Academic Affairs Manager

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

3d • $83,000 - $90,000

About The Position

The Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics has been a global leader in economic research and education for more than a century. Our distinguished faculty has earned numerous prestigious awards, including more Nobel Prizes and John Bates Clark Medals in economics than any other university. Many of our faculty are also esteemed members of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Econometric Society, reflecting the department’s enduring impact on the field. Reporting to the Director of Finance, Operations, and Personnel, the Academic Affairs Manager will oversee search, recruitment, and outreach efforts to ensure compliance with relevant policies. The Manager is responsible for preparing, reviewing, and submitting academic appointment cases for faculty, research appointees, instructional professors, and visiting scholars. They will collaborate with department chairs, executive administrators, and academic affairs staff to anticipate and resolve issues during academic review, and to develop tools, standards, and practices that streamline recruitment and human resources processes for faculty and other academic appointees. The Manager will serve as the primary liaison between the Office of Academic Affairs and affiliated research centers (DIL, CEHD, ICSG, and BFI), ensuring adherence to federal, state, University, and Divisional statutes, policies, and guidelines. Additionally, the Manager will oversee all Workday transactions for academic appointments.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 5 years of experience providing administrative support.
• Experience supporting faculty.
• Experience in case management.
• Experience in payroll processing.
• Experience processing visas.
• Familiarity with University financial policies and procedures and with domestic and international tax regulations.
• Experience with academic affairs and the recruitment process.
• Project Management experience.
• Knowledge of University financial systems: GEMS, Interfolio, Microsoft Office Suite, Workday, Google Suite, Adobe, Oracle, SAP/Concur.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills with a high level of accuracy and sharp attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse professional environment.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication.
• Ability to handle highly confidential and sensitive materials and situations.
• Ability to effectively manage a heavy workload, competing priorities, and tight deadlines.
• Ability to initiate, organize, prioritize, and complete multiple, high-level projects; meet tight deadlines; and work effectively with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and respond to future needs.
• Ability to use appropriate resources and follow an issue through to resolution.
• Demonstrated sound judgment with the ability to solve problems and make effective decisions.

Responsibilities

• Oversee faculty search processes, including developing search plans, posting positions on Interfolio and external sites, documenting outreach efforts, soliciting evaluative letters, preparing and reviewing case materials for compliance, creating applicant logs, collecting and tracking required documentation, recording faculty votes, writing search narratives, and submitting cases through Interfolio.
• Manage all Workday transactions for faculty and other academic appointees, including hiring, salary actions (increases, supplements, bonuses, and summer salary), mortgage payments, extra-service and one-time payments, leaves, signing bonuses, Payroll Expense Cost Corrections (PECC) and other HR-related actions.
• Process faculty leave requests (research leaves, Stop-the-Clock, early partial retirement agreements, and performance improvement plans). Track and notify faculty of research leave eligibility.
• Collaborate with external Institutions to arrange funding and financial agreements for extended leave periods (from two quarters to a three-quarter leave of absence).
• Serve as the main point of contact for faculty and staff regarding academic appointment deadlines and system processes. Ensure timely and accurate completion of appointments, reviews, promotions, tenure, and leave workflows.
• Review new hire, reappointment, and promotion cases for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with policies. Identify and resolve academic appointment case documentation issues and provide backup support for case management for DIL, CEHD, BFI, and ICSG as needed.
• Coordinate visa and work authorization processes, collaborate with the Office of International Affairs and external legal counsel. Initiate and track Workday visa processes and tasks. Ensure compliance with university guidelines, including updating foreign national statuses and completing I-9 reverifications.
• Assists with managing the day-to-day operations of faculty affairs programs with a moderate level of guidance. Serves as a resource for program information. Resolves problems or questions referred by program staff, University administrators, or other contingencies. Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees