Administrative Associate, Communications and External Relations

The Administrative Associate plays a key role in the Communications and External Relations (CER) division, providing high-level administrative coordination and operational support. Reporting directly to the Director of Operations, this role primarily supports the CER leadership, including the Associate Vice President, Executive Director, and Directors, while also serving as a resource for the broader CER team when needed.

This position advances CER's strategic and operational goals by assisting with cross-divisional and public-facing communications; managing complex project workflows; and supporting institutional initiatives, all in alignment with the division's priorities. The Administrative Associate also serves as the first point of contact for the division's main office, contributes to internal efficiency and external engagement efforts, and carries out essential clerical and administrative tasks.

Responsibilities & Essential Functions:

Administrative Support

• Provide high-level administrative support to CER leadership by coordinating divisional priorities and serving as liaison, to ensure timely communication and flow of information.
• Draft, proofread, edit, synthesize, and compile content for strategic communications, leadership briefings, and reports.
• Maintain divisional records in compliance with accessibility standards and manage sensitive/confidential information.
• Coordinate onboarding for new employees, including training on administrative procedures and online systems or tools.
• Serve as the point of contact for inquiries and requests directed to the division, including monitoring the External Relations email account and forwarding/responding accordingly.
• Coordinate travel arrangements, including transportation, lodging, and itineraries.
• Manage front desk operations (e.g., call handling, visitor greeting, document printing), supplies inventory, and equipment for the division.

Communications & Media Relations

• Assist with media monitoring and outreach by tracking press coverage, conducting proactive media searches, compiling press updates and recaps, and creating targeted media lists, in alignment with strategic communication goals.
• Contribute to content development through research, story organization, adaptive design collaboration, to enhance the quality and consistency of event materials.
• Support high-profile media and photography projects by compiling face sheet details, contributing to visual communications involving public figures.

Government & Community Relations

• Support lobbying efforts by preparing constituent charts from databases and preparing required periodic lobbying reports and registration documents for New York City and New York State.
• Support advocacy efforts by drafting customized Brag Book letters to legislators across four government bodies, up to 175 during peak period.
• Coordinate monthly community outreach, including drafting and distributing monthly eblast newsletters and compiling notification charts to share promotional outcomes with faculty and staff.
• Prepare Talking Points for two monthly community meetings.

Data & Project Management

• Assist with managing cross-functional workflows, monitoring key initiatives and projects, tracking follow-up actions, to ensure smooth and timely execution.
• Update the Hue mailing list annually and compile the list three times per year, managing the communications between Hue and various units.
• Manage the mailing of Hue issues to contributors and handling of returned issues.
• Create, utilize, and update Excel and Google Sheet databases to support divisional needs.

Event & Calendar Management

• Provide logistics and communication support for internal and public-facing events, ensuring seamless planning and execution.
• Coordinate and schedule internal and external meetings, including agenda and material/presentation preparation, minute taking, and talking points.
• Enter events into FIT's calendar and staff time off into CER's out-of-office calendar.

Operational Support

• Stay current on institutional policies, update and maintain the front desk's administrative guide, and recommend procedural and workflow improvements.
• Assist with processing purchase requisitions and invoices.
• Perform monthly reviews of CER's internal expenditure tracker, ensuring accurate budget and project coding.

The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position; other duties may be assigned consistent with the classification of the position.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in communications or business administration.
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience providing high-level support to senior leadership.
• Strong discretion and professional presence when interacting with executive leaders and external stakeholders.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides).
• Familiarity with data entry and database management.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, and project management skills.
• Ability to work on multiple complex tasks under tight competing deadlines with strong judgement and accuracy.
• Maturity to successfully handle working both independently and with detailed supervision, when needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a higher education, nonprofit, and/or government relations setting.
• Experience working with institutional leadership.
• Familiarity with media relations, community outreach, and lobbying compliance.
• Experience working with digital communication platforms (Mailchimp, WordPress, Instagram, Cision, Smartsheet, Jotform, social media, CRM tools).
• Basic design or layout experience for content materials.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Ability to establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with extensive contacts (i.e., administrators, staff, faculty, students, community, external partners, etc.).
• Advanced writing, proofreading, and editing skills with excellent attention to details.
• Strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced office environment.
• Confident and creative, with a collaborative and service-oriented mindset.

Please note all offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background check process.

Salary

Salary: $81,241.90 - $87,064.76 per year; commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The UCE-FIT Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dictates the compensation, benefits, and conditions of employment. Hiring Salary: $81,241.90 per year with step increments per Salary Schedule 94, after one year of service and annually thereafter.

Work Schedule

Days/Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm, in person; work schedule subject to change based on needs of the department.

Benefits

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provides comprehensive employee benefit programs designed to help keep our faculty and staff and their families healthy, safe, happy, and productive. Our programs also include a variety of components to help our employees improve the quality and balance of their work and family lives, and to help them prepare for their futures.

• Retirement Plans
• Health Care Plan and Dental Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit Plan
• FIT Tuition Exemption Program
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal, Sick and Holidays)
• 4-day Summer Workweek
• Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

For a full list of FIT benefits, visit our benefits webpage.

Pay Equity by State Employers

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Visa Sponsorship

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship by the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people from a range of backgrounds. FIT is firmly committed to creating a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability. The FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, uniformed service, height, weight, any lawful source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence or as a victim of sex offenses or stalking, whether children are, may be or would be residing with a person or conviction or arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Chief Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212.217.3360.

Annual Security Report

The safety and well-being of FIT's students, faculty, staff, and visitors is of paramount importance. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, FIT publishes an annual report containing crime statistics and statements of security policy, accessible here: Safety Statistics. A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request by contacting Public Safety's administrative office number at (212) 217-4999.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The working conditions for this position will be primarily in an office. The physical requirement for this position will require constant sitting, constant standing, occasional walking, and occasional lifting 10 lbs. or less.