Administrative Assistant - College of Medicine

Job Description – Administrative Assistant (IL-COM) 
 

About the Position  

The Chicago School is a nonprofit private university with more than 6,000 students. The university is building the Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine, or the proposed IllinoisCOM , anticipated to open for its first class of students in fall 2026.   

The Chicago School is hiring an Administrative Assistant to support the IllinoisCOM’s leadership team (up to four principals). The AA is responsible for managing the principals’ calendars, travel arrangements, expenses, and meeting preparation. The AA will report directly to the Executive Office Manager, proposed IllinoisCOM, at The Chicago School, as part of a team of administrative support staff at the university.   

Successful candidates will be proactive and strategic, with an ability to manage schedules, travel, and office operations in a way that enables the executive team to trust that all administrative matters are covered. Successful candidates will be highly capable of independent and collaborative work.  

This position is located at the Chicago, IL campus location and the AA will have the opportunity to work remotely on a regular basis. On-campus work will be required to support key meetings and events.  Occasional domestic travel may also be required to support key meetings and events.  

Principal Duties   

Manage principals’ schedules, with the end user in mind  

• Schedule, execute, and coordinate a seamless run of the principals’ daily schedules, juggling multiple, simultaneous requests across multiple time zones and internal and external stakeholders. Proactively resolve conflicts and/or escalate issues to ensure quick resolution; do not let issues linger.  

• Strategically manage the principals’ calendars to increase focus and ensure best use of limited time (e.g., time blocking and defining limits, strategic scheduling to reserve focus time).  

• Ensure that the principals understand the basics of who, what, where, why, and how of every meeting. Prepare and discuss all essential logistics for each scheduled meeting, in coordination with key colleagues.  

Manage onsite and travel logistics with end users in mind   

• Manage onsite meetings and events for principals’ to ensure seamless execution, thinking through their needs and needs of external and/or other attendees and participants   

• Arrange travel logistics for the principals’ trips to key university meetings and events, thinking through their needs throughout the journey and meeting their travel preferences wherever possible.  

• Provide clear, comprehensive travel prep packs (e.g., detailed travel itineraries, logistical confirmations, meeting itineraries, stakeholder bios).  

• Prepare and manage all assigned expense reports, in accordance with university travel and expense policies.   

Oversee day-to-day office management responsibilities for the IlliniosCOM   

• Manage meeting materials, notes, and next steps for key meetings (e.g., leadership team meetings) and support specific deliverables and correspondence (e.g., creating agendas, formatting letters, completing charts/tables for formal submission, developing regular reports using templates, etc.).  

• Coordinate with Legal, Finance, Human Resources, and others to track and execute contracts or other required paperwork.  

• Manage regular correspondence and deliveries (e.g., gifts).  

• Manage other duties as assigned, including deliverable support (research for upcoming meetings, writing. key communications or proposals, proofreading memos or presentations, etc.), developing or improving operational processes, providing onsite office coverage and admin support at the Chicago campus, special projects and assignments, etc.   

Basic Qualifications   

• Bachelor's degree  

• 2+ years’ experience as an assistant to leadership 

• Outstanding technical skills with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom  

• Competent technical skills with Microsoft Office Suite (especially PowerPoint, Excel, and Word)  

Ideal Qualifications   

• Professional experience with administrative support in higher education, medical education, and/or healthcare settings   

• Outstanding technical skills with Microsoft Office Suite (especially PowerPoint, Excel, and Word)  

• Competent technical skills with Concur travel and expense management systems   

Required Skills  

• Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail: demonstrated ability to track multiple ongoing priorities and projects  

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills  

• Demonstrated experience and ability to interact professionally with high-level internal and external stakeholders (e.g., Board members, potential donors, executives)  

• Positive, team-oriented attitude and a collaborative working style  

• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement and maintain poise under pressure and handle matters with sound judgement, extreme confidentiality, and diplomacy  

• Absolute discretion and sound judgment: maintain confidentiality and manage high-pressure situations with tact and sensitivity