University of Minnesota - Saint Paul, MN
posted 24 days ago
The department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, is seeking an experienced and energetic individual for the position of Chief of Staff. The target start date will be at the beginning of the Spring 2025 semester. This is an exciting opportunity to manage the department's operations, finances, human resources, and facilities. This person will work in collaboration with, and at the direction of, department leadership, as we pursue strategic growth. The position serves as an advisor to the department head and acts as a liaison to the College of Science and Engineering Dean's office on essentially all financial, operational, and human resource matters. The individual will supervise five other staff members working on functions such as student services, marketing and communications, purchasing, accounting, and faculty affairs. This position calls for a diligent and thoughtful leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. It also requires outstanding analytical capabilities to foresee the short-term and/or long-term implications of various interrelated operational, tactical, and strategic decisions. The individual should possess sound judgment, discretion, and tact to help the department head with day-to-day operations of the unit. The position offers independence to supervise the work of administrative staff, and to execute special requests and projects initiated by the department head. It calls for the ability to work simultaneously on multiple projects, and to advise the department head in wisely allocating departmental resources. A thorough knowledge of relevant university, state, and federal policies, or the resourcefulness to quickly find appropriate policies applicable to complex situations, is essential. Experience with budget management and acumen with numbers is needed. An ability to interpret ambiguous written and verbal questions from faculty, staff, and students, and then to compose a carefully worded cogent written or verbal response, is needed. The individual should earn the trust and respect of multiple stakeholders including staff, students, faculty, and higher-level university officials. The individual should be able to work seamlessly with, and be sensitive to the needs of, faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds. A penchant for rigorous implementation of operational procedures is a must. A passion for continuous improvements to enhance the operational efficiency of the unit would be an added bonus.