Senior Administrative Director

Art Institute of Chicago•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Senior Administrative Director works under the supervision of, and with direction from the Executive Director, to provide day-to-day administrative support to Department Chairs/Directors, faculty, and students in three or more academic departments/programs. Together, with direction from the Executive Director, implements best practices for effective and efficient operations, facilitates good communications, and maintains adherence to short and long-term strategic goals.

Requirements

BA/BS/BFA preferred
3-5 years of experience working in higher education or a cultural organization and supervising others preferred
Demonstrated experience in administration and management
Strong leadership, organizational expertise, communication skills necessary
Must have ability to collaborate well with others
Ability to work with and adapt to a variety of software and systems

Responsibilities

Responsible for assigning and directing the work of all staff members work priorities, work streams, and skills needed. Uses discretion to organize and monitor work processes, resolve operational issues, and suggest new procedures.
Supervises staff members, including the responsibility for day to day enforcement of all policies and procedures
Evaluates performance to ensure direct report(s) are equipped to perform their roles effectively and efficiently and provides professional development as needed, including all levels of disciplinary action
Communicates updated job expectations and policies to these staff members and acts as liaison to leadership for employee initiatives and complaints
Reviews applicant materials to identify candidates for interviews; conducts candidate interviews; provides recommendations as part of the hiring process
Responsible for managing departmental budgets in compliance with institutional policy, ensuring appropriate spending levels
Reviews financial reports with the Department Chairs/Directors, at a minimum, on a quarterly basis to ascertain budget is spent appropriately
Provides budget planning assistance to the Department Chairs/Directors including operating and capital requests
Stays current on SAIC finance and budget policies and procedures as they relate to departmental expenditures
Oversees departmental billing, invoices, payments, procurement and corporate card transaction
Collaborates, as necessary, with the Department Chairs/Directors and Registrar’s Office to develop the course schedule; providing faculty course load and leave/sabbatical information
Assists Department Chairs/Director with the communication of the course schedule to faculty
Regular review of the course schedule in PeopleSoft to ensure accuracy
Assists Department Chairs/Directors with ongoing enrollment tracking; provides regular reports Faculty
Primary contact for Department Chairs/Directors and Grad Coordinators
In collaboration with the Executive Director, facilitates the administrative onboarding of new Department Chairs/Directors
Provides information for Department Chairs/Directors regarding faculty promotions, leaves, sabbaticals
Provides information for faculty contracts to Faculty Employment Services; including the coordination and delivery of new faculty hire information and non-teaching assignments
Manages the faculty reviews, promotions and search processes including room scheduling, event planning, calendaring, travel, accommodations, and communications
Coordinates, oversees, and participates in Graduate Admissions Interview Weekend
Registers incoming graduate students
Participates in the planning and implementation of departmental student orientations
Coordinates departmental awards and scholarships
Manages the thesis process including submissions, communications, tracking, and advisor assignments (where applicable)
Prepares communications to new and returning students regarding events, policies, deadlines, etc. to be distributed via electronic and/or printed media
Manages on-campus, off-campus, and remote events; including gathering information for input into institutional software, public relations materials, catering, room reservations, calendaring, and communications. Off-campus events may require contracts and certificates of insurance processing.
Assists Executive Director with coordination of marketing and communications initiatives as needed
Coordinates with the online updates team for changes to departmental web presence
Organizes and manages office operations and procedures
Oversight and maintenance of departmental records in databases, spreadsheets, and files
Maintains skill set on and utilize institutional software
Provides students, faculty, and staff with up-to-date and accurate information regarding departmental/SAIC policies, activities, deadlines, instructional resources, and facilities
Manages departmental communications for faculty, students and guests as needed
Assists Department Chairs/Directors with planning, submission, and communication of capital asset projects
Liaises with IRFM on short and long term facility projects
Oversees classroom access lists
Manages studio assignments and liaises with MFA Studio Office on studio-related issues (where applicable)
Primary budget contact for departmental technicians (where applicable)
Other duties as assigned