Special Assistant to the SVP, Government and Public Affairs

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Job description

Position Summary:

ACE is a higher education, non-profit organization with almost 1,700 member institutions and educational organizations. ACE's mission is to provide leadership and a unified voice on key higher education issues through advocacy, research, and program initiatives. ACE programs include several leadership programs for college and university administrators and faculty. (For more information on ACE, visit: .)

The Special Assistant provides executive support to the Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, and administrative services to the Government Relations staff. The Special Assistant also provides assistance to supervisor with implementing plans for the operational infrastructure of systems, processes, and personnel; and works in cooperation with administrative team to ensure continuous telephone and office coverage.

This position is located in the ACE headquarters in Washington, DC. For consideration, please apply at

Essential Job Duties or Tasks:

Assistant to the Senior Vice President Duties:

• Maintain comprehensive understanding of the needs of the SVP.
• Meet daily with the SVP to set schedule, check the details of meeting appointments, and speaking engagements.
• Make travel arrangements.
• Prepare the SVP for travel, meetings, and presentations.
• Assist with creating PowerPoint presentations for the SVP.
• Serve as a gatekeeper, deciding which messages and which visitors or callers need to go directly to the SVP and which need to be redirected or handled in some other way.
• Retrieve voicemail messages left for the SVP; prioritize the order of the calls and alert the SVP to messages that require immediate attention.
• Proactively address issues in a timely fashion.
• Serve as a liaison between the SVP and staff.
• May need to be accessible outside of core business hours to receive notification of changes to travel arrangements and meeting appointments.

Government Relations Duties

• Monitor ongoing legislative efforts of relevance.
• Assist with preparation and distribution of community sign-on letters.
• Maintain copy of the community sign-on letters in the Statement Book and give copy to the President's office for their records.
• Assist with staff travel arrangements.
• Prepare and submit staff expenses.
• Prepare and format letters.
• Respond to standard inquiries.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Administrative Duties

• Screen telephone inquiries from member institutions, association community, policy makers, Council staff, and the public regarding the activities of the Division and refer inquiries to the appropriate staff.
• Open, sort and distribute daily incoming mail and prepare outgoing mail for delivery.
• Pick up subscription newspapers daily and place them in properly tagged magazine racks. Recycle newspapers and magazines subscriptions at the end of the week.
• Maintain copies of office periodicals.
• Coordinate logistics for in-house meetings: reserve space, arrange for conference calls, work with caterers and order beverages. Maintain catering supplies.
• Provide set-up and clean-up for meetings. Maintain office supplies.
• Design and maintain a filing system.
• Maintain knowledge of telephone and voicemail systems and office equipment.
• Serve as resource for new employees and temporary staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education/Experience/Specialized Knowledge and Competency Requirements:

Required:

· College degree or equivalent

· Two to five years of relevant, on the job, experience or advanced training or experience.

· An advanced degree may be substituted for work experience.

Preferred:

• Skilled in resourcefulness with a professional, solutions-oriented approach.
• Experience working in a deadline-driven environment.
• Must be detail-oriented.
• Ability to multitask and stay on track.
• Ability to prioritize and make good business decisions.
• Experienced in project management.
• Skilled in using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Adept in technology
• Excellent ability to communicate clearly and effectively through both verbal and written communiques.

*** For consideration, please submit resume and cover letter to ****

Please note that this position is located in Washington, DC. Due to the current pandemic, the American Council on Education is currently in a remote status, and you may experience a slower response time to your inquiry for a job opportunity, and the interview process will be conducted remotely. We appreciate your patience as we adjust to these dynamic circumstances. Our status is subject to change based on guidance surrounding COVID-19.

The American Council on Education is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, matriculation, familial status, genetic information, source of income, place of residence or business, status as a victim of an intra-family offense, credit information, protected veteran status, status as a victim or family member of a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, or stalking.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $62,600.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location