Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Hybrid work options may be available for this position, with the ability to be on-site as needed per the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy.

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement (OVCIA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks an Executive Assistant to serve as a trusted partner in supporting executive leadership and advancing organizational priorities. This role plays a critical part in enabling the Vice Chancellor’s effectiveness by managing complex scheduling, preparing strategic briefing materials, and ensuring seamless coordination of executive-level activities across a dynamic and fast-paced advancement environment.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a global, preeminent university. Since its founding in 1867, it has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. The OVCIA serves as the operational backbone and strategic integrator of advancement at Illinois – providing the infrastructure, governance, and leadership necessary to enable a high-performing, coordinated enterprise. Through a commitment to consistency, transparency, and data-informed decision-making, OVCIA works to reduce friction, strengthen alignment, and support meaningful engagement and long-term philanthropic impact across the university.

Organizational Relationships and Job Summary

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Executive Assistant will provide high-level, strategic administrative support to the Vice Chancellor (VC) and Chief of Staff (CoS). This role is responsible for managing executive time, ensuring preparedness for internal and external engagements, coordinating executive-level meetings and committees, reinforcing operational discipline to the work of the VC and CoS, and providing guidance to other administrative colleagues to ensure essential operational redundancies.
This position serves as a trusted partner in maintaining focus, ensuring follow-through, and supporting effective internal operations while the Vice Chancellor maintains a significant external fundraising and Chancellor-staffing presence. The role requires exceptional judgment, discretion, anticipatory thinking, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex and politically nuanced higher education advancement environment.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Executive Time & Calendar Strategy
  
  • Design, manage, and protect the Vice Chancellor’s calendar in coordination with the Chief of Staff, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and strategic fundraising goals.
  • Exercise independent judgment in evaluating and prioritizing meeting requests.
  • Anticipate conflicts and proactively resolve scheduling challenges.
  • Coordinate closely with the Chancellor’s Office and other senior campus leaders regarding scheduling matters.
  • Demonstrate flexibility and sound judgment in supporting time-sensitive executive needs, including periodic responsiveness outside standard business hours (e.g., early mornings, evenings, and occasional weekends) to align with the VC’s and CoS’s schedule and institutional priorities.
• Executive Briefings & Meeting Preparation
  
  • Prepare comprehensive briefing materials for all internal Vice Chancellor meetings and select Chief of Staff meetings.
  • Compile, collect, or synthesize background information, talking points, agendas, historical context, and relevant data. For donor meetings, coordinate with relevant colleagues to ensure Vice Chancellor has all needed materials.
  • Ensure materials are complete, accurate, and delivered in a timely manner.
  • Develop and maintain briefing templates and preparation standards to streamline executive readiness.
  • Draft routine correspondence and follow-up communications on behalf of the Vice Chancellor as appropriate.
• Committee & Meeting Operations
  
  • Coordinate agendas, materials, and logistics for executive committees, cabinet meetings, retreats, and ad hoc working groups.
  • Attend and staff selected meetings; document key decisions and action items.
  • Track follow-up responsibilities and ensure timely completion across stakeholders.
  • Maintain a centralized tracking system for executive-level commitments and decisions.
• Liaison & Executive Office Operations
  
  • Serve as a primary administrative liaison between the Vice Chancellor’s Office and internal advancement units, campus partners, and external constituents.
  • Manage routing of documents, approvals, and signature requests.
  • Monitor executive email accounts as directed and triage inquiries appropriately.
  • Coordinate executive travel, including complex domestic and international itineraries.
  • Coordinate the processing and reconciliation of travel and business expenses in collaboration with OVCIA business office and in accordance with university policy.
• Confidentiality & Judgment
  
  • Handle highly sensitive donor, personnel, and institutional information with the highest level of discretion and professionalism.
  • Exercise sound judgment in determining what information requires escalation to the Chief of Staff or Vice Chancellor.
  • Represent the Office of the Vice Chancellor with professionalism and diplomatic awareness in all interactions.

