Executive Administrative Specialist (VP & General Counsel Administration) at Johns Hopkins University

Job description

The Office of General Counsel, led by the Senior Vice President and General Counsel, is seeking an experienced, highly organized Executive Administrative Specialist to provide hands-on leadership and coordination for the office’s administrative operations and support team. The Executive Administrative Specialist will supervise and work alongside a team of Administrative Coordinators responsible for executive and practice group scheduling, reception and front-office operations, meeting coordination, invoice processing, and financial administration. This position will provide day-to-day direction, coordinate workloads and coverage, establish consistent administrative practices, and ensure the OGC Executive Team and Practice Group Leads receive responsive, high-quality support. The Executive Administrative Specialist is expected to understand and actively participate in the full range of responsibilities performed by the Administrative Coordinator team and must be prepared to step in to provide scheduling, front-office, meeting, financial, and administrative support during absences, periods of high volume, or as office needs require. Working directly with the Chief of Staff, the Executive Administrative Specialist will help anticipate office needs, resolve administrative challenges, strengthen processes, and create consistency across administrative operations. Successful performance requires strong judgment, discretion, initiative, adaptability, leadership skills, and exceptional attention to detail. On-Site Requirement - This position is intended to operate as a hybrid role with a significant on-site presence. Due to the position’s responsibility for team leadership, front-office operations, and real-time administrative support, the Executive Administrative Specialist is generally expected to work on-site four days per week, or approximately 75–100% of scheduled hours, based on office coverage, operational needs, and OGC priorities. For full consideration, candidates should submit a cover letter specific to this role along with their most recent resume. Specific Duties & Responsibilities Team Leadership & Administrative Operations • Supervise and work alongside Administrative Coordinators supporting the OGC Executive Team and Practice Group Leads; provide day-to-day direction, establish priorities, coordinate workloads and coverage, and promote consistent service across the office. • Train, coach, and cross-train team members; support onboarding and performance feedback and ensure the team has the knowledge and resources necessary to perform effectively. • Maintain working knowledge of all Administrative Coordinator responsibilities and routinely step in to provide direct coverage during absences, high-volume periods, and/or changing business needs. • Identify opportunities to strengthen administrative processes, clarify responsibilities, improve workflow, and create greater consistency across the office. Scheduling & Executive Support • Oversee and actively participate in complex calendar management and scheduling for the OGC Executive Team and Practice Group Leads, including meetings, events, travel-related scheduling, and appointments. • Resolve complex scheduling conflicts, coordinate competing priorities, and personally manage high-priority or sensitive scheduling and meeting needs when appropriate. • Work directly with the Executive Legal Specialist to coordinate General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel priorities, anticipate executive support needs, and ensure effective day-to-day support of the office. Reception & Front Office Operations • Oversee front-office and reception operations and ensure appropriate coverage and a professional, responsive experience for attorneys, university leaders, outside counsel, clients, visitors, and other stakeholders. • Provide direct front-office coverage when necessary, including welcoming and directing visitors, responding to inquiries, coordinating meetings and materials, and managing incoming administrative needs. • Partner with attorneys, paralegals, administrative professionals, and university partners to coordinate administrative activities and maintain effective office operations. • Develop, review, and/or recommend administrative processes and procedures to assure efficiency in general office operations. • Assist in maintaining and updating centralized library of shared office resources. Financial Administration • Oversee and actively participate in invoice processing, payments, expenses, financial tracking, reconciliation, and related administrative financial activities. • Maintain financial administrative workflows and transactions for accuracy, timeliness, appropriate documentation, and adherence to university procedures. • Work with attorneys, paralegals, outside counsel, vendors, and university partners to obtain documentation, resolve invoice and payment matters, and support timely financial processing. • Manage and work alongside the Administrative Coordinator Team to ensure office reimbursements, including maintaining required receipts and supporting documentation for travel, meals, membership fees, and other approved business expenses are submitted and in accordance with university policies and procedures. • Manage office supply procurement process, including sourcing routine and general office supplies, placing orders through established requisition processes, and monitoring inventory to ensure appropriate supplies are available to support daily office operations. Additional Responsibilities • Assist with files, letters, and preparation of departmental reports. • Serve as an administrative resource and escalation point for the team, independently resolving issues when appropriate and elevating matters to the Chief of Staff as necessary. • Perform other administrative responsibilities, operational initiatives, and special projects as assigned. Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor's Degree. • Five years of progressively responsible experience providing administrative support with experience working on a wide variety of special projects and special assignments. • Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education permitted by the JHU equivalency formula beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula. Preferred Qualifications • Prior supervisory or team-lead experience, including work allocation, coaching, training, cross-training, and performance feedback. • Experience supporting senior executives, attorneys, legal departments, higher education leadership, professional services organizations, or similarly complex organizations. • Experience leading administrative operations supporting multiple senior leaders, teams, or functional areas. • Experience with accounts payable, expense management, financial reconciliation, financial tracking, and enterprise financial or procurement systems. • Demonstrated ability to anticipate organizational needs, improve administrative processes, establish effective workflows, and create consistency and accountability across a team. • Demonstrated experience supervising, leading, training, or providing day-to-day work direction to administrative staff. • Demonstrated experience managing complex executive calendars, coordinating competing priorities, and supporting senior-level stakeholders. • Experience with invoice processing, payments, expenses, financial tracking, reconciliation, or related financial administration. • Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, delegate and prioritize work, resolve problems, maintain confidentiality, and follow matters through to completion. • Strong organizational, written, verbal, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Classified Title: Executive Assistant Job Posting Title (Working Title): Executive Administrative Specialist (VP & General Counsel Administration) Role/Level/Range: ATO 37.5/03/OG Starting Salary Range: $24.85 - $43.55 HRLY (Commensurate w/exp.) Employee group: Full Time Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Location: Homewood Campus Department name: VP and General Counsel Administration Personnel area: University Administration

