Executive Assistant

NO VISA SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION.

Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a Baskin Engineering or affiliate staff position. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa for staff.

HOW TO APPLY

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 10-26-2026

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz is unique among public engineering schools. Founded in 1997, in the age of the internet, the Baskin Engineering community is deeply committed to addressing the most important engineering challenges posed by our modern world. Faculty and students pursue novel, visionary research guided by a mission to create positive societal impact. Through future-looking programs of study and opportunities to engage in collaborative research across campus and with industry partners in Santa Cruz and nearby Silicon Valley, Baskin engineers are developing meaningful innovations that improve the lives of people and the health of our planet.

In addition to the scenic residential campus in Santa Cruz, the Westside Research Park hosts genomics and electrical and computer engineering labs and interdisciplinary research. Baskin's Silicon Valley campus is home to faculty, graduate students, and professional master's programs with deep connections to this world-renowned hub for research and innovation.

Baskin Engineering champions new ideas, fosters collaboration, and upholds the UCSC Principles of Community.

JOB SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Senior Assistant Dean, the Executive Assistant provides professional, confidential, and high-level administrative support to the Dean of Baskin Engineering and helps ensure the effective operation of the Dean's Office. The incumbent independently oversees the Dean's complex calendar and executive workflow, coordinates leadership meetings, events, communications, and follow-up, oversees office operations and financial transactions, and provides administrative and project support to the Assistant and Associate Deans. The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted liaison with faculty, staff, students, campus leaders, external partners, and other executive offices, and independently researches, analyzes, and resolves complex administrative issues. The incumbent exercises a high degree of judgment, initiative, political acumen, confidentiality, and discretion in setting priorities, anticipating needs, developing solutions, and managing multiple high-priority demands in a fast-paced academic environment.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $98,150- $114,700/year. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Career appointment

Job End Date: None

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus

Union Representation: Non-Represented

Job Code Classification: 007385 (EXEC AST 4) - Grade 22

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

40% - Executive, Calendar & Administrative Support

• Independently oversees and optimizes the Dean's complex and frequently changing calendar, ensuring accurate scheduling of meetings, travel time, on- and off-campus appointments, and dedicated work blocks. Evaluates requests, anticipates conflicts, establishes priorities, resolves issues proactively, and communicates changes promptly to all stakeholders.
• Coordinates the Dean's executive workflow and serves as a gatekeeper, ensuring that urgent, sensitive, and high-impact matters are identified, routed, and addressed appropriately.
• Coordinates communications and administrative processes for work conducted in direct support of the Dean, often involving confidential personnel, academic, financial, or institutional matters.
• Provides executive-level administrative support to the Assistant and Associate Deans, including scheduling, correspondence, official communications, meeting preparation, and event coordination as needed.
• Researches, compiles, analyzes, and summarizes information. Prepares background materials, briefing documents, talking points, reports, presentations, and draft responses for the Dean and divisional leadership.
• Monitors and oversees the Dean's Office email accounts. Triages correspondence, drafts and distributes communications, coordinates review and signature requests, and ensures that confidential personnel or institutional documents are handled and routed appropriately.
• Tracks delegated assignments, decisions, commitments, and deadlines. Briefs the Dean and leadership on pending matters and ensures thorough, timely follow-through.
• Screens and responds to inquiries on behalf of the Dean's Office, resolving issues independently when appropriate and escalating matters requiring executive attention.
• Maintains well-organized electronic and paper records and exercises a high degree of discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Provides responsive customer service and maintains a welcoming presence for faculty, staff, students, and visitors to the Dean's Office.

20% - Meeting, Event & Commencement Coordination

• Independently coordinates divisional leadership, department chair, committee, and campus partner meetings. Develops timelines, prepares and distributes agendas and background materials, documents decisions, and tracks action items.
• Coordinates recurring department chair and divisional leadership meetings for the Dean.
• Plans and coordinates divisional events, including commencement, receptions, leadership meetings, retreats, and external visits.
• Oversees complex logistics for meetings, conferences, reviews, and events, including scheduling, facilities, hybrid participation, catering, travel, accessibility needs, and reimbursements.
• Supports advisory committees, including membership and appointment communications, meeting logistics, records, and coordination with faculty leads and campus offices.
• Coordinates the executive-office components of departmental external reviews and other high-level visits, including executive and central-administration schedules, committee correspondence, visitor arrangements, honoraria, travel documentation, and reimbursements.
• Identifies and resolves operational or logistical problems and makes recommendations regarding event scope, schedule, resources, and procedures.

