Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Initiatives

Chicago State University - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Mid Level

Chicago, IL

Educational Services

About the position

The Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Initiatives at Chicago State University will play a pivotal role in supporting the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. This position is designed for a highly organized and strategic individual who will manage a variety of institutional projects and initiatives that align with the University’s Strategic Plan and academic priorities. The Deputy Chief of Staff will be responsible for leading and participating in internal operations, external affairs, and special projects, ensuring that the goals and objectives of the Office of the Provost are met effectively. In this role, approximately 75% of the responsibilities will involve working closely with the Provost to prioritize, communicate, and manage organizational initiatives. This includes serving as a writer for public speeches, executive correspondence, and published letters on behalf of the Office of the Provost. The Deputy Chief of Staff will collaborate with faculty, staff, and administration to ensure coordination and alignment on various projects, while also identifying opportunities, challenges, and barriers to success. Leading select strategic projects and initiatives will be a key focus, as well as developing and implementing systems to track the status of key organizational priorities. The remaining 25% of the role will involve performing other duties as assigned, which may include participating in key internal and external meetings, developing detailed project plans, and acting as a liaison to various units in academic and student affairs. The Deputy Chief of Staff will also be responsible for researching, analyzing, and synthesizing information to produce background materials for the Provost, ensuring that all initiatives are well-supported and aligned with the university's goals.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Provost to prioritize, communicate, and manage organizational priorities and initiatives.
• Serve as a writer for public speeches, executive correspondence, published letters, etc. on behalf of the Office of the Provost.
• Work across the organization to ensure coordination and alignment on goals and objectives, identifying opportunities, challenges, and barriers to success.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and administration on internal-facing and external-facing projects on behalf of the University.
• Lead select projects assigned by the Provost, including strategic projects and initiatives to advance the University Strategic Plan.
• Perform project management duties across multiple initiatives.
• Develop and implement systems to help CSU identify, communicate, and track status of key organizational priorities and projects.
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders on various projects relating to the Provost's and academic affairs priorities.
• Participate in key internal and external meetings, as needed or delegated.
• Develop detailed project plans, timelines, deliverables, and measures, managing contributions of project partners through the full project lifecycle.
• Research, analyze, synthesize information, and produce background materials for the Provost.
• Act as a liaison to various units in academic and student affairs to advance the university strategic plan for academic excellence and student success.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
• A minimum of 3 years of progressive leadership experience in a relevant field (administration, project management, or other related field).
• Proven track record of developing effective partnerships across disparate groups to organize and facilitate decisions and ensure implementation.
• Proven ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

Nice-to-haves

• A graduate degree from an accredited university.
• 6 years of progressive leadership experience in a relevant field (administration, project management, or other related field).
• Higher education experience.
• Leadership/management experience.