Executive Assistant

Job Summary: Dr. Walter Willett seeks an exceptional Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative, operational, and academic support across a dynamic portfolio of research, teaching, professional engagements, and institutional responsibilities including his role as Director of the Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health. The Executive Assistant will serve as a trusted partner and central point of coordination, managing complex scheduling, travel, communications, academic administration, and stakeholder relationships with discretion, sound judgment, and a high degree of professionalism. This role is well suited to an experienced executive assistant who thrives in an intellectually rigorous academic environment, anticipates needs, manages competing priorities effectively, and is comfortable working independently while collaborating with faculty, staff, students, media representatives, travel providers, and external organizations. Job-Specific Responsibilities: Job duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: • Executive and Calendar Management • Manage Dr. Willett’s calendars, ensuring accurate coordination of meetings, travel, speaking engagements, interviews, and institutional commitments. • Conduct regular calendar reviews with Dr. Willett and coordinate schedules with internal and external colleagues. • Organize recurring and ad hoc meetings, including financial team meetings, research and working group meetings, mentoring sessions, staff and postdoctoral reviews, and external partner meetings. • Anticipate scheduling conflicts, identify priorities, and ensure timely follow-up on invitations, action items, and deadlines. • Special projects as they arise. • Travel and Event Coordination • Arrange complex domestic and international travel, including flights, rail, lodging, ground transportation, and related travel documentation. This includes processing and submission of Dr. Willett’s reimbursement materials. • Manage travel accounts and authorized booking platforms, including airline, rail, travel agency, and loyalty program resources. • Monitor passports, Global Entry, visa-related requirements, UK Electronic Travel Authorizations, and other travel credentials. • Complete international travel and compliance paperwork, including SOS documentation. Works closely with the University’s Global Support Office. • Position may coordinate meeting and conference logistics, including abstracts, learning objectives, audiovisual requirements, hotel information, presentation materials, and submission deadlines. • Maintain comprehensive records and ensure all required materials are completed and submitted on time. • Communications and External Relations • Coordinate media interviews and public engagements in collaboration with communications colleagues. • Arrange interviews by phone, videoconference, or in person and provide biographies, photographs, briefing materials, and other requested information. • Support the preparation and recording of presentations, lectures, and other professional engagements, including coordination with audiovisual and production staff. • Draft, format, route, and submit correspondence, letters of recommendation, references, and other official communications. • Coordinate communications associated with sponsored roles, export controls, hosted visitors, and other institutional processes. • Develop slides as needed using PowerPoint and other programs • Academic and Seminar Administration • Provide administrative support for a weekly seminar series, including scheduling, speaker coordination, travel for speakers, communications, presentation logistics, attendance or participation records, and follow-up activities. • Coordinate mentoring meet