Administrative Assistant for Senior VP for University Advancement

Full-time position - Posted 12/23/25

Position summary

Responsible for a wide variety of administrative tasks and projects supporting the Senior Vice President for University Advancement and the University Advancement mission, goals and team. Serves as a liaison to donors, alumni, volunteers, and trustees while managing complex projects and office operations.

Role qualifications

• Strong ability to create good will and relate interpersonally with university guests, staff, faculty, and students.
• Committed to excellence in work; detail-oriented and accurate.
• Project manager with the ability to assume responsibility and set priorities with minimal supervision.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Comfortable and good working with numbers.
• Can work and thrive in a fast-paced work environment.
• Flexible and capable of changing projects as needed.
• Can multitask numerous projects with various deadlines.
• Trustworthy with confidential information.
• Is a team player and can work and thrive in a team environment.
• Customer-service mindset with a commitment to supporting mission-driven work.
• Commitment to the Articles of Faith, Mission, and Objectives of the University; and desires to be a role model for students by demonstrating an active Christian faith in personal example and in work-related responsibilities.

Position responsibilities

Project Management

• Serves as the University Advancement Office Manager and manages all aspects of the office, including office moves, maintenance requests, overseeing copiers and printers, maintaining office supplies and other office management duties.
• Distribute incoming mail as needed.
• Manage and monitor UA budgets, providing a monthly summary to the SVP.
• Manage some aspects of alumni and friends overseas and US-based trips led by the SVP.
• Manage timelines and deadlines for Advancement deliverables.
• Serve as UMC Accounts Payable Manager, creating vouchers, invoices, billing spreadsheets and new job requests.
• Other duties as assigned.

Administrative Assistant for SVP for Advancement

• Facilitate and manage aspects and details of the SVP’s office.
• Manage the SVP’s calendar, including meetings, travel, and donor visits.
• Supervise work study students.
• Screen and prioritize emails, calls, and meeting requests.
• Perform clerical duties for SVP, including answering phones and creating and typing correspondence.
• Create meeting agendas, notes, and follow-up actions.
• Handle visitors and callers efficiently and graciously; ensure that messages are forwarded promptly.
• Coordinate travel arrangements, itineraries, and expense reports.
• Reconcile monthly credit card statements and maintain proper receipting and records.
• Maintain donor confidentiality and support the preparation of donor briefings, thank-you letters, and contact reports.
• Support the SVP in stewardship and cultivation efforts through research and tracking relationships.
• Serve as an administrative liaison to key donors, alumni, volunteers, and trustees.
• Draft, proofread, and format correspondence, reports, proposals, and presentations.
• Draft letters and other written materials for SVP.
• Maintain filing for the office of SVP for University Advancement.
• Prepare birthday cards and other notes for constituents assigned to SVP.
• Schedule and prepare materials and meeting agendas for internal and external meetings.
• Help facilitate presentations needed for board, alumni meetings and other events as needed.
• Coordinate JBU Board of Trustee Development Committee meetings, agendas, presentations and minutes.
• Assist SVP for University Advancement in staff recruitment and help with orienting and onboarding new staff.
• Meet and communicate regularly with SVP for University Advancement on projects and responsibilities.

Database

• Input data into Raiser's Edge NXT and help the data team with database needs.
• Serve as backup in various Raiser's Edge NXT database functions.

Essential skills and experience

• Project Management.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Highly organized.
• Proficient or ability to become proficient in Microsoft Office applications and Raiser's Edge NXT database.
• Customer-service mindset with a commitment to supporting mission-driven work.
• Ability to utilize AI to achieve efficiencies.
• Detail-oriented, but able to be flexible in a fast-paced and constantly changing fundraising environment.
• Ability to own projects, navigate challenges, and finish the projects.

Preferred skills and experience

• Project management and/or administrative/office experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience in CRM system such as Raiser's Edge.
• Demonstrated understanding of fundraising, donor engagement, and the broader goals of institutional advancement.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Reporting to this position

Student Work-Study Staff

Physical demands and work environment

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to walk; stand; sit; use hands; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal.

The employee is expected to adhere to all University policies.

About JBU

Information describing the university is available online.

Apply

To apply, please upload the following documents to the "Upload Your Documents" page:

1. Cover Letter
2. Your resume
3. A completed and signed staff employment application (Click Here to Access the Application)

Only complete materials will be reviewed. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by the university.

Contact information:
Office of Human Resources
John Brown University
2000 West University Street
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
Phone: 479.524.7197
e-mail: jobs@jbu.edu