Chief of Staff and Strategy

Position Focus :

The Yale School of Nursing (YSN) seeks a highly skilled and strategic leader for the role of Chief of Staff and Strategy. Reporting directly to the Dean, this role serves as a key advisor and strategic partner, responsible for executing the Dean’s vision, managing high-level projects, and overseeing critical functions within the Office of the Dean. This position ensures effective coordination, communication, and execution of priorities across the Dean’s Office while facilitating institutional alignment with Yale’s broader strategic initiatives. The Chief of Staff and Strategy plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the Dean’s agenda is implemented efficiently and effectively by managing executive priorities, overseeing strategic initiatives, and optimizing workflow within the Dean’s team. Lead and coordinate critical projects within the Dean’s Office, ensuring they align with institutional priorities and strategic goals. Partners with YSN Senior Leadership on the execution of school-wide and university-wide strategic initiatives, ensuring effective collaboration and results-driven execution. Identify opportunities to enhance effectiveness within the Dean’s Office, streamline processes, and improve organizational impact. Ensure the Dean’s Office is effectively coordinating across leadership teams, faculty governance, and administrative units to execute institutional priorities. Support the Dean’s response to emerging institutional challenges, ensuring preparedness, clear communication, and strategic resolution. The Chief of Staff and Strategy is an integral leadership role within the Office of the Dean, ensuring institutional priorities are executed effectively and that the Dean’s vision is translated into action. Through strategic coordination, high-level project execution, and proactive problem-solving, this position enhances the impact of the Dean’s Office, advancing YSN’s mission and institutional success.

Essential Duties

1. Strategy development and execution working with collaborators within and outside of the University. Working with leadership to develop and implement a strategic vision and work plans. 2. Recommend structural or programmatic adjustments, changes or additions based on full knowledge of missions, goals, and objectives. 3. Advise leadership on broad range of strategic, development, and communications issues related to research and policy development opportunities. 4. Manage ongoing partnerships with local, state, national, and non-governmental organizations focused on health research, policy development and implementation. 5. Identify new opportunities for expanding the program within Yale and among other academic and non-academic organizations locally and nationally. 6. Seek external funding opportunities and assist with the submission of grant proposals. 7. New program and fund development, catalyzing program development throughout the University and with external collaborators. Develops the metrics to identify and measure the success of the program. 8. Envision and direct communications to support strong communication and promote visibility of the program both inside and outside Yale through strategic outreach, conference attendance, special events, media and other avenues. 9. Assumes primary accountability to initiate, design, and manage the compilation of program communications; identifying outreach potential and promoting philanthropic and collaborative support of the program. 10. Envision and execute the communications efforts for the program. Contribute to the development and assist in the management of content on the program’s website and monitors all changes and additions to the editorial content.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in a related field and seven years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Required Skill / Ability 1 :

Ability to prioritize work, handle complex or multiple work assignments, achieve high quality work outcomes, meet deadlines, and effectively solve problems independently as well as part of a team. Ability to regularly exercise good judgment and initiative on non-routine matters. Ability to be resourceful and proactive.

Required Skill / Ability 2 :

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Enjoys problem solving, project and detail work, and can always remain composed and professional. Enjoys working in a team and independently.

Required Skill / Ability 3 :

Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal in a sensitive manner with diverse groups of people with matters requiring a high level of discretion. Excellent attendance and reliability; strong interpersonal skills; helpful and facilitative attitude.

Required Skill / Ability 4 :

Demonstrated Project management experience and skills.

Required Skill / Ability 5 :

Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills :

Master’s degree in a relevant field and 8 years of experience in executive strategy, project management, and leadership support in an academic or complex organizational setting. Prior experience in a Chief of Staff or similar executive support role. Proven experience working directly with senior university administrators to implement strategic priorities.

Drug Screen

Health Screening

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Posting Disclaimer

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the particular position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring departments.