide range of advanced clerical duties related to the operation of the offices of Finance and Administration and serve in a resource capacity on projects and assignments.

Essential Job Requirements:

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree is preferred. Acceptable is an equivalent combination of education and qualifying professional experience that would provide the skills, knowledge, and ability needed to fulfill the duties assigned to the position.

Experience:

  • Previous experience in an administrative support function for executive officers that requires maintaining an environment of confidentiality, senior level professionalism, responsiveness, and accuracy.

Skills:

  • Knowledge of and proficiency in the utilization of standard office productivity software programs (e.g., MS Word, Excel, email), personal computers, and the Internet.
  • Ability to learn other software programming utilized by the university (Ellucian Colleague).
  • Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to compose professional-quality documents including letters, meeting minutes, presentations, and reports.
  • Ability to prepare and maintain accurate and complete records and files to include meeting minutes.
  • Ability to maintain the highest confidentiality of information and materials.
  • Ability to provide outstanding customer service and maintain professionalism when interacting with coworkers, staff, faculty, administrators, trustees, vendors, and guests.
  • Strong organizational and time management skills in a busy environment.

Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to move about campus.
  • Ability to interact via telephone, in person, and via electronic media.
  • Ability to work at a desk on-campus for extended periods of time.

Benefit-eligible positions offer excellent benefits including health, dental, life, vision, long term disability, a 403(b) retirement plan through TIAA, and tuition remission.

To apply, please send resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references including name, telephone, and email address.

Aurora University
Human Resources
347 South Gladstone Ave
Aurora, IL 60506
jobs@aurora.edu - email

Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.