Executive Assistant, Office of Human Resources at Colby College in Benton, Maine

Job Description:

Job Description
Department:VP and Chief People OfficerPay Rate Type:SalaryEmployee Type:Job Summary:

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Vice President and Chief People Officer, the Executive Assistant plays a critical role supporting the day-to-day operations of the Office of the VP and Chief People Officer and the Human Resources division overall. As a part of the transformative journey of elevating and modernizing the HR practice at the College, the individual in this role will regularly interface with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders. This role requires a detail-oriented, relational and organized professional who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. This position requires exceptional professionalism and discretion, agility in seamlessly pivot between various tasks and activities, and a proactive approach to time and project management.

Essential Functions

To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.

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  Executive level support: Provide executive level administrative support for the Vice President and Chief People Officer including, but not limited to, monitoring and managing calendars and time commitments, coordinating travel arrangements, gathering, creating and analyzing data and information for use in presentations, materials, data files, or related projects. Assist in supporting activities related to the Colby Staff Advisory Council including coordinating council meetings and events as well as membership processes.

  
  


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  Vendor and budget management: Support the overall budgeting process and financial planning activities associated with the Office of HR and the HR division overall, including tracking budget expenditures, generating and processing expense reports, and processing invoices.

  
  


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  HR initiatives and program logistics and planning: Coordinate and manage logistics for HR initiatives and programs, including scheduling sessions, securing venues, and preparing necessary materials. Oversee participant communication, track attendance, and support the seamless execution of HR efforts to enhance staff development and engagement across the college.

  
  


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  Special projects support: Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of special HR projects as assigned by the leadership team. Provide logistical and administrative support to ensure project milestones are met, resources are effectively utilized, and outcomes align with institutional objectives.

  
  


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  Regulatory compliance: Support the team in staying on top of current and future regulatory requirements and ensure the Office of Human Resources and the College overall follow all such requirements. This includes but is not limited to: file and document retention, I-9 compliance and completion, local, state and federal posting requirements.

  
  


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  Student and summer employment: Support various activities and tasks related to student recruitment and summer employment as needed throughout the year.

  
  


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  Process improvement and data integrity: Assist the division in on-going efforts to improve people related processes to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Support quality control of employee data in Workday through weekly audits to verify the accuracy and completeness of employee data entered in the system. Ensure that audit findings are documented and addressed to support data reliability across all HR processes.

  
  


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  Website content optimization: Regularly review and enhance the Office of HR website page on the College's website to ensure accuracy of content and an improved user experience.

  
  

Non-Essential Functions

An employee in this position may perform some of these responsibilities on an infrequent basis.

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  Actively participates on various in-house teams/cross-functional work groups chartered with the responsibility for various special projects intended to add-value, increase efficiency, enhance effectiveness, improve morale, etc. of the College.

  
  


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  Assist with developing and conducting associated training workshops.

  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum of five (5) years of executive-level administrative support.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience:

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  Demonstrated ability to anticipate project needs, independently discern work priorities and problem solve, and meet tight deadlines with minimal supervision.

  
  


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  Exceptional computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Google Education Suite, and Adobe platforms.

  
  


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  Ability to function effectively under pressure; meticulously checking work to ensure accuracy and completeness; tracking and following up with others to ensure that agreements, needed work and commitments have been fulfilled.

  
  


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  Proven experience in budget monitoring and analyzing, records and filing management, and adherence to administrative policies and procedures.

  
  


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  Intuitive mindset, creative aptitude, and effective use of discretion and independent judgment; able to look beyond the assigned task and consider tangential and collateral connections, challenges, opportunities and possibilities.

  
  


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  Results/action-oriented work style; strong strategic, analytical, planning and problem-solving skills; able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.

  
  


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  Demonstrated ability to foster positive relationships and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

  
  


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  Experience working within the Workday environment preferred.

  
  


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  Proven experience working with cross-functional teams and facilitating operational improvements.

  
  

Licensure, Certification, Registration, or Other Requirements:

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  None preferred, but professional HR certifications (e.g., SHRM-CP, PHR) are beneficial.

  
  

Key Relationships

This position has significant interaction internal and external to the College, including senior leadership, campus wide departments, students, faculty, and vendors.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge:

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  HR Operations: Knowledge of HR administrative processes, including scheduling, compliance tracking, and records management. Understanding of budget planning and financial reporting in an HR environment.

  
  


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  Data Management and Compliance: Proficient in HR data management, including data entry, accuracy, and reporting, as well as document retention and data privacy standards.

  
  


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  Vendor and Contract Management: Knowledge of contract terms, vendor negotiations, and the ability to align vendor services with departmental goals.

  
  


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  Technology Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Google Workspace. Familiarity with HR Information Systems (e.g., Workday, Oracle) and project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, SharePoint, Trello).

  
  

Skills:

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  Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences. Ability to draft professional correspondence, reports, and documentation related to HR operations.

  
  


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  Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Skilled in identifying problems, analyzing information, and implementing effective solutions. Capable of assessing multiple solutions and making informed decisions in complex situations.

  
  


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  Organizational and Time Management: Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, while maintaining accurate records, tracking deadlines, and meeting critical timelines.

  
  


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  Interpersonal Skills: Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships across departments, work collaboratively, and resolve conflicts. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion.

  
  


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  Vendor Invoice Payment: Proficient in processing vendor invoices, ensuring timely and accurate payments while maintaining records of transactions. Capable of reconciling discrepancies, coordinating with vendors on payment inquiries, and adhering to financial policies and procedures.

  
  


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  Attention to Detail: Meticulous in reviewing documents for accuracy, ensuring compliance with policies and regulations, and maintaining the highest standard of documentation.

  
  


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  Customer Service: Demonstrated ability to provide high-level service to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring their needs are met and issues are resolved promptly.

  
  

Abilities:

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  Decision-Making: Ability to make independent decisions using sound judgment, particularly concerning operational and budgetary matters.

  
  


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  Adaptability: Able to adapt to shifting priorities and respond to changing environments with flexibility and resilience.

  
  


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  Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, coordinating efforts across HR, finance, and leadership.

  
  


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  Technical Proficiency: Quick to learn and use new HR systems and software. Competent in data analysis and report generation using tools like Excel and Google Sheets.

  
  


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  Event Coordination: Skilled in organizing and managing events, including logistics and execution for large-scale meetings or training sessions.

  
  


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  Multitasking: Capable of managing multiple responsibilities while maintaining accuracy and adhering to deadlines.

  
  

Physical/Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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  To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.

  
  


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  The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.

  
  


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  There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.

  
  


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  While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities.

  
  


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  There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.

  
  


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  An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.

  
  


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  Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

  
  


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  The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.

  
  


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  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.

  
  

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