Executive Assistant and Office Manager

Executive Assistant and Office Manager

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The Opportunity

The Executive Assistant and Office Manager provides confidential, senior-level executive/administrative support to the Vice President and General Counsel, oversees the daily operation of the Office of General Counsel (OGC), and supervises the non-attorney staff in the Ithaca office.

Under the direction of the Vice President and General Counsel, the Executive Assistant and Office Manager will provide administrative and operational oversight for the office in a manner that demonstrates professionalism, collegiality, high ethical standards, confidence, respect, and advancement of the university’s core mission and objectives. This position will help ensure coordination and integration of the Weill Cornell Medicine and Ithaca OGC locations as one cohesive unit. This position works with a high degree of autonomy and judgment and requires the incumbent to act independently and with confidence in their decision-making ability.

The Executive Assistant and Office Manager will:

• Provide high-level support in furtherance of the Vice President and General Counsel’s internal and external professional responsibilities.
• Proactively manage the daily calendar, travel, and communications for the vice president and general counsel. Develop and prepare presentations, conduct topical research, gather appropriate background materials, draft internal and external reports and prepare the vice president for the day.
• Manage projects to include drafting information, tracking status and pending deadlines and, acting as liaison with others related to project deliverables. Apprise vice president and general counsel of project status and updates, and communicate any potential challenges.
• Ensure that the office is running smoothly and in compliance with university business practices and policies. including, but not limited to, directly or through supervision of other administrative staff.
• Supervise Ithaca campus non-attorney staff by providing direction, training, problem-solving, and performance management.
• Facilitate support for the attorneys in furtherance of the work of the office.
• Oversee office financial activities, including but not limited to, developing and monitoring the office budget, managing office financial accounts, approving financial transactions, and facilitating review and payment of outside counsel legal expenses.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the human resources division regarding human resource matters
• Develop and maintain the office’s standard operating procedures and calendar.
• Oversee the redesign of, and ongoing updates to the office website.
• Research and identify technology solutions to support the functions of the office and support existing systems.
• Effectively partner with the Office of the Secretary of the Corporation and Office of the Secretary of the Medical College.
• Represent the office on university-wide projects and successfully liaise with the university’s executive leaders, academic deans, and their staffs across the university’s multiple campuses.

About the Office of General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at Cornell University is a general practice law office that proactively advances the university’s mission by providing timely and trusted legal services and by diligently protecting the university’s resources. The office acts as the university’s legal advocate in various matters, including litigation, regulatory compliance, and business transactions.

Hours and Location

The core hours of the Office of General Counsel, and this role, are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. This role is performed onsite at the Office of General Counsel in Ithaca. The OGC site offers free parking for employees.

Success Factors

You’ll be considered competitive for this opportunity if you demonstrate:

• Executive Partnership & Anticipation: You anticipate needs, manage complex priorities and competing demands, and ensure senior leaders have the information, context, and preparation they need to be effective.
• Judgment & Discretion: You exercise exceptional judgment with confidential and sensitive matters, know when to act independently or escalate, and represent leadership priorities with professionalism and discretion.
• Operational Leadership: You bring organization to complexity, effectively manage office operations, people, budgets, projects, and workflows, a…