Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations

University of Washington Medical Center • Seattle, WA

1d • $190,008 - $234,996 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations serves as chief operations officer for the University of Washington School of Public Health and as a strategic partner to the dean. Reporting to the dean, the role coordinates execution of strategic priorities and supports operational effectiveness across the School’s missions of teaching, research, and service. The position has broad influence across the School’s administrative domains, directly supervises four FTE, and provides dual supervision of five FTE in departments.

The role leads strategic planning and implementation, stakeholder engagement, business and human-capital planning, process improvement, change management, project management, and Office of the Dean administrative operations. It helps translate the dean’s vision and the School’s strategic plan into aligned work, establishes leadership operating rhythms and decision-making practices, supports schoolwide service-delivery improvements, and oversees administrative functions including research administration compliance, human resources, information technology, space and facilities, and project management.

The position is based at the Hans Rosling Building on the Seattle campus and is eligible for occasional telework. The work takes place in office and remote settings, with significant time in virtual and in-person meetings. The environment is fast-paced, with competing priorities, frequent interruptions, urgent or escalated issues, and sensitive employee-relations matters requiring discretion. Occasional extended work hours may be required; the role may occasionally require lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects up to 25 pounds.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Health, or another advanced degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 7 years of senior-level leadership experience leading strategy and/or operations in a higher education, research, or nonprofit setting.
• Outstanding strategic thinking and ability to provide leadership, guidance, and support to the dean and other senior leaders.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team; direct supervisory experience of 5 or more employees and ability to lead and inspire teams while fostering inclusion and innovation.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to think strategically and develop and implement plans to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated project-management experience and ability to move projects forward effectively in a matrixed environment; familiarity with project-management software and tools.
• Innovation, critical thinking, and change-management skills, including experience working through major organizational transformational changes.
• Demonstrated record of planning and implementing innovative plans and systems.
• Management style emphasizing solutions, collaboration, communication, flexibility, trust, and patience.
• Ability to communicate clearly, diplomatically, and convincingly at all levels, orally and in writing, and synthesize complex financial and regulatory reports into high-level summaries.
• Experience managing high-level professional staff roles and strong organizational and management skills.
• Demonstrated efforts in creating a diverse and equitable work environment, and commitment to and knowledge of equity, justice, and anti-racism.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and teams and to engage in consultative leadership.
• Willingness to learn from and engage with critical stakeholders within and outside the School of Public Health.
• Ability to maintain harmonious working relationships and address complex and sensitive administrative issues across a range of constituents.
• Ability to work independently with reliability, accuracy, integrity, and productivity.

Nice To Haves

• 10 or more years of executive-level experience in a higher education, research, or nonprofit setting.
• Experience in research administration, education program support, and/or public health practice.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the dean’s chief operations officer and strategic partner, providing day-to-day and long-term guidance on the School’s portfolio.
• Coordinate and align implementation of the School’s strategic plan and related initiatives, including research and equity, diversity, and inclusion plans.
• Advise the dean and senior leaders on operational effectiveness and incorporate operational considerations into strategic planning.
• Track emerging School and University priorities and advance ad hoc strategic initiatives by organizing working groups, clarifying charges, resourcing efforts, and facilitating stakeholder engagement.
• Engage department chairs, Faculty Council, and other leaders to surface emerging issues, cross-functional concerns, and themes, and provide strategic connectivity across the School.
• Partner with Communications to keep strategic priorities visible and stakeholders informed and engaged.
• Align the Office of the Dean senior leadership team’s work with the academic-year workplan; establish leadership operating rhythms, decision-making frameworks, and communication practices that promote transparency and accountability.
• Synthesize complex information, assess options and risks, make recommendations, and prepare executive briefings, presentations, and decision materials for the dean and senior leadership.
• Lead review and redesign of the School’s service-delivery model, using change management and stakeholder engagement to improve structure, transparency, accountability, and alignment in a decentralized environment.
• Ensure redesign efforts are data-driven, operationally feasible, responsive, resilient, and support continuous quality improvement; identify ways to streamline processes and clarify ownership.
• Partner with the dean, chief financial officer, department and dean leadership, administrative directors, and other stakeholders on priorities, operational needs, opportunities, and short- and long-range planning.
• Develop, document, and improve policies, procedures, workflows, and best practices; strengthen administrative infrastructure, tools, and training in response to University systems and structure changes.
• Oversee Office of the Dean administrative services, including research administration compliance, academic and staff human resources, information technology, space and facilities, project management, and administrative support.
• Oversee grant proposal review and research administration compliance; serve as School reviewer and signatory for non-sponsored contractual agreements with external partners.
• Oversee the School’s human-capital management and Academic and Staff Human Resources team, and the Information Technology team led by the Chief Information Officer.
• Lead Office of the Dean senior leadership governance, including agenda development, discussion facilitation, decision documentation, action-item follow-through, and reporting on progress and obstacles.
• Manage School space allocations and Office of the Dean space assignments; develop needs assessments for long-range space planning and renovations.
• Coordinate with School and campus partners to ensure the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health and other public health spaces are safe, well-maintained, and collaborative.
• Partner with the chief financial officer to direct Office of the Dean facilities and administrative expenditures; facilitate public information requests.
• Directly supervise four Office of the Dean FTE and provide dual supervision of five departmental FTE, including workload management, prioritization, coaching, performance support, and work-product review.
• Ensure assigned work is accurate, timely, and compliant with University policy and operational requirements; maintain cross-training and backup systems for business continuity.
• Support departmental human-resources teams through guidance, coordination, and oversight to promote operational performance, policy compliance, and timely execution of HR responsibilities.

Benefits

• The posting directs applicants to the University of Washington staff benefits webpage for information about benefits; specific benefits are not listed in the description.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director