Manager Executive Administration

Manager Executive Administration (DED)

Salary Range:
Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

This highly specialized position requires a self-motivated professional with a strong record of administrative experience to support the Dean of Dedman College with the day-to-day College operations, thereby ensuring seamless execution of Dedman-wide initiatives and governance processes. This includes but is not limited to handling sensitive and confidential information, such as tenure and promotion cases, maintaining a heavy calendar—including organizing travel, scheduling and managing a number of large events, organizing and managing complex records, and acting as liaison between the Dean and the SMU community and off-campus constituents and event planning.

Many of these activities are exercised with considerable independent judgment.

Administrative Support for the Dean: Managing the Dean's calendar, including scheduling appointments (with university and outside constituents), and using independent judgment to prioritize or delegate referrals. Prepare and research documents as requested by the Dean for meetings, act as reminder for pertinent university deadlines. Perform general administrative duties for Dean (booking travel).

Dean's Office Administration: Act as 1st point of contact with administration, faculty, staff, students, and outside constituents to effectively address matters of internal/external importance to the college and university. Coordinate incoming requests, correspondence, and phone calls, answering questions and/or routing inquiries as appropriate. Prepare written responses when needed.

Faculty Affairs Administration: Coordinate with department chairs, faculty/staff to communicate/train aspects of the university's administrative structures and procedures (e.g., faculty hiring, promotion and tenure, 3rd year reviews, retirement agreements). Prepare, compile, and interpret a variety of reports/documents. Schedule various faculty-associated meetings.

Event Planning: Organize events (academic and non-academic), including but not limited to, academic chair meetings, faculty meetings, staff meetings, etc. Said events could include procurement of catering, venue, guest relations, compile agenda and meeting documents, creation of invitations, follow‑up duties after event, as well as other duties and projects.

Database Maintenance and HR: Maintain records, databases and organize files to track detailed information on Dedman College faculty and staff, and run pertinent reports as requested by the Dean. Work with SMU Human Resources in hiring staff, assist with training staff, and assist with HR issues.

Other Duties: Including, but not limited to, review of Dean's office budgets. Conduct 1st check on travel and purchase approvals that need Dean sign‑off.

Occasional evening/weekend hours may be required for events, i.e. Dedman College Commencement.

A Bachelor’s degree is required. A Master's degree is preferred.

A minimum of five (5) years of experience providing administrative support to an executive or comparable…