Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs

University of Chicago Social Sciences Division Consistently ranked among the top ten social science research universities in the world, the Division of Social Sciences is at the vanguard of inquiry and impact. Whether through the field-defining scholarship of the Chicago Schools in Sociology and Economics, the path-breaking impact of the first graduate international affairs program in the U.S., the creation of interdisciplinary programs in the Department of Comparative Human Development and the John U. Nef Committee on Social Thought, or many other pivotal milestones, the Division has repeatedly transformed the social sciences since its founding in 1930. The Division offers PhD degrees in nine disciplines and Master of Arts degrees in five interdisciplinary fields. The Division also offers a number of joint degrees, and these collaborative initiatives uniquely position the Division to pioneer creative modes of thinking about society’s most complex issues. The job leads and provides expertise to the professional research and recommendations in the development and implementation of faculty support programs.

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Academic Planning, the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs is responsible for overseeing all HR and payroll actions (new-hire and promotion) for Faculty and Other Academic Appointees in the Social Sciences Division (SSD). Currently, this includes approximately 215 tenured/tenure-track Faculty and 150 Other Academic Appointees (postdoctoral fellows, lecturers, research associates, and academic visitors).

• Understand the full range of academic appointment classifications available to the Social Sciences Division (SSD) and proactively advise departmental staff on proper classification, search/appointment requirements, and best practices to achieve departmental goals.
• Ensure the procedural integrity of all academic reviews in the SSD and its Departments/Units including initial appointment for new hires, reappointment, and promotion; leave of absence, retirement, resignation, and termination of academic appointees; and administrative assignments.
• Review academic hiring plans and staffing strategies in consultation with the Dean of Social Sciences and the Master of the Social Sciences Collegiate Division.
• Oversee quality control on academic appointment cases including job postings, advertisements, and case preparation; actively manage cases through every stage of the review and approval process to ensure timely decisions.
• Train new departmental administrators on academic search requirements; work with departmental administrators to identify new opportunities for continued training and support on best practices for academic searches, develop and lead training activities.
• Maintain comprehensive records of appointments, joint appointments, affiliations, and administrative service assignments of SSD Faculty.
• Manage all payroll and human resources actions for Faculty and Other Academic Appointees (OAA), working directly and collaboratively with the Provost's Office, Payroll, and the Benefits Office to trouble-shoot and resolve non-routine cases; provide direct on-boarding support to all new academic appointees; support the visa application process for international hires and visitors; create and maintain University electronic IDs for Faculty and OAAs (including exceptions to standard processing, such as pre-feeding and bridging).
• Coordinate with departmental and other Divisional staff to ensure all preparations are made in time for arrival, including office assignment, computer purchase, telephone activation, and research/start-up funding account.
• Oversee and manage the work of both the Senior Academic Affairs Coordinator and the Academic Affairs Coordinator.
• Work directly with Employee Labor Relations on all union related matters including attending labor relations meetings, collective bargaining agreement negotiations, and grievance procedures.
• Prepares and presents analyses, reports, and marketing materials to a wide variety of both internal and external audiences. May lead a variety of committees/teams and with a diverse array of colleagues and partners.
• Conducts complex research and data gathering (e.g., Internet research, surveys), project planning, and implementation for a wide range of projects.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

• Experience working with faculty in an academic setting.
• Project management and process improvement experience.

• Capacity to understand and engage with the values and principles that inform administrative policy and practices.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills — the ability to communicate directly with faculty clients and provide excellent customer service to build strong client relationships.
• Experience using complex databases.
• Record of exercising sound independent judgment.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive situations and information with tact and discretion.
• Ability to maintain calm and courteous demeanor and work productively during periods of heavy workload, competing priorities, complex problems, and tight deadlines Superior problem-solving skills.
• Considerable skill working both independently and as part of a team Record of taking initiative and completing projects with minimal supervision Ability to handle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously.
• Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines required. Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to exercise independent judgment, interpret and communicate policy, and develop new administrative systems in response to emerging operational needs.

• Standard office environment.

• Resume (required)
• Cover letter (required)
• References (3) (required)

Academic Affairs Individual Contributor 37.5 No No No Salary Exempt $102,000.00 - $132,000.00 Yes