The purpose of this position is to provide advanced-level administrative and project coordination support to the VP, External Affairs and the external affairs team at Nicor, responsible for regulatory and legislative affairs. The incumbent will be required to instill confidence and trust by proactively identifying administrative needs and ensuring they are met. 

Functional Expertise: 

Provide administrative support including scheduling meetings and conference calls, managing complex calendar, arranging travel, managing correspondence, maintaining electronic and paper filing systems, and processing expenses. Support cross-team needs (related to scheduling, data management, expense management, communication, and knowledge management) in close collaboration with other operations and administrative support staff Monitor Vice President’s email account Compiles and organizes sensitive data requests Opens and reviews executive mail and takes appropriate action Handles various confidential legal documents/contracts for execution by the executives Screens and prioritizes Vice President’s phone calls, e-mails and meeting requests according to the level of priority Schedules internal and external meetings; plans and coordinates logistics for meetings and special events Coordinates travel arrangements for Vice President, as well as other management roles Coordinates purchasing card activities; reviews and reconciles purchasing card expenses; enters into PeopleSoft Financials for payment processing Manages updates to key regulatory tracking files with accuracy and timeliness.   

Business Acumen: 

Anticipates and takes initiative on issues that arise that involve the Vice President and direct reports Proactively recommends systems and approaches to ensure the department is run efficiently Schedules and maintains calendar; schedules internal and external meetings; coordinates rescheduling to meet business demands and time constraints; ensures Vice President fulfills business and personal meeting obligations Processes confidential information; maintains confidentiality

Engagement: 

Strong customer-service orientation when engaging with teams, leaders, partners and employees Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills with Vice President and other leaders   Serves as liaison for addressing internal and external inquiries; researches, resolves, and responds to inquiries with minimal guidance Student of the Business: Continuously develop understanding and knowledge of the natural gas industry

Driving Results: 

Comfort working in and ability to thrive in an ever-changing environment where projects may change over time and sometimes abruptly Thrives when working on high-impact, complex, fast-paced initiatives Motivated by supporting others; leading from behind the scenes Anticipate challenges/obstacles and proactively problem solve Clear knowledge of initiatives and goals
 

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Related Work Experience:

Required:

Minimum of 3 years’ experience supporting a Director or above 

Preferred: 

5-10 years’ experience supporting a vice president or above Legal background or public utility background a plus Bachelor’s degree a plus
 

Specific Skills & Knowledge:

Demonstrated ability to handle information in a sensitive and confidential manner Demonstrated ability to work independently Demonstrates exceptional professionalism, poise, and judgment at all times Demonstrated data entry ability  Ability to be self-directed and take a proactive approach to everyday responsibilities Ability to interface with diplomacy and tact at all levels, including executives, employees, customers and all key stakeholders Ability to build and leverage relationships to achieve ambitious results Excellent judgment and demonstrated ability to handle business with a high degree of discretion, confidentiality and diplomacy Ability to manage and complete multiple high-priority projects and activities with strict time-sensitive deadlines Ability to prioritize, coordinate and schedule various tasks in a dependable and organized manner with little direction In-depth understanding of the importance of day-to-day executive itineraries Superior verbal and written communication skills, including strong proofreading skills Keen sense of responsibility in managing other’s schedules Advanced/Expert level Outlook proficiency and strong MS 365 Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint) PeopleSoft Financials - intermediate proficiency Time management skills Strong organizational skills. Ability to manage several tasks and projects at once in a faced-paced, deadline-driven environment Exceptional attention to detail and the bigger picture, with a strong focus on quality control Good judgment and sense of personal responsibility 
 

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements: 

Ability to work at a computer at least 8 hours a day Flexibility to work beyond core business hours to complete all required tasks The incumbent works in an office environment Office Support Keyboarding = 80-90% Travel = 0-5%
 

Disclaimer: This information describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this job.  The description is not designed to be a comprehensive inventory of duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to qualified disabled individuals for performance of essential duties and responsibilities.