Director of Presidential Operations

Job description

Founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York, the University of Mount Saint Vincent is an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts university. The University combines a strong core curriculum with a full array of majors in the liberal arts and, within the tradition of liberal education, selected professional fields of study.

At Mount Saint Vincent, a student's education extends beyond knowledge, skills, and preparation for work. We seek the development of the whole person. In the spirit of Vincent de Paul and Elizabeth Ann Seton, we foster an understanding of our common humanity, a commitment to human dignity, and a full appreciation of our obligations to each other.

Position Summary

The Director of Presidential Operations is responsible for maximizing the effectiveness of the President and the Office of the President through exceptional executive operations, sound judgment, proactive coordination, and flawless execution.

Reporting directly to the President and working in close partnership with the Vice President for Strategy, the Director manages the operating infrastructure of the Office of the President and owns the operational integration between the two leaders - ensuring that shared priorities, strategic sequencing, executive decision‑making, calendar choreography, and institutional execution remain synchronized across the work of the Office of the President.

This role combines sophisticated executive judgment with hands‑on responsibility for the essential administrative functions of a highly active President's Office, including complex calendar management, domestic and international travel, Board of Trustees operations, executive meeting preparation, correspondence and briefing workflows, records, office operations, events, visitors, and selected scheduling and logistics support for the Vice President for Strategy.

The Director serves as a trusted operating partner who is expected to anticipate needs, exercise independent judgment, distinguish urgency from importance, identify and resolve problems before they reach the President, and maintain clarity and momentum amid constantly shifting priorities.

This is not a Chief of Staff position. The Director does not substitute for Cabinet leadership, own institutional strategy, or exercise presidential authority unless expressly delegated. Rather, the Director ensures that presidential priorities, decisions, relationships, and commitments are prepared, coordinated, visible, and executed reliably while respecting the authority of Cabinet leaders and other institutional owners.

The successful candidate will be a seasoned executive professional who is equally comfortable preparing a sensitive Board briefing, negotiating competing demands on the President's calendar, coordinating complex travel, drafting executive correspondence, following up with a Cabinet member, troubleshooting an event, and redesigning a recurring process so the same problem does not happen twice.

This is a full‑time, exempt, in‑office and highly visible campus role requiring occasional evening and weekend availability for Board meetings, presidential events, travel, and other mission‑critical institutional activities.

Responsibilities

Presidential Operations and Executive Logistics

Own and strategically manage the President's complex calendar, applying sound judgment to prioritize meetings, relationships, commitments, preparation time, travel, and institutional priorities

Serve as a strategic gatekeeper for presidential time, appropriately accepting, declining, redirecting, sequencing, and negotiating routine requests within established parameters

Anticipate calendar conflicts, preparation needs, travel considerations, stakeholder sensitivities, and downstream consequences before they become problems

Coordinate domestic and international travel, including transportation, accommodations, ground logistics, itineraries, meeting materials, contingency planning, and post-travel follow-through

Maintain an integrated rolling view of the President's commitments, travel, major institutional events, Board activities, external engagements, and strategic priorities

Strategically coordinate agreed scheduling, meetings, travel, and executive logistics for the Vice President for Strategy to protect time for strategic planning, executive preparation, external partnerships, presidential priorities, Board matters, and major institutional initiatives, particularly where his work intersects with the President, Cabinet, or other institutional leaders

Coordinate presidential meetings, events, visitors, and engagements, including room arrangements, catering, technology, materials, protocol, arrival and departure logistics, and contingency plans

Manage routine administrative functions of the Office of the President, including office budget tracking, purchasing and expense processes, records, supplies, technology needs, and other operational requirements

Maintain a professional, welcoming, discreet, and highly responsive environment for trustees, Sisters, students, faculty, staff, donors, government officials, community partners, and other visitors to the Office of the President

Executive Integration and Follow‑Through

Own the operational integration between the President and Vice President for Strategy, ensuring shared priorities, strategic sequencing, executive decision‑making, calendar choreography, strategic convenings, and institutional execution remain synchronized

Maintain an integrated operating view of selected strategic initiatives jointly sponsored by the President and Vice President for Strategy, including owners, decisions, milestones, dependencies, commitments, risks, deadlines, and next executive checkpoints, without assuming ownership of institutional strategy or substituting for Cabinet leadership

Translate presidential direction into clear next steps by identifying what has been decided, what remains exploratory, who owns the next action, what information is required, and when the matter returns for review

Maintain visibility into presidential priorities, decisions, commitments, and significant open matters to ensure important work does not depend upon the President's memory or personal follow‑through

Monitor action items and commitments emerging from presidential, Cabinet, Board, and executive meetings and ensure appropriate owners and deadlines are clear

Identify stalled work, missing information, conflicting priorities and unresolved dependencies and elevate them at the appropriate time

Exercise independent judgment about what can be resolved without presidential involvement and what requires escalation

Communicate difficult information, emerging risk, missed commitments, or potential problems promptly and candidly; the position operates under a strong no‑surprises expectation

Help distinguish genuinely urgent matters from activity that merely feels urgent, allowing the President and Vice President for Strategy to maintain a high but sustainable operating pace

Design, maintain, and regularly test documented operating procedures, workflows, checklists, templates, continuity plans, and backup protocols for every recurring and essential Office of the President process - including Board cycles, executive briefings, travel, meetings, decision tracking, relationship follow‑through, and office operations - so recurring problems are solved and continuity does not depend on one individual

Board of Trustees and Governance Operations

Coordinate the operational work associated with the University's Board of Trustees in partnership with the President, Board leadership, and appropriate institutional officers

Maintain the Board calendar and coordinate meeting schedules, materials, communications, technology, hospitality, attendance, and related logistics

Establish and monitor timelines for Board and committee materials and proactively follow up with responsible contributors to ensure deadlines and standards are met

Prepare the President for Board and committee meetings through concise briefing materials, trustee context, anticipated questions, decision requirements, and logistical preparation

Maintain accurate and confidential trustee records, directories, committee information, meeting records, and related governance materials consistent with University policies and bylaws

Coordinate secure distribution of Board materials and ensure appropriate confidentiality and records practices

Track Board decisions, requests, and commitments and coordinate timely institutional follow‑through

Exercise exceptional discretion when managing governance matters, executive‑session materials, trustee concerns, and other sensitive information

Executive Communications and Briefings

Prepare concise, decision‑ready briefing materials for presidential meetings, Board engagements, donor conversations, government meetings, external partnerships, speaking engagements, travel, and other consequential activities

Draft, edit, and prepare executive correspondence, including emails, letters, memoranda, reports, acknowledgements, presentations, talking points, and other materials

Learn and consistently reflect the President's communication style and voice while maintaining accuracy, clarity, professionalism, warmth, and appropriate institutional context

Gather information from across the University and external sources, synthesize complex material, verify key facts, and determine what the President actually needs to know

Ensure that significant meetings and engagements have a defined purpose, desired outcome, appropriate preparation, and clear follow‑up

Coordinate executive communications workflows with Communications, Advancement and External Relations, Government Relations, Academic Affairs, and other offices as appropriate

Maintain appropriate standards and approval protocols for correspondence sent on behalf of the President

Relationship and External Engagement Coordination

Support the President's relationships with trustees, Sisters, donors and prospects, alumni, government and civic leaders, strategic partners, students, faculty, staff, higher education colleagues, and other important stakeholders

Maintain appropriate information regarding priority relationships, previous engagements, open commitments, sensitivities, institutional ownership, and next steps

Prepare the President for consequential interactions by providing relevant history, context, interests, affiliations, relationship considerations, and desired outcomes

Coordinate closely with Advancement and External Relations, Government Relations, Communications, Cabinet members, and other relationship owners to avoid duplication and ensure continuity

Track presidential promises and commitments and ensure every significant commitment has an owner, deadline, and documented follow‑through

Anticipate opportunities for presidential outreach, acknowledgement, recognition, stewardship, or relationship repair

Institutional Learning, Technology, and AI‑Enabled Operations

Use technology and approved AI tools thoughtfully to increase the efficiency, quality, and responsiveness of the Office of the President

Develop and improve AI‑assisted workflows for appropriate activities such as executive briefing preparation, public‑source research, meeting summaries, environmental scanning, correspondence development, travel preparation, and workflow management

Apply rigorous human judgment to all technology‑assisted work, including verification of facts, confidentiality, tone, institutional context, and appropriateness

Maintain strong awareness of emerging technology and productivity tools that may improve executive operations

Curate relevant information and emerging developments for the President and Vice President for Strategy rather than simply forwarding information

Identify recurring manual processes that can be simplified, standardized, automated, or eliminated while maintaining appropriate controls

Requirements

Skills and Education

Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience supporting a president, CEO, chancellor, provost, foundation executive, senior government official, or comparable senior leader in a complex organization

Demonstrated success simultaneously managing sophisticated executive logistics and exercising significant independent judgment

Experience working in higher education, nonprofit leadership, healthcare, philanthropy, government, or another complex mission‑driven environment strongly preferred

Experience working with a governing board and managing sensitive governance materials, senior‑level communications, and confidential information

Exceptional organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, stakeholders, and rapidly changing circumstances simultaneously

Outstanding judgment, discretion, maturity, and political and institutional awareness

