Senior Director of Academic Affairs

Sr Director Of Academic Affairs

Reporting dually to the Assistant Dean of Faculty and Physician Services and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, the Sr Director of Academic Affairs provides strategic administrative leadership for academic affairs as an essential and broad function serving a diverse faculty, physician and other academic appointments talent pool for the Biological Sciences Division (BSD), the largest Division at the University of Chicago; oversees all administrative and operational functions related to the faculty academic appointment and reappointment processes.

The BSD OAA plays a critical role in training, supporting, and advising academic administrators and departmental leadership to support faculty and physicians in successful recruitment and appointments. Overseeing the administrative team, the Sr Director establishes the BSD's strategies for aligning its faculty policies and processes with the University of Chicago's and the Biological Sciences Division's strategic visions, as well as those of its affiliated hospitals and health system.

Responsibilities include :

• Responsible for a team of seasoned academic affairs personnel, the Sr Director creates a professional environment that identifies, recruits, nurtures, and promotes talent. Build deep engagement, alignment, and loyalty while ensuring an effective pipeline for the team's growth.
• Partners to build and execute academic affairs strategies, policies, and processes in partnership with BSD Leaders and the Office of Provost to ensure OAA is consistent with applicable Federal, State, and local law and UChicago policies. The Sr Director advises on interpreting University policies and developing Division policies, procedures, programs, and processes that enhance the recruitment, retention, and development of stellar and diverse faculty.
• Advises Department Chairs, Institute Sr Directors, and other leaders on strategic efforts related to faculty recruitment, appointment, promotion, development, and retention issues. The Sr Director collaborates with the People Services Office on engagement, wellness, and development initiatives related to faculty and other academics.
• Provide continual education and training to the Department and Service Delivery Units by creating and maintaining resources, including online tools, standard work, interactive training, and other communication to support the academic affairs staff to streamline processes and eliminate barriers to accurate and efficient work, whenever possible.
• The Sr Director will also contribute to improving, refining, and simplifying processes related to the management of over 2,000 academic personnel, affiliates, and visitors within the Division of the Biological Sciences. A particular focus will be working closely with BSD leaders, chairs, executive administrators, and academic affairs administrators to anticipate issues, preemptively solve problems that may arise during academic review, but also to develop tools, standards, and practices that will modernize practices in support of the academic appointment and promotion of faculty and other academic appointees.
• Partner with the newly created Office of Faculty & Physician Recruitment and Onboarding to develop optimized workflow for the life cycle of faculty and physician recruitment, including but not limited to position ideation, position posting, candidate search, candidate selection, negotiation and execution, academic appointment, onboarding and credentialing (where needed) and the first 90 days of start.
• Collaborate with the analytics team and BSDIS to leverage technology and business intelligence tools to produce key trends, regular status updates, and reports regarding appointments, academic promotions and other activity (e.g., terminations, leaves) within the BSD, including but not limited to comprehensive and accurate tracking of recruitments and departures for all physician and faculty types.
• Oversee the appointment of faculty to endowed professorships, including the matching of nominated candidates to available chairs, crafting of the letters of support for the identified faculty, and monitoring the approval and needed follow-up communications of appointment decisions.
• Oversee appointments and reappointments of Departmental Chairs, including the solicitation of feedback for the Dean's review, crafting of appropriate documentation, follow-ups, and communication of reappointment decisions.
• Oversee Visiting Scholars Appointments.
• Work with People Services and the Office of Faculty and Physician Recruitment and Onboarding to assist and support departments with issues related to immigration, visa applications, etc.
• Oversees the management of informational technology planning, ensuring necessary operating and information systems and resources are in place to accomplish strategic goals. Conceives and directs special projects related to the business of the organizational unit.
• Identifies operational goals and oversees allocation of resources to meet priorities. Ensures compliance of staff with organizational, University and other relevant policies and guidelines.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field and 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline. Graduate degree strongly preferred. Experience in faculty affairs / academic affairs or with faculty in a legal or human resources capacity is preferred. Experience working in academic medicine is also preferred.