Biola University hiring Executive Assistant in La Mirada, CA | LinkedIn (2024)

Position Description

The Mental Health and the Church Initiative (MHC) at Biola University exists to foster flourishing in ministry leaders, churches and Christian organizations. An arm of Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology, MHC provides research, resources, and services aimed at proactively improving mental health and wellbeing, especially for ministry leaders. Learn more at flourishinginministry.org.

We are seeking an Executive Assistant to help us create the logistical and administrative processes that will enable our organization to sustain and scale. In light of the current mental health crisis and our leading expertise in the area of ministry leader wellbeing, our efforts have expanded rapidly. We currently serve thousands of ministry leaders nationwide on an annual basis while actively training Christian coaches and partnering with multiple denominations, pastor networks, and research universities. With all of this opportunity comes the need to establish a solid administrative foundation, and this Executive Assistant position will be a key role in building this foundation. This role will have the opportunity to create or co-create the processes that MHC requires in order to operate effectively.

The ideal candidate will:

• Combine a passion for mental health issues in the church with expertise in building administrative processes and systems, all while actively managing the daily tasks of the office.
• Desire to create and improve, not simply maintain or operate what currently exists.
• Be able to think in terms of business processes.
• Be adaptable and able to create flexible systems, as the needs and opportunities of the organization are dynamic.
• Enjoy interacting with high-level personnel, both internal and external, to build collaborative working relationships and workflows.
• Have a keen eye for details.

Alignment with Theological Positions

The person who fills this position must be someone who personally agrees with Biola’s Articles of Faith and Statement of Biblical Principles and who is supportive of the positions taken by Biola as contained in its Eschatology Teaching Position. As such, this person may not speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment at Biola.

Department

Mental Health and the Church Initiative (MHC)

Supervisor

Executive Director, MHC

Supervision Given

Potential supervision of student office workers.

Educational Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university preferred. Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Work Requirements

• Exempt (01), full-time – 40 hours/week, 12 months per year
• While 40 hours per week are expected, there will be occasional times when additional work/hours will be required outside of normal business hours, both for on and off campus work and events.
• This position requires attendance at Biola’s campus in La Mirada, California at least 3 days per week. Limited hybrid/flexible work arrangement will be considered.

Essential Duties

1. Establish administrative processes in response to current and ongoing MHC needs and growth areas. Examples include:
2. Facilitation of consulting and coaching contracts, invoicing, and payment with external organizations. This includes interfacing with these organizations to understand their financial processes and creating appropriate workflows.
3. Recruitment, enrollment, and course completion processes for all MHC training courses. This will include creating custom workflows for enrollment coming from partner organizations.
4. Processes related to the coach network, such as payment, collection of documents, and delivery of professional development materials.
5. Workflows related to MHC research lab, such as management of forms in support of student theses and dissertations and distribution of research results to general public
6. Execute marketing projects related to all MHC projects as well as general MHC promotion.
7. Manage email, correspondence, and calendars for the Executive Director and the Senior Director of Operations.
8. Provide general office administrative support including but not limited to managing email and calendars, scheduling meetings, conference room appointments, filing, ordering office supplies, expense reports, travel logistics, and other related responsibilities.
9. Create project plans and execute logistics for multiple MHC events on an annual basis, both in-person and virtual.
10. Provide VIP hosting for industry experts and donors who visit MHC. Examples include:
11. Plan travel, lodging, and itineraries
12. Arrange connections with Biola leaders
13. Gather and provide subject material related to the purpose of the visit
14. Monitor website requests for individual coaching, group coaching, and coach training
15. Organize and prepare MHC communications and correspondence.
16. Implement and maintain administrative systems for organizing and maintaining all MHC records and data.
17. Manage all contracts, invoices, and payments issued by MHC.
18. Provide assistance with the management of MHC budget through expense reports, invoice processing, budget projections and planning, together with the Senior Director of Operations.
19. Assist, as needed, with inquiries, information, and paperwork during enrollment processes for MHC training courses.
20. Provide phone coverage for the department as needed.
21. Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Qualifications

1. Demonstrated commitment to working within a team-oriented approach and maintaining the highest professional standards.
2. Self-motivated, proactive problem solver, who is comfortable initiating solutions and improvements.
3. Resourceful, team player, customer service oriented, with a professional attitude.
4. Initiating relationships with decision-makers in areas external to MHC for the sake of creating new workflows and processes
5. Strong intra- and inter-departmental communication and collaboration, as this position requires extensive interaction with university staff of all levels.
6. Comfortable interacting with high-level external constituents, such as executives, donors, and industry experts
7. Proficiency with PC and/or Mac platforms, and standard computer applications including but not limited to MS Office, Google Workspace, and other tools.
8. At least three prior years of successful administrative work experience preferred in an office setting. Prior experience in academia is not required.
9. Multi-tasking, flexibility and consistency is critical, as is maintaining the confidentiality of student information and school operations.
10. A strategic planner who is highly organized and able to prioritize responsibilities. Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
11. Able to effectively multi-task and manage time/responsibilities efficiently.
12. Adaptable in the face of shifting priorities and workloads.
13. Able to create and maintain effective administrative processes and systems.
14. Excellent writing and verbal communications skills.
15. Strong interpersonal, communication, and listening skills.
16. Sensitivity and discretion with confidentiality issues.
17. Ability to manage financial transactions and budgets.
18. Ability to learn university policies and procedures.
19. Ability and willingness to learn how to use software systems needed to perform job duties.
20. The ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
21. Strong relatability to co-workers and all other constituencies.
22. May occasionally require lifting, bending, and standing for potentially long periods of time.