Executive Administrative Assistant, Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health

The Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health (SSI) at Virginia Commonwealth University seeks an experienced, resourceful, and highly organized Executive Assistant to provide comprehensive executive support to the Institute Director while independently coordinating essential Institute-wide administrative functions.

The position serves a dual organizational role, combining complex executive administration with broader operational coordination and problem-solving. As the Institute's primary administrative resource, the Executive Assistant independently navigates university systems and procedures, assesses and resolves administrative challenges, and coordinates solutions across Institute personnel and university offices. The position requires sound judgment, initiative, and accountability for the effective execution of designated administrative processes.

The Executive Assistant also serves as a trusted partner to the Institute Director, independently managing complex scheduling, communications, and extensive domestic and international travel. As an internationally recognized leader in liver disease research, the Director maintains a demanding schedule of scientific, academic, and professional engagements worldwide, requiring exceptional planning, flexibility, and the ability to anticipate and navigate competing priorities.

The Director establishes executive support priorities, while the Chief Operating Officer provides oversight of Institute-wide administrative responsibilities and manages performance evaluation and professional development.

Executive Administrative Support — 65%

• →Provide comprehensive executive administrative support to the Institute Director, independently managing competing priorities, confidential matters, and complex professional commitments.
• →Manage a dynamic executive calendar, coordinating meetings, conferences, speaking engagements, and other activities involving institutional leadership and external stakeholders.
• →Independently coordinate extensive domestic and international travel, including multi-destination itineraries, transportation, accommodations, registrations, reimbursements, and scheduling across time zones.
• →Anticipate and resolve scheduling conflicts, travel disruptions, and last-minute changes, exercising independent judgment to maintain continuity of the Director's professional activities.
• →Serve as the Director's primary administrative liaison with university leadership, faculty, scientific collaborators, sponsors, and external partners.
• →Coordinate executive meetings, including agendas, materials, logistics, communications, and follow-up activities.
• →Prepare, review, and edit correspondence, presentations, reports, and other executive materials.
• →Proactively assess executive administrative needs, identify solutions, and coordinate activities to support the effective management of the Director's institutional and professional responsibilities.

Guest, Visitor, and Event Coordination — 15%

• →Independently coordinate administrative and logistical arrangements for visiting faculty, researchers, scientific collaborators, speakers, and other Institute guests.
• →Manage visitor itineraries, travel, accommodations, meeting schedules, and related administrative requirements, resolving logistical challenges as they arise.
• →Serve as the Institute's primary administrative liaison for visitors, coordinating across Institute programs, university offices, and external organizations.
• →Coordinate Institute meetings, seminars, scientific programs, and special events, including logistical planning, resource coordination, and issue resolution.
• →Facilitate visitor reimbursements, honoraria, and related documentation in accordance with university procedures.
• →Develop and maintain consistent administrative processes for coordinating Institute visitors and events.

Institute Administrative Operations and Problem Resolution — 15%

• →Serve as the Institute's primary administrative resource for independently troubleshooting and resolving operational issues across designated administrative functions.
• →Assess administrative challenges, navigate university policies, procedures, and systems, identify appropriate courses of action, and coordinate solutions with Institute personnel and university offices.
• →Independently coordinate recurring Institute-wide administrative processes, monitoring deadlines, resolving exceptions, and ensuring timely and accurate completion of assigned responsibilities.
• →Serve as a designated Institute timekeeper, coordinating employee time and leave administration, resolving discrepancies, and working with supervisors, Human Resources, and payroll personnel.
• →Coordinate administrative aspects of employee onboarding and offboarding, including access, equipment, and related institutional requirements.
• →Serve as a central administrative liaison for Institute personnel, providing guidance on established university procedures and facilitating resolution of matters requiring cross-functional coordination.
• →Develop and maintain administrative procedures, records, and tracking mechanisms to support operational consistency, accountability, and continuity.
• →Evaluate administrative workflows, identify recurring challenges or inefficiencies, and implement improvements to strengthen administrative service delivery.

P-Card Administration and General Administrative Purchasing — 5%

• →Serve as a primary administrative resource for routine purchasing inquiries and independently troubleshoot purchasing issues, coordinating resolution with appropriate university offices and Institute personnel.
• →Administer assigned P-Card activities, including authorized purchases, transaction documentation, reconciliation, and compliance with university requirements.
• →Coordinate routine administrative purchasing activities and resolve discrepancies, vendor inquiries, and transaction-related concerns.
• →Maintain accurate purchasing records and facilitate timely resolution of outstanding administrative transactions.
• →Identify and escalate specialized or complex procurement matters to the appropriate responsible personnel.

The Executive Assistant is expected to operate with a high degree of independence, initiative, and accountability. Beyond providing comprehensive executive support, the position serves as a trusted administrative resource for the broader Institute, independently assessing operational challenges, coordinating solutions, and ensuring the effective execution of assigned Institute-wide administrative functions.

Success requires exceptional professionalism, sound judgment, adaptability, and the ability to anticipate needs, navigate complex institutional processes, and maintain effective relationships across the university and with external partners.

Minimum Qualifications

• Progressively responsible administrative experience, including direct support to senior executives or organizational leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to independently assess and resolve complex administrative issues, navigate organizational procedures, and coordinate solutions across multiple functional areas.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, with experience managing complex schedules, competing priorities, and deadlines.
• Experience coordinating executive travel, meetings, and administrative operations.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated sound judgment, initiative, discretion, and ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting senior executives and coordinating administrative operations in a university, academic medical center, healthcare, or research-intensive environment.
• Experience managing complex domestic and international executive travel, including multi-destination itineraries and last-minute changes.
• Experience coordinating administrative processes involving multiple departments, institutional systems, and university offices.
• Experience with purchasing, P-Card administration, employee timekeeping, and related administrative functions.
• Familiarity with VCU administrative systems, policies, and procedures.
• Experience coordinating executive-level meetings, visiting scholars, and institutional events.
• Demonstrated experience developing administrative procedures, improving workflows, and independently resolving operational challenges.

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran's period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.