Job Description
Special Assistant & Project Manager About the Opportunity Summary The Special Assistant & Project Manager will report to and provide a high level of project and administrative support for the Associate Vice President (AVP), Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. In this role, the Special Assistant & Project Manager will work independently with minimal supervision; proactively updating the AVP on the status of projects; schedule travel and manage complex calendars; handle itineraries and meeting preparation, and document alumni and team activity.
Additionally, this role will:
- Serve as the project and task manager for AVP; understand all active projects and initiatives, deliverables, timelines, and stakeholders, and work to keep these items moving forward, initiating follow-up or action as required. Serve as the gatekeeper and primary contact for the AVP and the greater Alumni Relations and Annual Giving teams.
- Coordinate events (on/off-campus) for alumni and students, handling all details to ensure successful execution. Partner with colleagues across the university to ensure flawless and timely execution of events and projects.
- Gather and maintain data, documenting alumni and team activity and assisting in the creation, preparation, and analysis of reports.
- Provide coordination and act as a liaison with other Advancement senior staff, campus officials, and external constituents on all matters of interest to the Associate Vice President.
- Provide front line customer service for the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving teams, including greeting visitors, handling inquiries, answering telephone calls, and managing the general team email inbox. Ensure a productive and efficient work environment for all team members by handling general office management including ordering supplies, managing work orders and requests, etc.
- Implement administrative systems and procedures.
The Special Assistant & Project Manager must be a nimble and proactive individual who can successfully maneuver through daily and changing priorities with quick analysis of key deliverables needed. They will maintain a flexible attitude as they assist the AVP in responding to the changing external and internal environment and emerging issues that affect the division and the university.
This position requires an individual who is self-motivated, detail-focused, collaborative, and service-oriented and can independently manage workloads, prioritize and manage ongoing projects, and handle multiple responsibilities. This position requires excellent interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic, and knowledge of or interest in Alumni Relations, Annual Giving and/or fundraising.
The Special Assistant & Project Manager must be able to represent the university, the Advancement division, Alumni Relations, and Annual Giving in a professional, enthusiastic manner with a customer service and team focus. As a member of the Advancement Division, it is essential for this position to understand and support the role philanthropy plays in engaging the Northeastern community. While the position is primarily located in Boston and requires its responsibilities to be completed on Northeastern's Boston campus, occasional travel may be necessary due to Northeastern's expanding global network.
Evening and weekend work required as needs dictate as well as a flexible schedule. Other duties as assigned including assisting at several general events throughout the year.
Qualifications - Bachelor's Degree required along with two to four (2-4) years of demonstrated success in a comparable position; experience in Advancement a plus.
- Ability to manage and facilitate an intense workload and produce quality results in a fast-paced environment.
- Must be able to manage multiple priority projects at once with ease and efficiency.
- Must be proactive, anticipate problems, be resourceful, and work effectively with colleagues and external constituents at all levels.
- Strong interpersonal skills necessary for building relationships with external (donors, prospects, trustees) and internal (deans, faculty, staff, colleagues) constituents.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organization skills and detail-oriented
- Highly collaborative in approach
- Ability to exercise good judgement when dealing with confidential and sensitive material.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities based on thoughtful analysis and critical judgement
- Demonstrated ability to work independently
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities Project and Administrative Support - Serve as project and task manager for AVP; understanding all active projects and initiatives, their deliverables, timelines, and stakeholders, and work to keep these items moving forward, initiating follow-up or action as required. Partner with colleagues across the division, university, and campus community to ensure timely execution of projects and requests.
- Coordinate events (on/off-campus) for alumni and students, handling all details to ensure successful execution. They will partner with colleagues throughout the university to ensure flawless and timely execution of events and projects.
- Stay up-to-date on Northeastern and related news. Act as gatekeeper and primary contact for the AVP, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, and the greater Alumni Relations and Annual Giving teams.
- Provide key support and management of all logistics for the Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving.
- Manage calendar and inbox for the AVP, coordinate schedules for the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving leadership team. Plan and organize travel for the AVP, including managing itineraries, briefings, reservations, and research. Reconcile budgets and procurement card reports. Research and prepare meeting agendas, briefings, and follow-up materials for both internal and external meetings.
Database Reporting and Management - Lead effort to assume that key contacts, correspondence, and strategies are entered in relationship management software (Salesforce/Ascend) for key alumni relationships. Design and extract reports to oversee and monitor Alumni Relations and Annual Giving activity, including, but not limited to, reporting on event activities, participation rates, giving activity across different demographics and more. Lead tracking and reporting of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving metrics. Analyze data and trends to be used by the AVP in strategic decision making for the greater Alumni Relations and Annual Giving teams.
- Serve as an additional support on the team for Salesforce/Ascend related tasks and projects as required.
Communication - Compose, proofread, edit, and prepare correspondence, reports, and other materials on behalf of the AVP. Draft other direct alumni and donor communications.
- Help maintain communication between department and internal and external constituents, including reaching out to other Advancement staff, administrators in other departments, and faculty members for the purposes of coordinating schedules and activities, managing events, and gathering information.
Team Support - Provide front line customer service for the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving teams, including greeting visitors, handling inquiries, answering telephone calls, and managing the general team email inbox.
- Partner with the Advancement Operations teams to ensure the office runs efficiently, including but not limited to, ordering supplies, managing supply and swag inventory, and coordinating work orders.
- At the request of the AVP, plan departmental and team events such as all-staff meetings and outings, Senior Leadership Team meetings and retreats, and more.
Position Type General Administration
Additional Information Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.
Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit for more information.
Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
To learn more about Northeastern University's commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see .
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About Northeastern University
Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in worldwide experiential learning, urban engagement, and interdisciplinary research that meets global and societal needs. Our broad mix of experience-based education programs?our signature cooperative education program, as well as student research, service learning, and global learning?build the connections that enable students to transform their lives. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools.
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