Executive Assistant

Executive Assistant (EA), People & Talent (P&T)If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:Grade: Professional 308Pay Range: $75,200.00 - $112,700.00Job DescriptionThe Executive Assistant (EA), People & Talent (P&T) is an individual who reports to the Sr. VP People & Talent, working closely with and supporting the SVP of P&T and VP of Total Rewards to proactively support university and department strategic initiatives. The individual in this position will act as an extension of the SVP/VP and will work in collaboration within the P&T organization as well as other areas of Western Governors University (WGU) to provide support with goals and deliverables to meet business needs and future growth. This position will coordinate multiple P&T projects, ensuring implementation is successful as well as aligned to department and university goals.This is a full-time, in-office position requiring 5 days per week in Salt Lake City, Utah, designed to foster the collaboration and connection that fuel our best work.Essential Functions and Responsibilities:The EA will be responsible for a range of activities and results, including:Act as point of contact between executives and employees and/or external candidates/vendorsBuild trusted relationships across P&T and enterprise stakeholders, serving as an employee liaison who navigates sensitive, confidential situations with diplomacy and sound judgementPrepare executive for meetings and presentations, calendar events with briefing packs, pre-reads, attendee alignment, and executive summariesRecord meeting notes, summarize action items, open questions and debrief as neededResearch, synthesize, and prepare briefing materials, decisions decks, talking points, and data-informed insights for executive meetings and business reviewsDraft, Edit, and polish high-level executive communications, presentations, and organizational messaging representing the SVP/VPMaintain SVP/VP's schedules by planning and scheduling meetings, teleconferences, and team events/activitiesOrganization and filing of electronic materials, including presentations, notes and supporting documents in a secure yet accessible wayPlan and lead operational cadences, including leadership meetings, planning sessions, and enterprise/culture eventsAssist with managing top-line department budget, which includes budget proposal, monthly and quarterly review, and reconciliation of invoices and monthly expense statements to ensure we manage within budgetCorrespond with and prepare travel for senior-level candidates up to and including interview schedules and follow-up logisticsWork closely with other team members to brainstorm, strategize and complete ad hoc requests creatively, effectively and efficientlyLeverage Microsoft 365 (Teams, Sharepoint, Excel, PowerPoint) and AI-powered tools (e.g. Copilot) to manage project hubs, automate workflows, and optimize information flowSupport the SVP/VP with administrative needs that include processing T&E expenses, booking travel, scheduling and coordinating meetings/eventsPrepare meeting materials and logistics for departmental meetings, external sessions and workshopsCoordinate team activities including workshops and teambuilding activitiesOther duties as assignedRequired Skills and Experience:Extensive knowledge of modern executive administrative operations, calendar design, travel, and expense management in a distributed work environmentAdvanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams) with practical experience importing, verifying and presenting data via reports and visual graphsSuperior written, verbal and active listening skills, with the proven ability to articulate complex concepts and draft executive communications representing the SVP/VPExceptional maturity personal leadership, and sound judgement when handling sensitive, highly confidential employee and enterprise mattersThrives in high-energy, fast-paced environments. Comfortably adapts to change, shifts gears, prioritizes under tight deadlines and acts decisively without having the complete pictureHighly organized with exceptional attention to detail, time management, and a strong sense of accountability to follow tasks through to completionAbility to empathize with individuals when approached for help in different situational circumstancesAbility to work with confidential information and to apply maturity and discretion in daily operational roleStrong interpersonal skills to build trust and work seamlessly across P&T, cross-department teams, and stakeholdersComprehensive thinker – can infer and identify the many potential items and actions relating to a project or request – digs deep when needed – assimilates new information quicklyCompetencies:Influences Others and Communicates Effectively:Communicates to improve and promote teamwork, decision making and problem-solving.

Listens and responds effectively to the reactions and positions of others and encourages the expression of diverse ideas and opinions. Adjusts message and style to fit the audience. Provides timely and helpful feedback. Communicates appropriately to win support of all.Collaborates:Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas. Partners with others to get work done. Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments. Gains buy-in, trust and support of others.Manages Ambiguity:Deals comfortably with the uncertainty of change. Effectively handles risk.

Can decide and act without the total picture. Is calm and productive, even when things are up in the air. Deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions or outcomes.Is Resilient:Is confident under pressure. Handles and manages crises effectively. Maintains a positive attitude despite adversity. Bounces back from obstacles and setbacks. Grows from hardships and negative experiences.Drives for Results:Has a strong outcomes-based orientation. Persists in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and set backs. Has a track record of successfully exceeding goals.

Pushes self and others to achieve results to positively impact WGU and our students. Has a continuous improvement mindset.Organizational Learning:Learns quickly when facing new situations. Experiments to find new solutions and enhance the student experience. Takes on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks. Extracts lessons learned from failures and mistakes. Expands knowledge through ongoing curiosity.Education and Experience Qualifications:Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience) in human resources or business-related field preferred5-7 years of executive support/assistant experience supporting C-Suite leadershipHuman resources experience is a plus for this roleExceptional working knowledge of MS Office tools and technology: PowerPoint, Excel, WebEx, Teams, etc.This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.