Title: Administrative Officer (Assistant to the Chancellor) (UPDATED 7/10/26)
Position Number: 0097564
Hiring Unit: Office of the Chancellor
Location: UH Hilo
Date Posted: July 9, 2026
Closing Date: July 30, 2026
Band: B
Salary : salary schedules and placement information
Full Time/Part Time: Full-time
Month: 11-month
Temporary/Permanent: Permanent
Position Overview:
The University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) is a public liberal arts and sciences university on the Island of Hawaii, recognized for its integration of cultural immersion and place-based research that leverages the island's extraordinary geological, biological, and cultural diversity. A comprehensive, regional campus within the ten-campus University of Hawaii system, UH Hilo offers high-quality undergraduate and select postgraduate education, with distinctive strengths in areas such as marine science, geology, astronomy, and Hawaiian language revitalization, while advancing research, scholarship, and creative activity that support community needs, environmental stewardship, Indigenous knowledge systems, and workforce development priorities for the State of Hawaii.
The Office of the Chancellor at UH Hilo is the primary executive administrative hub for the campus. It is responsible for providing strategic leadership and overall direction for the university's academic mission, research enterprise, student success initiatives, and community engagement. The office works closely with the UH System President, the Board of Regents, faculty, staff, students, and the local community to align UH Hilo's goals with the broader needs of the state and Hawaii island. The Office of the Chancellor serves as the center for high-level decision-making and is critical to maintaining the university's accreditation, financial stability, and reputation as a center for higher learning and cultural preservation.
The Assistant to the Chancellor position is a crucial manager and facilitator within this executive environment. The individual in this role will manage the day-to-day operations of the Office of the Chancellor, ensuring administrative efficiency and smooth workflow. A major part of the work involves providing high-level assistance in three key areas: policy, project management, and executive communications. This position will research, analyze, and draft internal university policies or prepare briefing materials on system-wide and state-level legislative policy issues impacting the campus. In special projects, the Assistant will coordinate complex initiatives directly assigned by the Chancellor, often requiring cross-division collaboration and management of deadlines. Finally, for executive communications, the assistant will be responsible for preparing and coordinating official correspondence, presentations, and remarks for the Chancellor, ensuring a consistent and professional voice for the administration in all internal and external engagements.
Duties and Responsibilities (* denotes essential functions):
Executive Support and Office Management:
- Provide the day-to-day administrative work of a broad scope and complexity under the Chancellor's general direction, utilizing independent judgment and initiative.
- Direct the workflow and daily activities of the Chancellor's office support staff and student assistants; oversee recruitment, training, and performance evaluations to ensure a high-functioning executive environment.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for the Chancellor's Office, screening inquiries and delegating issues to Vice Chancellors or department heads as appropriate.
- Oversee the Chancellor's schedule and calendar, screen contacts, and research issues to prepare the Chancellor for meetings and events.
- Support the Chancellor with personnel recruitment, onboarding, and the timely tracking of performance evaluations for direct reports.
- Oversee the organization and retention of the office's official records, developing systems to ensure compliance with legal and institutional archiving requirements.
- Oversee all aspects of divisional and cabinet-level meetings, including agenda preparation, room/space approvals, and the follow-up of action items on the Chancellor's behalf.
- Coordinate all aspects of the Chancellor's travel, including complex itineraries, registrations, and post-travel reimbursements in accordance with state travel regulations.
9. *Manage Chancellor's budgets by monitoring, analyzing funds, projecting fiscal needs, and ensuring compliance with university policies for expenditures, using independent judgment.
10. *Manage the operations of the Chancellor's office, ensuring smooth operations by applying technical knowledge of policies. This includes managing space approvals, supervising student employees, and overseeing records retention.
Project Management
11. *Manage the design, timeline, accuracy, and effectiveness of special assignments for campus executive leadership, maintaining an inventory of projects, and providing regular progress briefings.
12. *Lead and oversee special projects, studies, focus groups, and task forces assigned by the Chancellor affecting academic, administrative, and student service areas.
13. *Oversee projects related to international agreements and international student recruitment, coordinating among academic programs.
Communication and Legislative Affairs
14. *Provide direct assistance in preparing documents, papers, reports, speeches, and memoranda for the Chancellor's presentations to the Board of Regents, legislative bodies, and community groups.
15. *Oversee and coordinate Chancellor's Office communications, including managing internal communications, managing website content, drafting, reviewing and transmitting correspondence, and email monitoring.
Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
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Possession of a baccalaureate degree in any field and three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for management support with familiarity in higher education operations management, communications and/or human resources; or any equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience which provides the required education, knowledge, skills and abilities as indicated.
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Considerable working knowledge of principles, practices and techniques in the area of office management as demonstrated by the broad knowledge of the full range of pertinent standard and evolving concepts, principles and methodologies.
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Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and theories and systems associated with office management.
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Demonstrated ability to resolve wide ranging complex problems through the use of creative reasoning and logic to accurately determine the cause of the problems and the resolution of the problems in an effective, innovative and timely manner.
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Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing, verbally and by preparation of reports and other materials.
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Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.
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Demonstrated proficiency utilizing Microsoft (MS) Office, including Word and Excel, and other commonly used software programs such as Adobe Acrobat.
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Demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.
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Ability to apply discretion and confidentiality.
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Must be highly organized, detail oriented and have the ability to work competently and efficiently in a multi-task environment.
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Ability to research, analyze, collect data, and prepare written reports and memoranda in a timely manner.
Desirable Qualifications
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Experience in a higher education institution.
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Familiarity with the institutional culture of a university system, particularly the University of Hawaii.
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Knowledge of University of Hawaii administrative policies and procedures.
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Experience developing policies and/or procedures.
To Apply: issued from an institution outside the United States of America require a course-by-course analysis with an equivalency statement from an agency having membership with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc., verifying the degree equivalency to that of an accredited institution within the USA. Expense of the evaluation shall be borne by the applicant. All requested documents/information become the property of the University. All minimum qualifications must be met by the closing date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Failure to submit all required documents and reference information shall deem an application to be incomplete.
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Inquiries: Bonnie Irwin,
[email protected]