Requirements

Must-haves

For full consideration, candidates should submit a cover letter specific to this role along with their most recent resume.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Administrative Operations
Train, coach, and cross-train team members; support onboarding and performance feedback and ensure the team has the knowledge and resources necessary to perform effectively.
Maintain working knowledge of all Administrative Coordinator responsibilities and routinely step in to provide direct coverage during absences, high-volume periods, and/or changing business needs.
Identify opportunities to strengthen administrative processes, clarify responsibilities, improve workflow, and create greater consistency across the office.
Scheduling & Executive Support
Oversee and actively participate in complex calendar management and scheduling for the OGC Executive Team and Practice Group Leads, including meetings, events, travel-related scheduling, and appointments.
Resolve complex scheduling conflicts, coordinate competing priorities, and personally manage high-priority or sensitive scheduling and meeting needs when appropriate.
Work directly with the Executive Legal Specialist to coordinate General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel priorities, anticipate executive support needs, and ensure effective day-to-day support of the office.
Reception & Front Office Operations
Oversee front-office and reception operations and ensure appropriate coverage and a professional, responsive experience for attorneys, university leaders, outside counsel, clients, visitors, and other stakeholders.

Nice-to-haves

Prior supervisory or team-lead experience, including work allocation, coaching, training, cross-training, and performance feedback.
Experience supporting senior executives, attorneys, legal departments, higher education leadership, professional services organizations, or similarly complex organizations.
Experience leading administrative operations supporting multiple senior leaders, teams, or functional areas.
Experience with accounts payable, expense management, financial reconciliation, financial tracking, and enterprise financial or procurement systems.
Demonstrated ability to anticipate organizational needs, improve administrative processes, establish effective workflows, and create consistency and accountability across a team.
Demonstrated experience supervising, leading, training, or providing day-to-day work direction to administrative staff.
Demonstrated experience managing complex executive calendars, coordinating competing priorities, and supporting senior-level stakeholders.
Experience with invoice processing, payments, expenses, financial tracking, reconciliation, or related financial administration.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, delegate and prioritize work, resolve problems, maintain confidentiality, and follow matters through to completion.
Strong organizational, written, verbal, interpersonal, and leadership skills.
Classified Title: Executive Assistant
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Executive Administrative Specialist (VP & General Counsel Administration)

Application prep

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