Assistant Director of Operations

University of Chicago•Hyde Park, IL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Knowledge Lab (KLab) at the University of Chicago's Social Science Division (SSD) is an interdisciplinary research lab focused on artificial intelligence, complex systems, computational science, and the science of ideas and innovation. KLab collaborates globally and publishes in top-tier venues. The lab fosters a culture of curiosity and creative exploration. A current initiative, Chorus, is an AI Assistant that the Assistant Director of Operations could integrate with operational information and dashboards. The Assistant Director of Operations will serve as the operational backbone of the lab, bringing genuine enthusiasm for KLab's mission and ambitions. This role requires creativity and judgment to elevate operational and administrative systems through automation, problem-solving, technology leverage, and building new systems to support discovery. The position is for someone energized by building the operational infrastructure of a world-class research lab in innovative ways, going beyond a standard 9-to-5 orientation.

Requirements

College or university degree in a related field.
5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Resume or curriculum vitae (required)
Cover letter describing relevant experience and your approach to creative problem-solving in operational contexts (required)
Contact information for three professional references (required)

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in business, research, or academic operations and administration.
Knowledge of operational and administrative processes related to finance, HR and planning.
Facility with spreadsheets, reporting tools, and data visualization for operational decision support.
Comfort learning and using new technologies, including AI-enabled systems and workflow automation tools.
Managerial experience.
Exercises excellent judgment in balancing creativity, compliance, and practicality.
Systems thinker and designer: Takes a systems perspective and sees connections across people, processes, timelines, and resources.
Self-starter with top-tier self-organization: Demonstrates strong ownership, urgency, and follow-through.
Creative problem-solver: Solves problems resourcefully and moves work forward in situations that may be ambiguous or evolving.
Good communicator: Communicates clearly and professionally with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
Team player: Works independently while also contributing positively to a highly collaborative team.
Builds trust through discretion, reliability, humility, and responsiveness.
Embodies a research culture that values curiosity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Design organizational systems that are ideally invisible, partially automated, and continuously improving – e.g. building on KLab’s AI Virtual Assistant (Chorus) to automatically answer questions about lab operations and research.
Take a systems perspective to operations: identify patterns in individual needs, develop organization-wide solutions, and create processes that get things done efficiently without generating unnecessary bureaucracy.
Own the pipeline from needs to fast solutions, including keeping operational tickets organized and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Dig into operational challenges where others give up — using experience, good judgment and skill to identify institutional solutions to complex problems.
Anticipate operational needs before they become problems, and develop proactive solutions without waiting for direction.
Identify and implement automation opportunities for routine administrative tasks — including potential integration with KLab’s AI system (Chorus) — freeing researchers to focus more on discovery.
Design and maintain automated financial reporting systems that provide real-time visibility across multiple, complex grants to support daily resource allocation and staffing decisions.
Monitor budgets, manage expenditures, and ensure compliance with grant and institutional requirements.
Conduct basic analysis and visualization of operational and financial data to surface insights and drive continuous improvement.
Partner with SSD offices to coordinate fast-paced onboarding of postdoctoral researchers, staff, students, and visiting scholars — navigating university systems and changing national immigration requirements proactively to compress timelines and ensure new members integrate smoothly.
Maintain real-time HR dashboards of people, contract renewal dates, visas, and onboarding/ offboarding status, so the lab can act proactively and staff have foresight.
Serve as the lab’s primary liaison to work with university partners on visa sponsorship, immigration issues, and support for the lab’s substantial international community.
Serve as the lab's primary operational point of contact for research proposals, coordinating across KLab researchers, department administrators, and the university's pre- and post-award offices for submissions that are complete and on time.
Develop and maintain internal systems (e.g. integrated with Chorus) to give the team a real-time overview of the lab's grants: what's in preparation, what's under review, what's been awarded, and what's closing out.
Manage post-award operations in close collaboration with project managers: track spending against budgets, prepare financial reports, and flag issues before they become problems.
Assist in communicating KLab’s research, teaching and service achievements internally and externally, including collaborating with the communications teams of SSD and the university.
Draft and coordinate internal lab announcements and other communications that reflect KLab’s culture and voice.
Provide operational supervision and support for KLab events and special initiatives (e.g. conferences, summer institutes, workshops).
Manage the design of KLab’s Chorus AI Assistant from an operational perspective, e.g. by linking HR and financial dashboard information to Chorus and helping it answer administrative questions.
Uses best practices to develop and execute organization's operational and overall strategic plan.
Develops and implements relevant policies and procedures and ensures compliance.
Plans, develops, analyzes and manages budget, including developing multi-year budget forecasts.
May oversee the preparation and management of grant and contract proposals, ensuring compliance with all University, federal and private foundation guidelines and regulations.
Develops financial reports and assists with seeking funding for grants.
Works with minimal guidance in space, facilities, and equipment, including renovations, moves, maintenance and ongoing facilities operations.
Performs other related work as needed.