Assistant to the Vice President and General Counsel

Job no: 501077

College / VP Area:VP and General Counsel

Work type: Staff

Location: Newark

Categories: Administrative Support, Full Time

PAY GRADE: 30E

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

Under the general direction of the Vice President and General Counsel (“VPGC”), the Assistant to the Vice President and General Counsel (“Assistant to the VPGC”) handles a diverse range of complex and confidential matters directly supporting the VPGC. The Assistant to the VPGC coordinates the day-to-day operations and administrative support activities of the Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”) and provides administrative support and other project-related support to ensure that the strategic and operational initiatives of the OGC are implemented in an effective and efficient manner. Requires a individual who is confident, sincere, detail-oriented, resourceful in completing projects, and able to supervise, multi-task, and team build effectively.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Executive Support

• Perform a broad range of administrative functions of a confidential and sensitive nature on a regular basis for the VPGC, the Associate Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Associate General Counsel and the Assistant General Counsel such as scheduling of office activities, deadlines, meetings, and other important University events and responding to meeting requests in a timely and efficient manner.

• Assist the VPGC in the prioritization and organization of VPGC correspondence, appointment requests, worklists, and projects.

• Compose, edit and format complex correspondence from VPGC such as internal memoranda and formal letters.

• Act as a liaison with internal departments throughout the University and organize University- wide presentations, events, and webinars for OGC.

• Manage special projects as assigned.

• Manage and organize confidential office files, inventories, and records, both in physical and electronic form. Implement and maintain data management system, as necessary.

• Coordinate travel arrangements for conferences as needed and track Continuing Legal Education and attorney bar registration requirements for the VPGC.

• Act as a liaison among various internal departments and respond to inquiries (via phone, email and in-person visits), explain office policies, rules, and procedures to administrators, the general public, staff, faculty, and representatives from federal and State government agencies.

• Serve on appropriate University committees including search committees as requested.

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Support for Board of Trustees and Administrative Committees:

• Assist VPGC in preparation and coordination of Board of Trustees (“BOT”) and BOT committee meetings, materials, and record management for BOT committees staffed by the VPGC.

• Assist VPGC in the administration of the annual conflict of interest for Senior Administrators and Board of Trustees by preparing adobe forms for intake of conflict disclosures, responding to questions and problems with adobe forms, conducting the initial review of disclosures, compiling disclosures on excel spreadsheet, and preparing binders for easy review by VPGC.

Financial:

• Receive, process, and track legal billing and payments as they relate to outside law firms.

• Set up and maintain purchase orders in accordance with retainer agreement guidelines and long-term projects.

• Organize, maintain, and track expenditures from the University's legal account.

• Track aggregate outside counsel expenditures and prepare analytic reports (including monthly and year-to-date comparative reports) for the OGC.

• Manage and oversee the unit budget, financial transactions, and projections, monitor expenditures, perform analyses, and generate reports for both the General Counsel and University legal fees budgets.

• Work directly with the Budget Office as the OGC Basic Budget Turnaround (BTA) Owner to complete budget turnaround.

• Work closely with the VPGC to determine the annual allocations of OGC operating budget and University legal expense.

• Process and monitor the timely payment of legal settlements.

• Process routine financial transactions, manage and reconcile procurement card transactions using Concur such as the handling of reimbursements and travel expenses, and gather and sign off on supporting documents for all procurement card transactions for the VPGC.

Office Management/Supervisory:

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the OGC including the determination of administrative personnel needs; coordinate administrative workload and attorneys’ requirements.

• Maintain and update websites for the Office of General Counsel and UD Administrative Policies.

• Act as HR liaison and Wellness Representative for OGC by assisting in hiring of new staff by coordinating and following new hire procedures.

• Organize and manage presentations, conferences, activities, and event planning with shifting priorities and schedules for OGC.

• Assist and liaise with outside counsel in the resolution of day-to-day issues.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree and five years of job-related experience, or a combination of education and experience.

• Experience working in a legal office strongly preferred.

• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills.

• Excellent organization skills.

• Mastery of spelling and grammar skills, computer literacy including a solid working knowledge of MS Word, Outlook, Excel, and database management such as WordPress.

• Initiative in understanding the implications of all ongoing projects with an ability to problem-solve, make recommendations, and access appropriate individuals and resources necessary to address matters.

• Ability to work with all levels of personnel, both internally and externally, with professionalism, discretion, and tact while developing and maintaining strong relationships.

• Ability to maintain the highest levels of confidentiality with sensitive information while working across multiple functions of the University.

• Ability to train, supervise, and evaluate subordinate staff.

• Skill in budget preparation and management.

• Working knowledge of accounting systems and administrative policies and procedures.

• Ability to develop financial plans and manage resources and analyze budgetary expenditures for compliance with approved budgets.

• Proficiency in financial systems and Excel for budget reporting and analysis.

• Knowledge and understanding of legal concepts, principles, procedures, and methods and techniques of legal research.

• Ability to understand, interpret, and apply pertinent laws, rules, policies, procedures, and directions.

• Proficient organizational and computing skills.

• Ability to operate independently and to use sound judgment, initiative, and discretion in all interactions with constituents.

• Demonstrated understanding and consideration of the differing needs and concerns of individuals with varying identities, cultures, and backgrounds.

• Commitment to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated, and equity is a core value.

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

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