Designated Admin Mgr Senior II

State of Maryland•Baltimore City, MD

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) is seeking a highly driven Chief of Staff to act as a strategic and operational advisor. This is a Special Appointment position serving at the pleasure of the Secretary of Higher Education. The Chief of Staff is an executive leader serving as the operational, strategic, and cultural anchor for MHEC. Operating dually as the agency’s Chief People and Performance Officer, this executive translates the Secretary’s vision into sustainable organizational capacity. Serving as the agency’s principal liaison to the Moore-Miller Administration's Performance Cabinet, this role champions cross-agency collaboration and data-driven alignment. Crucially, the Chief of Staff is the architect of MHEC's internal culture, fostering a highly collaborative, mission-driven workplace rooted in a profound culture of public service. By leading the Agency Strategic Plan and providing end-to-end administrative leadership for the appointed Commissioners, the Chief of Staff ensures that MHEC’s human talent and operational workflows provide a seamless foundation to deliver on the transformative potential and lifelong impact of higher education for all Marylanders.

Requirements

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
Four years of executive-level operational, human capital, strategic communications, or administrative leadership experience.

Nice To Haves

An experienced leader in postsecondary education with a proven track record of cultivating a highly collaborative, engaging, and service-oriented workplace culture.
A deep, nuanced understanding of state government operations, including experience representing the organization before the legislature or similar governmental entities.
Demonstrated familiarity with higher education policy issues and federal and Maryland statutory, regulatory, and programmatic provisions.
Three years of direct management/supervisory experience.
Excellent communication skills, budgeting, and financial aid experience.
Proven ability to manage projects with deadlines, work independently and collaboratively as part of a team, and lead interagency work groups.
A Master's degree, Juris Doctor (JD), or PhD in Public Policy, Higher Education Administration, Political Science, or a related field is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the agency’s Chief People Officer, partnering with the Director of Operations and an Operations Coordinator to manage the agency's daily internal operations and administrative workflows.
Cultivate a deeply human-centered organizational culture focused on collaborative success, talent acquisition, and talent retention.
Actively foster a workplace environment that values professional fulfillment, mutual support, and a deep culture of service to Maryland's students.
Empower staff with the clear communication, tools, and frictionless administrative support required to succeed.
Lead the design, implementation, and continuous evaluation of the internal Agency Strategic Plan.
Actively apply this plan to advance the goals of the 2026-2030 Maryland State Plan for Higher Education and the overarching Moore-Miller State Plan, while using it to inform and shape the agency's internal structure and organization.
Ensure all strategic initiatives and internal key performance indicators (KPIs) integrate seamlessly with the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) Managing for Results (MFR) framework.
Define the human resources capabilities and operational capacities necessary to support these goals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and cross-team collaboration.
Direct the comprehensive administration and logistics of all Maryland Higher Education Commission meetings.
Strategically align the appointed Commission's priorities with the daily work of the agency, ensuring these priorities directly feed into and support the Agency Strategic Plan.
Oversee the development of meeting agendas, ensure the timely curation and distribution of executive briefing materials, and manage all statutory requirements.
Ensure appointed Commissioners are proactively briefed and thoroughly equipped to fulfill their statutory duties.
Guide the agency's internal and external communications strategy by providing direct support and supervision to the Director of Communications.
Ensure public messaging is cohesive, engaging, and accurately reflects the Commission’s vision and the agency's mission.
Serve as a strategic advisor on public relations, media engagements, and sensitive issues management to thoughtfully protect and elevate MHEC's public profile and statewide impact.
Lead MHEC’s engagement with the Moore-Miller Administration's Performance Cabinet, managing the agency's deliverables across the administration's cross-agency priority areas.
Architect and manage the internal executive operating rhythm, fostering cross-divisional partnerships to ensure MHEC remains aligned with statewide priorities.
Translate state policy goals into highly collaborative operational frameworks, utilizing a deep understanding of state government mechanics to navigate complexities and dismantle organizational silos.
Serve as the principal strategic advisor to the Secretary of Higher Education, providing executive-level counsel on agency operations, cross-divisional workflows, and organizational health.
Manage the Secretary's immediate executive office operations and provide direct, practical support to the executive team and senior staff to ensure daily operations run smoothly and immediate priorities are addressed.