20% - Dean's Office Operations & Financial Administration

• Coordinates the day-to-day operations of the Dean's Office and suite, establishing and maintaining efficient administrative systems, procedures, records, shared resources, and service standards.
• Oversees reservations and operating expectations for the Dean's Office and divisionally administered meeting spaces and coordinates office coverage, mail, reception, and visitor support.
• Initiates, tracks, reconciles, and maintains documentation for financial transactions, including travel and entertainment reimbursements, mileage, purchase orders, procurement, catering, invoices, and other office expenditures, in accordance with University policy.
• Arranges and administers business travel for the Dean and Dean's Office. Prepares itineraries, communicates University requirements, reconciles expenses, and coordinates required senior officer or exception approvals.
• Uses and reconciles assigned University purchasing and travel cards and initiates purchases and service requests through approved systems. Consults with Purchasing and divisional financial staff regarding contracts, policy exceptions, and unusual transactions.
• Maintains the physical security and confidentiality of the Dean's Office and suite, including access control and appropriate handling and retention of sensitive materials.
• Provides work direction, training, and quality review for student assistants, temporary staff, or other employees assigned to support Dean's Office operations.

15% - Project, Communication & Liaison Support

• Leads or coordinates assigned administrative projects, reports, reviews, and divisional initiatives from planning through completion, developing work plans, tracking deliverables, coordinating contributors, and resolving barriers.
• Collects, evaluates, organizes, and synthesizes information for divisional communications, presentations, reports, and data requests; identifies gaps and obtains clarification or additional information as needed.
• Serves as a principal point of contact for the Dean's Office and communicates with diplomacy and political acumen on behalf of the Dean and divisional leadership.
• Maintains divisional communication channels and distribution groups and supports announcements and message-center content.
• Maintains executive-office reference resources and tracking tools, including leadership and emergency contact lists, recurring-meeting schedules, committee rosters, and official correspondence archives.
• Tracks tasks and deadlines for high-priority initiatives, maintaining reliable and proactive follow-through with all stakeholders.
• Develops and recommends process improvements that increase the efficiency, accuracy, responsiveness, and continuity of executive-office operations.

5% - General Administrative Support

• Provides backup and surge support for high-priority divisional activities and executive-office needs.
• Supports commencement, emergency-management communications, and other time-sensitive or university-wide activities assigned to the Dean's Office.
• Maintains current knowledge of applicable University policies, procedures, systems, and resources and applies them appropriately to assigned work.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Advanced organizational and time-management skills, with demonstrated ability to independently manage a complex executive calendar, competing priorities, and rapidly changing demands.
• Demonstrated reliability, responsiveness, sound judgment, and consistent follow-through on sensitive and time-critical work.
• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, and quality, including the ability to independently review and correct work before completion.
• Advanced ability to organize and coordinate executive-office operations, establish priorities, anticipate needs, and develop effective administrative systems and procedures.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to research and synthesize information, evaluate alternatives, and resolve complex or unprecedented administrative issues with a high degree of autonomy.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to draft, edit, and proofread executive-level correspondence, reports, briefings, and presentations.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including active listening and diplomacy.
• Strong interpersonal skills and political acumen to navigate sensitive situations and communicate effectively with senior leaders and diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in handling highly confidential or sensitive personnel, academic, financial, and institutional information.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including developing work plans, coordinating multiple contributors, tracking deliverables, and completing complex assignments within demanding timeframes.
• Experience performing or coordinating financial transactions such as purchasing, travel and entertainment reimbursement, invoice processing, reconciliation, and record keeping.
• Advanced proficiency with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, and the ability to learn and use organization-specific administrative, financial, and collaboration systems, including Slack for internal communications and Asana for task management.
• Demonstrated commitment to professional, respectful, responsive, and inclusive service with the ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Thorough knowledge of UC Santa Cruz or comparable higher-education administrative structures, policies, protocols, and procedures.
• Substantial experience supporting a dean, vice chancellor, chair, or other senior executive in a complex higher-education or similarly decentralized organization.
• Experience independently coordinating high-profile meetings, events, reviews, or executive projects involving multiple senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge of applicable records-management, privacy, accessibility, and student-information requirements, including FERPA where relevant.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• Ability to ascend/descend ladders with or without accommodation.
• Ability to safely perform the physical requirements necessary to move light to moderate objects up to 60 lbs., with or without accommodation.
• The selected candidate will be required to work primarily on campus, with periods of remote work possible based on operational needs. If a hybrid work schedule is confirmed, the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
• Ability to occasionally work overtime with little or no advance notice.
• Ability to respond to emergencies after hours as necessary.
• Ability to work overtime including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays to meet operational needs, and work an alternate work schedule shift as required.
• Ability to travel to multiple work locations on and off campus.
• Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.

MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
  • UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
  • UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
  • Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.