Executive Assistant I

Position Information

Posting Number SF02252 Job Title Executive Assistant I Position Number 108612 FTE 1.00 FLSA Exempt Position Type Professional Staff Union Non-Union Non-Classified Staff Pay Grade Level Grade Level: 7 Pay Grade Range Salary Hiring Range: $60,000 - $65,000 Status Calendar Year, Full-time, Permanent

Department Information

Department GSO Dean Contact(s)

Please note: Job applications must be submitted directly online only at: (https://jobs.uri.edu)

Contact Phone/Extension Contact Email Physical Demands Campus Location Narragansett Bay Campus Grant Funded No Extension Contingency Notes Job Description Summary

Search will be open until filled. First consideration will be given to applications received by 11/25/2026. Applications received after 11/25/2026 may be reviewed depending on search progress and needs but are not guaranteed full consideration.

____

THE POSITION WILL BE IN-PERSON.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Serve as executive assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography, providing critical administrative support. Perform confidential administrative duties of a complex and responsible nature. Carry out objectives established by the Dean. Understand goals, objectives, and strategies related to assignments and assist the Dean. Provide executive-level administrative support to the Dean, performing organizational and office management responsibilities requiring a strong working knowledge of the functions and policies of the University, a high degree of technical and office management skills, professionalism, customer service, confidentiality, and efficiency while maintaining the policy-level focus of the office.

Duties and Responsibilities

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist the dean or director in carrying out administrative responsibilities; research and troubleshoot issues needing resolution at the Graduate School of Oceanography.
• Provide confidential secretarial services, including the following: arrange and schedule meetings; type reports, correspondence, speeches, and related materials; make travel arrangements; draft and respond to routine correspondence; prepare and maintain spreadsheets.
• Effectively manage, arrange, and schedule calendar events, including meetings, conferences, and social events. Support marketing and outreach efforts as necessary.
• Answer phones, greet visitors, and disseminate information to a diverse constituency. Exhibiting a high degree of tact and sensitivity, deal directly with the public, students, faculty, staff, and officials (both within and outside the university) on behalf of the dean.
• Prioritize responses to correspondence, phone calls, and various issues, thereby minimizing demands on the dean's or director's time, allowing him/her to focus on broader and more critical issues.
• Provide administrative support for the Dean, including the preparation and posting of meeting agendas, meeting materials, and minutes from events, including but not limited to Faculty and Senior Staff meetings.
• Serve as liaison to the members of the GSO Advisory Council, as well as various university and government offices. Prepare and provide correspondence, meeting agendas, meeting materials, and minutes for GSO Advisory Council Meetings. Research and provide background information on various issues as requested by members of the Council.
• Effectively manage office workflow involving hiring, training, and the supervision of all new employees, including faculty, by working with the Dean to assign mentorship to respective Directors, Assistant and Associate Deans, and other applicable personnel. Establish and maintain all business records, offer letters, and files associated with new and existing employees in conjunction with the GSO Chief Business Officer.
• Effectively manage Promotion and Tenure (P&T) and Sabbatical processes, procedures, related materials, and correspondence in conjunction with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and/or Chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee. Research and draft written responses and, when appropriate, review communications prepared by others for the P&T and Sabbatical Chair's signature. Review outgoing Promotion and Tenure and Sabbatical related office correspondence, letters, etc., for procedural, grammatical, and factual accuracy and revise as directed by the Chair of the Promotion and Tenure and Sabbatical Committees and Dean. Draft original or adapted letters for the Dean's signature.
• Provide open, timely, and effective communication, keeping the Dean abreast of salient matters and providing sound information to support decision-making as it relates to GSO policy.
• Assist in responding to issues presented to the Dean and GSO by individuals and organizations from within and outside of higher education. Serve as liaison and facilitator to the Dean and GSO in terms of troubleshooting various issues and providing referral to the appropriate individual or university unit and subsequent follow-up when necessary.
• Work in collaboration with the Dean's Office staff to foster the mission and goals of the Narragansett Bay Campus and Graduate School of Oceanography.
• Maintain and administer GSO's annual administrative calendar, which identifies all recurring deadlines requiring action.
• Maintain confidentiality and security of confidential material.
• Analyze and resolve routine, daily matters as they come into the office.
• Interview and recommend for appointment secretarial and student help within the office. Train, schedule and assign workloads to secretaries and student help.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform other duties as required.

LICENSES, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:

Personal computers, printers; word processing, spreadsheet, database management and scheduling software; dictaphone/tape recorder; fax and copying machines; calculator.

Required Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED:

1. High school diploma.

2. Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in the capacity of administrative assistant in a complex professional environment.

3. Excellent time management and organizational skills in a multiple priority environment.

4. Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, database and scheduling software.

5. Excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills.

6. Demonstrated experience in the organization, coordination and supervision of support staff.

7. Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.

8. Demonstrated ability to work in a culturally diverse environment.

Preferred Qualifications

PREFERRED:

1. Associate's degree

____

EEO Statement:

URI is unwavering in its commitment to equal opportunity, community, equity, and diversity. In furtherance of its mission to serve and support all learners as the state's public flagship university, URI continues to expand efforts to recruit and retain a broadly representative workforce as well as to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of those efforts. All employment decisions, including hiring, are made without regard to protected status. Qualified individuals with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation by contacting the URI benefits office at 401-874-2416. For TTY assistance, contact R.I. Relay Services at 711.

Environmental Conditions

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The incumbent is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Posting Date 11/12/2026 Closing Date Special Instructions to Applicants

Please attach the following 2 (PDF) documents to your online Employment Application:

(#1) Cover letter.

(#2) Resume.

Note: References will be upon request by the search committee.

Quicklink for Posting https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/17314