This position in the Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics provides executive administrative support to the Office of the Department Chair, including support of the Chair's departmental, university service activities, and professional research. This is a multi-faceted position in which the Executive Assistant functions in many roles to serve the needs of the Chair's Office, the department, and various Michigan Medicine Committees where the Chair is the leader. This role is also part of the department's executive team, which includes the Chief Department Administrator, the Graduate Program Directors and the Associate Chair for Research.

The Executive Assistant is the most visible and accessible representative of the Department Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics in matters concerning the Chair and the department as a whole. As such, public contact is a major function of the position, requiring extensive knowledge of department and university policies and procedures along with excellent interpersonal skills.

This position's major function is to provide administrative support for the Department Chair and, therefore, must be responsive to the dynamic needs of that office. The administrative specialist must be flexible in switching priorities as situations arise requiring immediate attention. Flexibility in work hours is sometimes necessary to meet deadlines or to make preparations for meetings. Some events require irregular hours due to after hour functions. Heavy workloads and time sensitive deadlines occur throughout the year (e.g. multiple faculty candidates interviewing for positions) and will require extended time at work.

This position is currently hybrid, 3-4 days of on-site support is expected when the Department Chair is present.

• Reviewing all incoming correspondence to the Chair and evaluating each message for a proper response, prioritizing the actions to be taken;
• Manage confidential and sensitive communications for the Chair;
• Delegating work to others when appropriate; such as overseeing the activities of the reception area when the department is working on-site;
• Assist the Chair with prioritization and time management;
• Screening telephone calls and visitors;
• Prepare and distribute minutes from various meetings, such as the Endowment for the Basic Sciences Meetings, Departmental Chair's Advisory Committee and Faculty Meetings;
• Preparing summaries of various events, decisions made, and actions to be taken;
• Maintain a complex electronic calendar and travel schedule, submitting complex expense reports for the Chair and for the faculty recruitment;
• Prepare draft presentations for meetings, presentations for leadership, and speeches, including tabulated and formatted data;
• Communicate and maintain a system to track faculty absence approvals records;
• Assist the Chair with preparing annual reports, such as, faculty evaluations, annual budget narratives, and periodic reports to the Dean's Office;
• Partner with webmaster to keep the content of the Chair's website current;
• Coordinate the Chair's research team in order for the team to have regular laboratory research meetings, publication support, and grant proposal support;
• Organize NIH research team in order for the team to have regular laboratory research meetings, publication support, and grant proposal support;
• Organize NIH research applications for the Chair to review;
• Alert the Chief Department Administrator of issues arising from the Chair's Office affecting the Department;
• Lead and oversee the financial, and operational aspects of major departmental events, such as the Annual Retreat, Symposiums, and Development activities;
• Responds to request for information related to various University and agency audits;
• Supervise work-study or temporary employees on an as-needed basis;

• A Bachelor's degree in a business management field, or a combination of course work and experience. 
• At least 5 years experience supporting an executive in an academic setting. 
• The successful candidate will have excellent communication and organizational skills, diplomacy and tact.

• Excellent multitasking skills preferred. Ability to set priorities and work under deadline pressure to achieve them is also preferred. Ability to work well in a collaborative team environment is preferred.

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally.  Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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