Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Student Life

Engineering a world of possibilities

The Executive Assistant (EA) to the Vice President of Student Life is an administrative faculty position with the primary role of directly managing and supporting the VP in their initiatives, operations, daily activities, events, projects, and communications. The position works independently as well as in conjunction with the VP and the Student Life Senior Staff Team to provide professional direction, guidance, and interface between the VP and internal and external constituencies. The EA acts autonomously, managing projects from inception to completion without much supervision, anticipating needs, and following through on assignments. The EA is a creative ‘self-starter’ who regularly seeks and provides feedback to their supervisor and peers.

The EA has significant organization and prioritization skills, excellent attention to detail and deadlines, and is a superb communicator. At times, the EA may attend meetings alongside the VP or attend in their place and is a confidant and liaison to the VP. As a designee of the VP, the EA must be adept at working with students, staff, faculty, and external contacts, ensuring that communication style and approach are appropriate to the audience.

Given the student-serving focus of the division of Student Life, the EA is a student affairs professional who is competent at providing empathic support to Colorado School of Mines students. The EA is adept at ensuring that others feel heard and validated, while also standing firm and in support of institutional policy and/or decisions. Colorado School of Mines enrolls a unique population of students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The EA must have experience and skills in working with an array of individuals and groups and must nuance their approach to support student experiences and outcomes. The EA must also be skilled at diffusing conflict and must be able to handle highly confidential information.

The EA is responsible for monitoring Student Life budget(s) and manages fiscal and administrative processes and approvals on behalf of the VP. The EA drafts and prepares written and visual presentations for the VP. As such, the position requires the exercise of independent judgment and action as well as a thorough knowledge of the university and the expectations of the VP.

As a member of the Student Life Senior Leadership Team, the EA works alongside colleagues to advance various divisional initiatives and executes identified priorities. Working collaboratively, the EA supports VP-level and divisional events, activities, and communications. Skills include excellent written and verbal communication skills, the ability to serve in a leadership capacity for projects and initiatives, a very high level of attention to detail, planning, organizing, and event/meeting planning skills.

This is an in-person (Golden, CO) role. While limited remote work may be approved candidates should be prepared for full time in-office work on a regular basis.

Primary Responsibilities 

The EA’s primary role is to manage and support the initiatives, operations, and day-to-day activities of the VP in a collaborative and productive manner. This is achieved through a high level of planning, organizational skills, setting priorities, and high-quality service skills. 

The EA ensures that leaders within the Division of Student Life have appropriate access to the VP, are properly involved in the decision-making process and are familiar with various issues impacting Student Life functions and the student experience at Mines. The EA is responsible for the timely and appropriate responses to issues presented to the VP Office. The EA conducts research, analyzes findings, and reports on them to others. The EA handles confidential and sensitive materials, as well as those that require analyzing before composing detailed responses to the VP or others. The EA proactively addresses critical details for projects and/or events, completes and records appropriate follow-up tasks, and generally follows through on expectations.  

Within the set of broad responsibilities, the EA is specifically responsible for, but not limited to: 

Executive Support 

• Provides direct management and support of the VP, his/her initiatives, projects, day-to-day activities and other matters.