Demonstrated ability to anticipate executive needs and act proactively rather than waiting for direction

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while knowing when consultation or escalation is required

Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, quality, and sustained follow‑through

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information and draft executive‑level correspondence and briefing materials

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop trusted relationships with trustees, senior executives, faculty, staff, students, donors, Sisters, government officials, community leaders, and external partners

Ability to communicate bad news, push back appropriately, say no diplomatically, and respectfully challenge assumptions when doing so serves the President or institution

Ability to remain calm, organized, responsive, and effective in a high‑energy environment characterized by substantial activity, shifting priorities, compressed timelines, and high expectations

Strong project coordination and systems‑thinking capabilities, with an instinct for improving processes rather than repeatedly managing the same failure

Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and contemporary executive productivity tools

Demonstrated fluency with or strong capacity to learn and responsibly employ AI tools in executive‑office workflows

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree welcome but not required

Qualifications Preferred

Significant experience supporting a university president, chancellor, provost, CEO, or similarly senior executive

Demonstrated experience coordinating the operating interface between senior leaders while maintaining clear reporting, priority, decision, and accountability relationships

Experience in higher education and familiarity with the rhythms, governance structures, stakeholder groups, and culture of a university environment

Experience coordinating Board of Trustees or other governing‑board operations

Experience managing complex domestic and international executive travel

Experience preparing executive briefing materials and senior‑level correspondence

Familiarity with advancement, government relations, strategic planning, external partnerships, or executive communications

Demonstrated experience using technology and AI to improve executive‑office efficiency and quality

Commitment to and understanding of the mission, values, and strategic direction of the University of Mount Saint Vincent

The Person Who Will Thrive in This Role

The successful Director will derive satisfaction from making a complex executive office work extraordinarily well rather than from proximity to the President or institutional power.

This person will be an integrator who respects the importance of logistics; a sophisticated thinker who will still book the flight, correct the Board packet, follow up on the missing document, and make sure the room is ready; a strong writer who understands that concise is usually better; and a relationship professional who can be warm without losing boundaries or judgment.

The Director must be comfortable working with a President who maintains a high level of activity, moves quickly among issues and constituencies, generates new ideas frequently, and expects excellent and timely follow‑through. The right person will not attempt to match the President meeting for meeting or manufacture constant urgency. Instead, the Director will create the structure, preparation, prioritization, and operational discipline that allow a fast‑moving presidency to remain effective and sustainable.

Above all, the successful candidate will consistently ask: What can I anticipate, resolve, prepare, clarify, or complete so that the President does not have to?

Sample Performance Measures Will Include

The President's calendar demonstrates clear alignment with institutional and presidential priorities

Significant meetings and external engagements are consistently supported by timely, concise, accurate, and useful briefing materials

Presidential travel, meetings, events, visitors, and office logistics are executed reliably and with appropriate contingency planning

Board materials and meeting logistics are completed accurately and on schedule, with timely follow‑up on Board decisions and commitments

The operating integration between the President and Vice President for Strategy is predictable, documented, and effective, and jointly sponsored strategic initiatives maintain visible ownership, decision tracking, milestone awareness, dependency visibility, and executive follow‑through

Essential presidential‑office processes have current documented workflows, checklists, templates, continuity plans, and designated backup owners; no critical recurring function depends on a single individual

Presidential decisions, commitments, and significant follow‑up items are captured, assigned, tracked, and closed without requiring repeated prompting

Emerging risks, conflicts, and missed commitments are identified and escalated early rather than becoming surprises

Trustees, donors, Sisters, government officials, partners, students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders experience professionalism, preparation, responsiveness, and continuity from the Office of the President

Executive correspondence and communications demonstrate exceptional accuracy, judgment, and an increasingly strong understanding of the President's voice

Appropriate AI and technology tools demonstrably reduce repetitive work while maintaining confidentiality, accuracy, institutional judgment, and human accountability

The Director can identify processes that have been improved, automated, simplified, delegated, or eliminated - not simply additional work absorbed

The President and Vice President for Strategy spend more time on work only they can do and less time managing logistics, sequencing, and follow‑up that can appropriately be owned by the Director

Benefits

The annual salary range for this position is $110,000 to $120,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees' health, financial well‑being, and work‑life balance. Benefits for eligible employees include:

Paid time off, including vacation and sick leave

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Enhanced Short-Term Disability coverage

Employer‑paid Long-Term Disability coverage

Voluntary Life Insurance

Commuter benefits

403(b) Retirement Plan

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Professional development opportunities

Tuition benefits for employees and their dependents

Eligibility for benefits is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable benefit plans and University policies.

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Worksite address

new york, NY, 10261, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.