Senior Administrative Specialist

UW Medicine Advancement has an excellent opportunity for Senior Administrative Specialist to join their team.

At UW Medicine, we work to improve health for all people through excellence in clinical, research, and education and training programs. As the only comprehensive clinical, research and learning health system in the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region, UW Medicine provides the most up-to-date care for each individual patient, leads one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive medical research programs, and provides innovative learning programs for students, trainees, and practitioners in the health professions.

The passionate, 79-person team at UW Medicine Advancement works collaboratively to connect donors with meaningful opportunities to enhance patient care, expand educational opportunities and advance research at UW Medicine. This inspiring, challenging and rewarding work provides team members an opportunity to grow their careers, while making a difference in people’s lives, in our community and around the world. In the 2024 fiscal year, UW Medicine Advancement raised nearly $305 million in gifts and private grants (48 percent of the University of Washington’s total) from 14,300 donors to support the mission of UW Medicine. You can find out more about UW Medicine Advancement’s priorities and office culture on our career website https://give.uwmedicine.org/careers/.

The Senior Administrative Specialist provides direct and far-reaching support as a trusted partner to support six leaders (supported leaders) at UW Medicine Advancement and their teams, and lead special projects as assigned:

• Assistant Vice President for Health System Philanthropy
• Assistant Vice President for Development Marketing and Communications
• Senior Director for Engagement and Communications
• Two Senior Directors for Health System Philanthropy
• Senior Director for Philanthropy

The Senior Administrative Specialist provides senior-level administrative support in a confidential and professional manner, exercising independent judgment and discretion. This position is responsible for a broad range of duties including, but not limited to: executive scheduling and briefing, executive communications, special project coordination, scheduling complex meetings and interviews, planning travel and submitting reimbursements, onboarding new team members, and managing other administrative functions.

The Senior Administrative Specialist must have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with many complexities and ambiguity. The Senior Administrative Specialist manages relationships with internal and external stakeholders including other unit leadership, UW Administrators, UW Medicine faculty, donors, and other campus partners. The Senior Administrative Specialist reports to the Assistant Vice President for Health System Philanthropy and does not have any direct reports. It serves on and collaborates with a team of administrative specialists that also provide central support to UW Medicine Advancement.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations Administration: 30%

• Administrative duties include coordinating with the unit’s administrative team and acting as liaison for UW Medicine Advancement with other offices both in University Advancement and UW Medicine.
• Serve as liaison with departments within the School of Medicine, faculty and staff at affiliated hospitals including UW Medical Center – Montlake, UW Medical Center – Northwest, Harborview Medical Center, and Valley Medical Center, University Advancement, high-level volunteer groups, major donors, and other external audiences.
• Routinely exercise independent judgment and decision-making skills, set own work priorities, interpret policies, and provide direction, expertise, and assistance.
• Independently evaluate and take action on requests that affect the UW Medicine Advancement office while recognizing strategic priorities and when to escalate.
• Assist with the assessment of the support staff needs for UW Medicine Advancement office and with the hiring and training of permanent, temporary and student employees. Promote teamwork and professionalism.
• Coordinate with administrative team to ensure that main Advancement phone line and central office email addresses are covered and responses to callers and correspondence are timely and appropriate.
• Handle travel arrangements and prepare and submit reimbursement requests for supported leaders and their team members.
• When requested, provide administrative support to the Chief Advancement Officer, Associate Vice Presidents or Assistant Vice Presidents in the absence of their Executive Assistant and Senior Administrative Specialist.
• Schedule interviews and coordinate the onboarding program for new employees.
• Pull weekly and monthly reports from Reportal database as requested.
• Assist with entering donor contact reports are entered into UW’s proprietary CRM as requested.

Complex Scheduling and Administrative Support – 50%

• Calendar management for supported leaders:
• Schedule meetings, appointments, conferences, interviews, retreats and other team building meeting with staff. Secure briefings and materials for these engagements.
• Schedule donor visits, gather all necessary materials, and ensure that the donor has directions, parking instructions, and is met at the reception desk. Set up meeting rooms for attendees.
• Maintain list of assistants for executives, faculty, UW colleagues and donors as contacts.
• Receive and screen meeting invitations.
• Screen telephone calls and incoming requests for supported leaders.
• Make independent judgments on possible solutions such as referrals to other staff members as appropriate.
• Draft responses and provide replies based upon knowledge of the views and actions of supported leaders.
• Assist with correspondence, meeting minutes, PowerPoint and Excel materials to support presentations, reports and proposals for internal and external audiences.
• Draft and copyedit written materials.

Event Coordination and Special Projects – 20%

• Work with Executive Assistant and independently to plan for all-staff events such as retreats, meetings, and recognition events.
• Contact speakers, coordinate with vendors.
• Coordinate venue, food, A/V, set-up, clean-up (events staff may provide advice/assistance).
• Assist with special projects as needed.
• Provide administrative support for high-level fundraising volunteer committees.
• Provide information on advancement policies and philanthropy issues for internal and external audiences.
• Draft and coordinate agenda items and discussion documents/PowerPoints for various internal recurring meetings (for example, Principal Giving Prospects (PGP) monthly meetings and Frontline Fundraiser-FLF monthly meetings), take minutes, and track all information from these meetings for historical purposes.
• Assist with A/V set-up for hybrid meetings and in-person meetings.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Arts degree and four or more years of progressively responsible experience in an administrative office environment.
• Four or more years of experience providing direct support of an executive, senior administrator, or lead faculty member.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except where there are legal requirements such as license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Values the UW’s commitment to inclusiveness and UW Medicine’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization. Demonstrates respect and commitment to diversity.
• Demonstrated project management with creativity, organizational ability, empathy and strong attention to detail. Ability to manage emerging priorities and varying project timelines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation. Poised, professional manner and the ability to communicate clearly, directly and empathetically in all interactions: verbal and written communications, one-on-one conversations and in groups, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively and skillfully engage others in ways that help resolve differences, manage conflicts and build consensus, all with the best interests of the organization in mind.
• Demonstrated strong computer skills, including strong proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint and Teams for calendaring, correspondence, presentations, special reports, spreadsheets, etc. Comfort with learning new software.
• Works to resolve conflicts and differences through dialog and open communication in a timely manner. Sees every difference as an opportunity for growth and change.
• Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations, exercise good judgment based on information and analysis in a fast-paced, dynamic, deadline-driven environment in an organized and professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidences and protect confidential information.
• Ability to act in a selfless manner and model ethical values of UW Medicine.
• Equivalent education/experience may substitute for stated requirements.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Program management experience.
• Knowledge of development/advancement principles.
• Experience with UW travel, purchasing, budget and timekeeping systems and policies.
• Experience working with complex CRMs.