Chief of Staff - University Marketing Communications

About the position

The Chief of Staff (COS) reports to and supports the Vice President for Communications. This position provides strategic advice and counsel, possesses a high level of integrity, demonstrates discretion in sensitive and confidential matters and manages projects using robust and disciplined methods. The COS represents the VP to various stakeholders and committees and collaborates with University's senior leaders, academic deans and other academic leaders and Marketing Communications leaders. The COS responds to and triages issues and leads meetings, special events, and projects on behalf of the VP and the unit. This position has responsibility for driving strategic initiatives and supporting integration within University Marketing Communications and across University Marketing Communications professionals. In addition, the position ensures smooth execution of key department goals and priorities, effectively acting as a bridge between the leadership and the University community. The COS has responsibility for ensuring that department and function-specific performance metrics are in place and reported on within the unit and across the University. This position's primary responsibility is to support the VP's vision and priorities by handling operational tasks and strategic planning that support the teaching, research and service mission of the University.

Responsibilities

• Provides key leadership to the coordination of the unit's priorities and realization of the goals.
• Directs and manages operations, facilitates the development and implementation of the unit's strategic plan and priorities.
• Work with key staff and stakeholders to guide and coordinate the VP's strategic plan.
• Participate on a wide variety of internal and external projects and assignments that help move forward strategic initiatives.
• Serve as a liaison with University Marketing and Communications leaders and multiple and diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Oversee and manage the unit's budget to ensure alignment with the VP's strategic plan and priorities.
• Contribute to culture of collaboration, integrated program planning, processes, shared tools and problem-solving by facilitating cross-team initiatives that leverage individual contributors.
• Help ensure employee engagement, ownership of work and a high level of productivity.
• Serve as a role model and leader within the unit in ongoing efforts to enhance work processes, effectively steward resources and support strong collaboration across teams.
• Utilize an analytical and creative approach to address problems, while drawing on individual and collective skills, knowledge & experience.
• Advise the VP on a wide variety of administrative and executive issues, implementation of policies, processes and procedures.
• Work closely with the VP to foster collaborative involvement in priority projects.
• Follow-through on decisions and actions of the VP; track projects assigned by the VP to members of the VP's leadership team including but not limited to change initiatives, new unit priorities, special projects and crisis management.
• Drive and support a cohesive approach aligning activities including communications planning, training and stakeholder management.
• Partner with the unit's director of measurement and analytics to make sure department and function-specific performance metrics are in place and reported on within the unit and across the University.
• Manage the unit's executive assistant and the administrative work within the unit to ensure that all functions are performed in a professional, productive, and responsible manner.
• Effectively manage and coordinate priority projects and updates in partnership with the unit's executive assistant.
• Arrange and coordinate routine meetings to update the VP.
• Provide oversight of timely preparation of materials and prompt responses to a wide variety of external and internal constituents.
• Manage and support the VP's executive responsibilities and commitments.
• Assist the VP in carrying out leadership and management activities.
• Ensure effective implementation of directives and initiatives and professional and timely service to multiple and diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Establish clear directions through written and oral communications.
• Drafts, develops, creates and coordinates agendas for various forums, meetings and engagements.
• Actively promote the unit and University through creative avenues that support the VP's strategic initiatives.
• Initiate and respond to standard and routine communications.
• Partner with Communications Director to formulate and distribute University-wide communications.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or in a related field and ten (10) years of experience.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with the University and/or a similar large, complex higher education environment.
• A track record of leading and delivering complex projects and partnerships.
• Ability to communicate effectively and confidently at all levels of the organization to promote and gain approval for ideas and plans.
• Strength in critical and strategic thinking.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, resourcefulness and ingenuity.
• Ability to collaborate with and in some cases convene teams that include participants from other areas of the unit and organization to integrate the deliverables of the functions and achieve common goals to successfully support the mission of the University.
• Demonstrated skill in gathering information and data to author complex correspondence, reports, policy, financial and planning documents.
• Demonstrated strong business acumen and analytical skills and ability to contribute to strategic thinking while also being able to accomplish tactical tasks.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills, with the ability to independently manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Nice-to-haves

• Demonstrated experience making data-informed decisions.
• Experience handling sensitive information with discretion.
• Ability to quickly adjust to changing priorities and situations.

Benefits

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off.
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program.
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• University HSA contributions.
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance.
• Employee wellbeing program.
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity.
• Financial counseling services.
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost.
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area.