Description
Unique opportunity at a mission-based institution of higher education. Duquesne University’s Office of Legal Affairs is looking for a full-time administrative assistant/paralegal to support the University’s Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel. This is a complex and responsible position that involves the performance of high-level administrative and legal secretarial work and requires substantial exercise of initiative and independent judgment. Exceptional and effective communication skills are critical. Excellent benefits package, including a tuition remission plan.
This position performs varied administrative and legal secretarial work to ensure efficient and effective operation of the Office of Legal Services (the “Office”), including but not limited to the following:
Prepare and process legal documents such as agreements, letters, policies, etc.
Manage confidential communications with clients, internal and external colleagues, leaders, board members, staff, faculty, students and the public.
Conduct docket searches with various courts and undertake related research as needed.
Actively manage General Counsel’s calendar.
Answer phone and greets visitors and direct as appropriate.
Plan Division of Legal Affairs events and meetings, including reserving space and utilizing the University’s online catering system.
Maintain web resources for the Office with up-to-date information.
Prepare job descriptions, personnel requisitions and hiring/change of status documentation as needed.
Enter payroll and maintain and track vacation and leave time for General Counsel’s direct reports.
Manage/implement the budget for the Division of Legal Affairs, including but not limited to the following:
Prepare payments and process invoices, including to outside counsel.
Maintain database of legal fees/costs and reconcile monthly with Banner.
Manage Procurement Card accounts and generate timely monthly reports.
Maintain Excel “shadow” spreadsheet of operating budget expenses and reconcile monthly.
Provide General Counsel with budget analyses as requested, generally mid-fiscal year and towards the fiscal year end.
Prepare Legal Affairs reports as follows:
Maintain spreadsheet used to track cases for annual reports to external auditors and for semi-annual reports to President.
Act as liaison with external auditors relating to claims management and use of outside counsel.
Report new claims, lawsuits and charges of discrimination filed with various agencies (such as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Office of Civil Rights) to the University’s insurance broker.
Requirements
Minimum qualifications:
Work requires a high school diploma with an academic field of study.
Requires over 5 years of progressively responsible and related work experience. Prior experience supporting senior management in an institution of higher education’s legal department or in a law firm is highly desirable, or any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.
Effective administrative skills required.
Preferred qualifications:
Business school training and/or an Associate’s degree in business or a closely related field of study, and/or a paralegal certificate is preferred.
Alternately, the successful candidate may possess any equivalent combination of experience and training, which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Ability to work independently;
Excellent interpersonal skills with a customer service orientation;
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to be attentive to the details;
Thorough knowledge of and proficiency in using the current Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel (including the use of pivot tables), PowerPoint and Access; willingness to learn new technologies relevant to the position;
Knowledge of Human Resources, Purchasing, and Payroll systems, preferably Banner;
Ability and willingness to assist with other tasks in the Office as needed; enthusiastically seeks out work and new assignments; shows interest and initiative in taking on new and challenging assignments;
Good problem-solving skills with a can-do approach;
Ability to work independently on complex and confidential issues related to the day-to-day operations of the office;
Ability to initiate and follow through with work responsibilities and to meet deadlines.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.
Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University. The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.
