Executive Administrator

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Biological Sciences Division (BSD) is the University of Chicago’s largest academic division, comprising 10 basic science and 14 clinical departments. Today, the BSD constitutes one of the most unique communities within an academic environment: a single division that delivers undergraduate, graduate, medical, and postgraduate biological sciences education together with outstanding patient care and world-renowned research. The Department of Pediatrics (DOP), housed within the BSD, is the second largest department at the University of Chicago, measured by faculty count. It is comprised of over 250 faculty and physicians and over 350 staff and trainees. The Department of Pediatrics is organized into 17 subspecialty sections, each directed by nationally recognized experts in their field. Our culture emphasizes collaboration with numerous BSD and University academic units to achieve our tripartite mission. The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago was established in 1930 and is one of the earliest Departments in the Pritzker School of Medicine. Over the last 20 years, it has become the second largest department in the University with an integrated mission of discovery, innovation, scholarship, education, and the highest level of complex care for children from diagnosis and treatment. These missions are supported by exceptional faculty and trainees who are recruited from the top medical schools in the nation. These are extraordinary people, changing pediatric healthcare across the region and the nation, and providing exceptional training for the next generation of leaders in pediatric medicine. On an annual basis the Department's clinical faculty generate ~600,000 wRVU's, representing over 90,000 outpatient visits, 40,000 ER visits, and approximately 3,000 admissions per year. In addition to our provision of clinical care at UChicago Medicine (UCM) Comer Children’s Hospital and at our regional sites, we have expanded our clinical care across Northern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana, in part through our collaboration with our partners in the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA; Advocate Children’s Hospital, and Endeavor Health). CCHA has responsibility for the care of almost 1 million children. The Department serves over 15 ambulatory sites and provides subspecialty inpatient programs at 9 hospitals across the region with the goal of providing care ‘close to home’ whenever feasible. https://pediatrics.uchicago.edu/ The DOP has a long and proud history of research and discovery in the basic, clinical and translational sciences. We are particularly focused on growing our Genomics, Informatics, Cancer, Neurosciences, Novel Therapeutics, and Health Outcomes programs. The Department of Pediatrics has the 4th largest research portfolio in the BSD with federal and foundational awards accounting for over $20M in FY25. The Department also has a very robust clinical research study portfolio. The DOP’s educational mission is to train exceptional pediatricians and the future leaders in academic pediatrics. The Department is home to three ACGME accredited residency programs (Categorical Pediatrics, Child Neurology, and Medicine-Pediatrics) and 15 ACGME accredited fellowship programs that provide training to approximately 80 residents and 60 fellows respectively. We also support a growing Pediatric Scientist Development Program, a MD PhD program that develops pediatric physician scientists, and a Masters of Informatics program. Our mission is to improve the health of every child entrusted to us, in an inclusive environment that is committed to family-centered care, clinical excellence, impactful scholarship, effective disease prevention, and advocacy for the appropriate care of every child. We are especially committed to the children on the South Side of Chicago and to altering the inequities in healthcare. Diversity of house staff, faculty, and staff is a key priority in our enterprise, both to cultivate leadership from underrepresented minorities and women and to reflect the ethnic and racial makeup of the patients we serve. The Executive Administrator (EA) reports to the Chair the Department of Pediatrics and is accountable for oversight of the fiscal and operational activities of all subspecialty sections and Department centers. The EA has direct oversight of the strategic planning and execution, clinical practice management, finances, facilities, and general management of the Department, collaborating closely with centralized BSD services for human resources and research administration. Key areas of focus include support of the operational efficiency and expansion of our ambulatory (especially multidisciplinary) and perinatal programs; strengthening our partnerships with the CCHA, regional community hospitals, and FQHCs; building our primary care network; deepening our educational infrastructure and facilitating faculty development activities; and actively supporting the research initiatives of the faculty and staff. The EA is responsible for managing in an efficient, dynamic, and growth-oriented manner by fostering a continuous learning mentality that is applied to the overall Department in alignment with the organizational commitment to excellence. The EA serves as an inspirational, persuasive, and agile leader with a track record of success in transformation and measurable outcomes. The EA serves as a member of the DOP Executive Committee that is led by the Chair, the Executive Vice Chair, and the Vice Chairs for Research, Education, Clinical Operations, Academic Affairs, Health Outcomes and Advocacy, and Faculty Development. The EA works with the Department Chair, the DOP Executive Committee, the Section Chiefs, the UChicago Faculty Practice, and the BSD and UCM leaderships to plan and implement initiatives supporting our tripartite mission, to identify and implement methods that improve the quality and efficiency of the operations, and to develop new approaches to efficient operations in an everchanging academic healthcare environment. The individual provides leadership with innovative, strategic thinking about new revenue opportunities based on business principles, best practices, and a proactive, purposeful thought process. The EA, in partnership with leadership, interacts and negotiates with key stakeholders to maintain status as a leading academic medical center. The individual is responsible for balancing departmental and institutional priorities and is a visible, engaged, and communicative leader representing the DOP and the University of Chicago. As the senior administrator, the EA provides guidance, information, advice, and counsel to faculty and staff concerning administrative initiatives associated with patient care, teaching, and research activities. The EA provides executive support to the Chair in programmatic oversight for the Department’s clinical practice, management of the research, and support of the training programs.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 10+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree with an emphasis in finance, business, health care, or relevant field.
• Ten years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in financial planning, management, analysis, forecasting, modeling, or administration of a research or clinical unit.
• Progressively responsible experience within a complex, research, or healthcare environment.
• Progressively responsible experience leading, coaching, hiring, and managing team performance.
• Directly related financial and budget development experience in complex research or matrixed environment.
• Experience working in a fiscally responsible, highly regulated business setting that regularly employs benchmarking.
• Significant experience within an academic health sciences environment.
• Knowledge of research funding and appreciation for working in a research-intensive academic culture.
• Experience using Electronic Medical Records Systems, Enterprise Resource Systems, and Medical Group Practice Billing and Financial Management Systems, a plus.
• Proficient mathematical and analytical skills including data sets and data aggregation.
• Operate in a highly matrixed environment.
• Commitment to promoting an environment of diversity and equity.
• Exceptional communication and listening skills, ability to communicate comfortably with healthcare professionals locally and internationally, board and committee members, and academic and healthcare professionals.
• Communicate comfortably with faculty, staff, students, and officials at the highest level of the organization.
• Highly effective in verbal and written communication skills, including formulating recommendations and developing presentations.
• Highly ethical and professional manner with the ability to influence and lead others.
• Manage in an efficient, dynamic, and growth-oriented manner by fostering a continuous learning mentality that is applied to the overall department in alignment with the organizational commitment to excellence.
• Serve as an inspirational, persuasive, and agile leader with a track record of success in transformation and measurable outcomes.
• Effective interpersonal team-building skills.
• Track record of success in focusing on strategic objectives and translating the priorities into successful short- and long-term results for the organization.
• Demonstrated success in supporting medical research with the ability to effectively identify opportunities for improvement in support functions.
• Proven track record as a strategic leader with specific experience implementing value-added business initiatives.
• Demonstrated effectiveness applying a keen business intellect to problem-solving in an environment notable for complexity with multiple business partners and multiple missions.
• Proven financial management skills, including the ability to analyze data for budgeting, operations, auditing, accounts receivable and reserve analysis, and proforma preparation.
• Critical thinker, one who understands the underlying financial and operational drivers within a research environment, applying business best practices where appropriate, and developing creative alternative strategies as needed.
• Excellent mathematical and analytical skills with a focus on synthesizing and extracting trends from multiple incongruent sources.
• Demonstrated capacity to learn new technologies, interacts professionally with members at all levels of the organization, and provides superlative customer service to the faculty, students, staff, and patients served throughout the organization.

Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Department Chair, the Executive Administrator will develop short and long-term business plans for the Department.
• Develops goals and prioritizes department efforts to align the Department of Pediatrics with the needs of the organization while positioning the University of Chicago as a leader.
• Works with the Chair, Section Chiefs and their respective Section Administrators to conduct ongoing assessment of, and response to, growth opportunities and unmet needs within the Department.
• Visible, engaged, effective, inspiring and collaborative leader representing the Department and the University of Chicago in relevant conferences, platforms, and mediums to advance the mission, field, and organization. Being actively involved in all programs and services and developing a broad and deep knowledge of all programs.
• Drives future strategic direction and proactively prepares for organizational, talent, and market changes communicating actionable findings and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Leads, develops and executes the Department’s strategic, operational, talent, and budget initiatives using metrics, data, research, and education.
• Leads and manages a diverse, interdisciplinary team to successful outcomes through effective and purposeful management practices.
• Cultivates a collaborative, inclusive, and safe, environment that promotes and fosters accountability, teamwork, innovation, curiosity, problem-solving, and continuous learning.
• Develops and maintains effective communication practices that provide internal and external audiences with the key data and information needed to achieve goals.
• Develops and manages capital equipment/asset plans to assure equipment is appropriate as technology and market needs change.
• Fosters a safe and ethical environment creating accountability to high organizational standards.
• Engages team development through coaching, goal setting, hiring, mentorship, talent management, best practices, and accountability.
• Provides leadership to managers within a department to support teaching, medical research and clinical care.
• Facilitates research initiatives of the faculty and staff.
• Directs department priorities, allocates resources and executes strategic plans.
• Oversees non-medical activities of the department(s).
• Manages policy development and implementation in various departmental areas.
• 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.
• In addition to the base pay posted above, this position may be eligible for an incentive payment plan.

What This Job Offers

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