Strategic Manager, Office of the Dean for Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies

Fairfield University•Fairfield, CT

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Strategic Manager serves as the principal strategic deputy to the Dean, managing the flow of executive priorities, decisions, and follow-through across the Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies. This role involves ownership of the School’s strategic tracking instruments and governance cascade, coordination of cross-functional initiatives, preparation of executive and advisory board materials, and liaison between the Office of the Dean and central University offices. The position requires a high degree of independent judgment and discretion in handling confidential matters.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, higher education administration, or a related field.
Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible administrative, operational, or project-management experience, including direct support to senior leadership.
Skill in executive writing and editing.
Skill in data management.
Skill in governance and meeting management.
Skill in project tracking.
Proficiency with integrated enterprise systems (Workday or equivalent).
Proficiency with data-reporting tools (Tableau or equivalent).
Discretion, confidentiality, and sound independent judgment.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Strong communication skills.
Strong organizational skills.
Strong analytical skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as principal strategic deputy to the Dean, managing the flow of executive priorities, decisions, and follow-through across Egan.
Own the strategic report and the dashboard, tracking action items and reporting progress against Egan’s strategic priorities.
Maintain the decision queue for the Office of the Dean, ensuring commitments are recorded, assigned, and tracked to completion.
Coordinate cross-functional initiatives that span units, including accreditation milestones, strategic partnerships, and program expansion, convening responsible parties and monitoring progress against deadlines.
Draft the Egan annual report and related briefing materials for budget cycle presentations and executive meetings.
Track sponsored-program and grant reporting deadlines and deliverables at the Dean’s Office level, coordinating with principal investigators and the Office of Grants and Research to ensure timely submission.
Support advisory board and stakeholder communication for the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care.
Prepare briefing materials and background analysis to support the Dean’s decision-making and external representation.
Draft and distribute Egan all-school updates to faculty and staff on behalf of the Egan leadership team.
Coordinate the governance cascade for the School, preparing agendas, materials, and minutes for school-wide meetings, the Leadership Team, the Advisory Board, the Partnership Council, and University engagements.
Collaborate with the Dean, Associate and Assistant Deans, Chairs, and Program Directors to support school-wide accreditation visits and related logistics (e.g., CCNE, COA).
Coordinate with University Advancement on donor stewardship activities, endowment and gift reporting, and naming and recognition logistics relevant to the School.
Provide project-management for school-wide accreditation, including self-study timeline management, coordination of evidence and artifact collection, digital folder management, mock-visit logistics, and tracking of deliverables against standards.
Maintain accurate, organized, and confidential records related to school-level operations, leadership decisions, and personnel matters.
Develop and maintain operating procedures and continuity documentation for the Dean’s Office to support resilience and knowledge transfer.
Coordinate faculty and leadership search processes and logistics.
Track action items arising from governance bodies and drives follow-through with responsible leaders.
Serve as liaison between the Office of the Dean and the academic departments, the Division of Student Success, the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care, and central University offices.
Coordinate the Dean’s participation in University committees, external boards, and professional engagements.
Draft and edit executive communications, external advisory board materials, and institutional reports on behalf of the Dean.
Prepare presentations and supporting materials for internal and external audiences, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with School messaging.
Manage correspondence for the Office of the Dean, exercising independent judgment in prioritizing and routing inquiries.
Maintain official School documentation, including organizational charts, position descriptions, and policy records, with particular attention to documentation required for accreditation bodies.
Manage the School’s executive calendar, aligning commitments with strategic priorities and protecting time for external meetings and academic leadership.
Supervise and coordinates administrative support personnel for the Office of the Dean, including work study students, Graduate Assistants, and temporary positions.
Coordinate logistics for School-wide events, leadership retreats, and partner visits.
Provide back-up support to Egan administrative and operations staff, as requested.
Assist with special projects, as requested by the Dean.
Represent the Office of the Dean and the Egan School with professionalism, efficiency, and courtesy, consistent with the Jesuit mission of Fairfield University.
Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related tasks, as needed.