Special Project Mgr / Executive Assistant to Chair

Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu .

The Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior is a large and complex academic and clinical enterprise comprised of clinical and research faculty, trainees, staff, volunteer faculty, and affiliated personnel, with a combined annual budget exceeding $32M. As the department continues to expand its research portfolio, clinical services, and strategic initiatives, the need for advanced, centralized executive support has increased substantially.

Your Role on the Team

Under the general direction of the Department Administrator (DA), the Executive Assistant serves as the primary executive-level partner to the Chair and CAO, providing high-level administrative leadership, strategic coordination, and decision-making support. This position oversees both the daily operations and long-range priorities of the Chair's office, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and departmental strategic plans.

The incumbent must exercise a high degree of independent judgment and advanced organizational, analytical, and communication skills. This role regularly manages sensitive and confidential executive correspondence, complex agreements, and high-stakes special projects spanning clinical operations, faculty affairs, research administration, and external partnerships.

Responsibilities include leading and coordinating multifaceted administrative and departmental projects; independently gathering, synthesizing, and analyzing data; preparing executive-level reports; and providing recommendations to departmental leadership.

Additionally, this position is responsible for overseeing key administrative functions related to project execution, including workload prioritization, resource allocation, and maintenance of operational infrastructure within the Psychiatry administrative offices. This role requires an experienced professional with refined interpersonal skills, political acumen, and the ability to navigate complex organizational environments with tact and diplomacy.

Given the growing operational demands of the department, this individual will also collaborate closely with other departmental leaders to identify operational inefficiencies, assist with process improvement, and drive solutions that enhance program delivery across clinical, academic, and research missions. Occasional travel between the Medical Center, main campus, and affiliated sites may be required.

What It Takes to be Successful

Required :

• Proficient in MS Office, specifically Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain all confidentiality.
• Demonstrated analytical / problem-solving abilities, applied with tact, discretion, and diplomacy.
• Strong skills in analyzing, researching and synthesizing large amounts of data for preparing sound and relevant proposals / analyses.
• Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes.
• Strong policy analysis techniques.
• Familiarity with UCI systems and processes, including QGenda, CMS Time Study, OATS, KFS, etc
• Ability to negotiate multilayered regulatory systems, and manage competing priorities, and if unable to do so, the ability to seek guidance from the supervisor.
• An approach to working with colleagues that enhances collaboration.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
• 8+ years of administrative experience.

Preferred :

Special Conditions :

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits .

Conditions of Employment :

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UCI community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment :

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https : / / hr.uci.edu / new-hire / conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement :

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy .

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at (949) 824-0500 or eec@uci.edu.

Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship

Must be able to provide proof of work authorization