What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, President's Office, Operations, and Administration position at Brandeis University?
Brandeis University seeks to hire a Director to support the President's Office, Operations and Administration. This is a supervisory position which reports directly to the President of Brandeis University. This person will play a critical role in helping the President to achieve maximum impact in their role. This will include helping the President to prioritize and make the best use of their time, providing strategic and analytical support to the President, providing communication support to the President, managing certain special projects end to end, and helping the President’s Office and extended senior team to function as effectively as possible. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly organized, seasoned professional who is a strategic and action-oriented individual.
Key Responsibilities:
- Assists the President to prioritize and make the best and most efficient use of time. Assists with fielding incoming requests, issues, and decisions, helping the President to prioritize which responses and actions are needed when and tracking and coordinating the various “balls in the air.” Creates and manages various tracking systems that will enable the President to do their work with economy of effort and time – including maintaining and regularly following up on a master “To Do” action list, among other approaches. A key part of this role will be helping the President to make the most effective use of time during meetings. Efforts may include helping to create and circulate meeting agendas and any other materials for key meetings to assist attendees to make efficient use of time. Manages the overall rhythm of key governance processes and recurring leadership meetings in which the President regularly participates. In advance of key meetings, gathers, organizes, and synthesizes or analyzes key information for the President. Joins certain meetings to capture notes and follow up on key action items.
- Supports the President in moving specific streams of work or projects forward. Gathers information, coordinating with different involved parties, developing and monitoring execution plans, and keeping track of responsibilities. As appropriate, helps other members of the Brandeis community to make the best use of the President’s time (e.g. could provide guidance to other community members regarding the President’s current top priorities, or regarding the most effective ways to prepare and present key information to the President and make requests, etc.) Working closely with the President’s Sr Executive Administrator, proactively helps the President to plan for and monitor their relationship-building and stakeholder engagement.
- Provides communication support for the President. Helps the President to create documents and communications for internal use within Brandeis – e.g. PowerPoint presentations, emails, memos expressing key messages. Helps the President with certain external communications as appropriate, including helping drafting certain email replies, drafting or overseeing the drafting of key talking points for important meetings, or working with internal or external communications staff to provide information for certain speeches or articles delivered or written by the President. As required, helps the President to stay in touch with and communicate regularly with key internal and external stakeholders.
- Works to keep the President’s Office operating at maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Working closely with the President, the President’s Sr Executive Administrator and other members of the President’s Office, helps the President’s Office team to achieve maximum operating effectiveness and efficiency, through helping to develop and manage key internal processes, information-tracking and coordination processes, etc. The President’s Sr Executive Administrator will report to this position.
- Owns, manages, and completes “special projects” for the President if and as needed. Manages the President’s Office involvement in Commencement and supports Commencement-related activities. Must attend Commencement weekend to provide support on behalf of the Office of the President
- Oversees budget lines that report into the Office of the President.
- Serves as liaison between the President’s Office and the Board of Trustees.
Education & Experience:
Education: B.A/B.S. required.
Work Experience: >8 years including a proven track record of increased responsibilities within a higher education setting liaising with and/or supporting the highest levels in the organization.
At least 3-5 years of supervisory experience strongly preferred.
Excellent written and oral communication skills. Superb organizational skills. Ability to
triage and prioritize requests on behalf of the President and liaise with the Board of Trustees.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, equity and inclusion are important values at Brandeis today and always have been for they are rooted in our founding as an institution. These values serve as a reminder for self-reflection, and a continuous call to grow for us as Brandeisans. Founded as a model institution for ethnic and religious pluralism, Brandeis University welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all nationalities, religions, and orientations. Moreover, social justice is central to the mission of Brandeis, which endeavors to foster a just and inclusive campus culture that embraces the evolving diversity of our larger society. Read more online about our Mission and Diversity Statements at Brandeis Mission and Diversity Statements.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are important values at Brandeis today and always have been for they are rooted in our founding as an institution. These values serve as a reminder for self-reflection, and a continuous call to grow for us as Brandeisans. Founded as a model institution for ethnic and religious pluralism, Brandeis University welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all nationalities, religions, and orientations. Moreover, social justice is central to the mission of Brandeis, which endeavors to foster a just and inclusive campus culture that embraces the evolving diversity of our larger society. Read more online about our Mission and Diversity Statements at Brandeis Mission and Diversity Statements.
If you are interested in a role and have relevant experience but your work history does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we nevertheless encourage you to apply.
Closing Statement
Brandeis University is committed to providing its students, faculty and staff with an environment conducive to learning and working and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, including transgender identity, religion, disability, age, genetics, active military or veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal or Massachusetts law.