Impact in Your First Year

At Illinois Advancement, we value our employees and provide resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their ability to make a difference.

Within 3 months, you’ll:

• Become familiar with the priorities, leadership style, and strategic focus of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Chief of Staff.
• Build relationships with key partners across the Office of the Vice Chancellor, advancement units, and campus leadership.
• Gain an understanding of the structure, priorities, and rhythms of the broader advancement enterprise, including collaboration with the University of Illinois Foundation and other partners.
• Learn existing processes, tools, and expectations for executive scheduling, briefing preparation, meeting coordination, and travel management.
• Begin supporting day-to-day executive operations, ensuring accuracy, responsiveness, and professionalism in all interactions.

Within 6 months, you'll:

• Develop a strong understanding of executive priorities and proactively manage the Vice Chancellor’s calendar to align with strategic fundraising and leadership goals.
• Prepare clear, thorough, and timely briefing materials that support effective decision-making and engagement.
• Take ownership of coordinating executive meetings, committees, and engagements, ensuring materials, logistics, and follow-up are well managed.
• Strengthen working relationships across internal and external stakeholders, serving as a reliable and responsive point of contact for the Vice Chancellor’s Office.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, communication, and coordination within the executive office.

  By the end of the first year, you’ll:

• Serve as a trusted partner to the Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff, anticipating needs and ensuring seamless execution of executive priorities and engagements.
• Independently manage complex scheduling, competing priorities, and high-level interactions with sound judgment and discretion.
• Implement or enhance systems that improve tracking, follow-through, and accountability for executive-level commitments and initiatives.
• Contribute to a well-coordinated, responsive, and high-functioning executive office that supports advancement leadership and philanthropic impact.
• Act as a resource to administrative colleagues, helping to strengthen consistency and continuity across executive support functions.

Minimum Qualifications

1. High school graduation or equivalent
2. Any one or any combination totaling five (5) years (60 months) from the following categories:
A. College course work in business, finance, accounting or a related field:
60 semester hours or an Associate's degree equals one (1) year (12 months)
90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
120 semester hours or a Bachelor's degree equals three (3) years (36 months)
Master's degree or higher equals four (4) years (48 months)
B. Progressively more responsible professional, managerial and supervisory experience that included experience in areas such as supervising staff or a job function, organizing and coordinating office operations, and performing duties that lead to knowledge of generally accepted office management principles

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience in higher education, advancement, development, or a mission-driven nonprofit organization
• Familiarity with CRM or advancement systems
• Experience supporting executive committees or senior leadership teams

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to handle confidential matters with integrity and to make sound decisions in ambiguous situations.
• Ability to anticipate executive needs, identify potential risks, and proactively prepare materials and solutions.
• Exceptional ability to manage multiple priorities, shifting deadlines, and complex scheduling demands with accuracy and composure.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others ; ability to prepare executive-ready materials for senior leadership and external stakeholders.
• Ability to navigate complex institutional environments and maintain effective working relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
• Commitment to accuracy, consistency, and accountability in all aspects of work.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and ability to learn and adapt to institutional systems and tools.

The Illinois Advancement community is committed to creating inclusive environments and practices that support engagement from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. We will respect and encourage different voices, perspectives and ideas as we strive to represent individuals of all backgrounds and cultures which includes but are not limited to the following: nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, age and ability who represent our alumni, donors and friends of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 0171 - Administrative Assistant position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close date. Salary is commensurate with experience. The budgeted salary range for this position is $80,000-$97,500. When extending job offers, the University of Illinois carefully considers factors such as (but not limited to) the role’s responsibilities, the candidate’s experience and education, essential skills, internal peer equity, budget constraints, and market trends. The rate provided reflects the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate at the time of posting.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Sponsorship for work authorization is not available for this position.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on May 12, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a resume, cover letter and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact Amanda Wahba at wahba3@illinois.edu and/or visit our Application FAQ site for tips. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — the state’s flagship public university and one of the world’s leading research institutions — every staff member helps shape what’s next. Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you’re empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence — where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.