EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Job Purpose
Carnegie Mellon University is seeking an Executive Assistant to be responsible for planning, managing and coordinating the administrative functions for the Director and the Executive Director of CMU-Africa.

About Carnegie Mellon University
Established out of a partnership between Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the Government of Rwanda, CMU-Africa is addressing the critical shortage of high-quality engineering talent required to accelerate the economic development and digital transformation of Africa—home to the fastest growing workforce in the world. CMU-Africa was established in 2011 and is the only U.S. research university offering its master’s degrees with full-time faculty, staff and operations in Africa. CMU’s presence in Rwanda provides a platform to engage in Africa’s most significant
opportunities and challenges across the continent through world-class education and contextually relevant research.

Our vision is to educate and empower the next generation of African leaders and innovators by delivering a world-class educational experience. CMU-Africa’s mission is to produce creative and technically strong engineers, who have been trained in the African context, and prepared to make transformative impact in their communities and the world.

We are a fast-growing campus with about 150 enrolled students, aiming to grow to 400 in the next couple of years. Our size and exponential growth create a sense of camaraderie and excitement, with strong community ties and a compound sense of accomplishment in our team members, contributing towards mutually beneficial relationships between staff and students.

The role
As CMU-Africa’s Executive Assistant, you will regularly handle sensitive information and be required to maintain strict confidentiality and discretion. While specific responsibilities will vary, they will include, but will not be limited to, the following:

Responsibilities
• Manage time commitment (calendar) for the Director and Executive Director, and respective prioritization
• Facilitate and manage communications and collaboration with other members of the management team, and the main CMU campus.
• Prepare correspondence, reports, and other documents on behalf of the Director and Executive Director
• Plan and organize management meetings, committee meetings and other high level strategic meetings, creating agendas and preparing minutes. Prepares and collects documents and materials for meetings
• Troubleshoot problems and questions concerning office and University policies and procedures, responding to inquiries and routine questions, referring only those absolutely necessary to supervisor
• Communicate with high level officials both inside and outside the university. Handle highly confidential matters
• Welcome visitors and guests, and makes appropriate referrals to relevant departments
• Coordinate travel schedule/arrangements for the Director and Executive Director
• Coordinate record-keeping processes and organization, and multiplatform communications, such as web, email, and social media for the Director and Executive Director
• Provide general service and information to guests and visitors, and other duties as assigned
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Director and / or Executive Director

QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
• A Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field
• Experience in higher education or equivalent relevant experience in fast-paced office administration
• Preferred experience with complex calendaring for executives or faculty
• Fluency in spoken and written English and French a plus

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
• Demonstrated ability and flexibility, in a high pressure, fast paced and complex environment, to manage multiple, time sensitive assignments with the capacity to independently prioritize work with strong attention to detail.
• Proven ability to accomplish projects and assignments with strict deadlines.
• Proven ability with logistics and travel coordination.
• Demonstrated skills with organizing files, correspondence and documents and ability to recommend and implement systems to enhance related procedure and policy
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to interact with University leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders with a highly professional demeanor and strong customer service skills.
• Exceptional written, oral and electronic communication skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, excellent discretion and maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office suite.
• Proven ability with other systems and technology to improve administrative efficiency.
• Ability to learn new computer skills and systems