Department
 

BSD GPA - Administration

About the Department
 

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (OGPA) within the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) coordinates the administrative efforts of graduate and postdoctoral training in the BSD. OGPA works to facilitate consistency among the programs and departments; identifies and develops commonalities in the areas of financial administration, policy development and implementation and in the coordination of information sharing among the programs and departments. The goal of OGPA is to recruit high quality domestic and international trainees, to facilitate their progress during their tenure, to make available information on PhD career options, and to provide guidance and resources for the management of the training programs in the division. OGPA centrally manages the annual financial aid budget so that all graduate students in the programs are supported equitably and coordinates consistency among the training programs as it relates to training grants submission and oversight. In addition, OGPA oversees all BSD postdoctoral events, including the Postdoctoral Symposium, orientation sessions, etc.; facilitates postdoctoral appointments and reappointments with the Office of Academic Affairs; establishes and enforces policy with the Provost's Office; acts as a resource for postdocs, faculty and staff on postdoctoral policy and benefits questions; and manages the postdoc database. Exploration, exposure, and experience in the spectrum of PhD career options are made available for graduate students, postdocs and alumni through myCHOICE.

Job Summary
 

The Senior Director will be responsible for guiding the program through its next phase in development and institutionalization, overseeing current programmatic offerings and monitoring its expansion into new audiences. The Senior Director will independently represent the program, Biological Sciences Division, and University on the national and international landscape. In order to best position the program for success, the Senior Director must have a broad network throughout the STEM workforce and demonstrate deep familiarity with career opportunities and outcomes for research trainees. They will employ this expertise in four primary job functions: strategic development, alumni relations and development, communications and program development, and program administration.

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic and programmatic oversight, direction and coordination in the formulation, interpretation and administration of the University's strategic planning and related Unit objectives and subsequent short- and long-term policies, procedures, and program plans.

• Building relationships with external partners throughout all corners of the workforce, including industry, government, and nonprofit entities.

• Forging agreements and developing programmatic components with external entities, including the hosting of externships and site visits.

• Providing regular reports to executive management on all projects and strategic initiatives.

• Ensuring that appropriate project documentation is maintained to meet organizational needs and all applicable requirements.

• Identifying local and national partners for the development of large-scale events and collaborations that will serve multiple universities.

• Negotiating cost-sharing relationships with stakeholders.

• Representing myCHOICE at key alumni stakeholder meetings, including the quarterly Alumni Council meetings.

• Using social networks and available databases to identify mentors and program volunteers.

• Personally soliciting hundreds of alumni per year to participate as speakers, panelists, mentors, externship hosts, and site visit hosts.

• Participating in relationship development of specific donors in the solicitation of major gifts and generation of endowment funds.

• Supporting annual giving campaigns through social media campaigns and targeted communications.

• Building a shared system for tracking alumni contacts, interest and participation.

• Speaking engagements at other universities, national agencies and associations, and internal stakeholder meetings including the Alumni Council.

• Maintaining communications and ideating new collaborations with University partners, including training program administrators and deans of students in all STEM units, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship, Booth School of Business, UChicagoGRAD, Chicago Center of Teaching, Office of Faculty Affairs, Office of International Affairs, Office of Federal Relations.

• Developing the annual program budget and monitoring multiple sources of funding, including all financial functions (payments and reimbursements, management of business spending line of credit, internal transfers between University entities).

• Managing employees by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merit, incentive and/or promotional increases.

• Development, coordination, and execution of the weekly seminar series.

• Hosting conferences and co-sponsored events, including invitations and hosting of program speakers.

• Creation and editing of communication materials for program website, social media, event promotion.

• Identifying new collaborations with University partners as need arises.

• Cultivation of internship and externship opportunities.

• Supervising program evaluation activities from collection to reporting.

• Provides specialized professional expertise in developing executive or professional degree programs and/or curriculum. Implements plans for executive or professional degree programs and initiatives and acts as a liaison between the program and program participants.

• Plans and develops program objectives, long-term goals, and procedures, which requires specialized knowledge and experience in this area. Plans, implements, and evaluates the effectiveness of programs, initiating revisions as needed.

• Develops and administers program budgets and recommends or makes budgetary recommendations. Analyzes the financial performance of programs and recommends corrective action when appropriate through the use of standard procedures or innovative solutions.

• Serves as a key resource for program information. Resolves problems or questions referred by program staff, University administrators, or other contingencies.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• PhD in Biological Life Sciences, or related field.

Experience:

• Experience leading a multi-faceted, multi-constituent program specifically addressing the professional career trajectories of advanced trainees in the life sciences.

• Forging and maintaining relationships with faculty and senior administrators in a research-intensive university.

• Relationship building with alumni, industry and other programmatically relevant partners.

• Conceiving and driving a marketing, communications campaign to engage all stakeholders.

• Managing budgets comprising operational, grant, gift, and endowment funding.

• Managing employees, events, relationships, and databases associated with a complex program.

?Preferred Competencies

• Strategic thinking skills including effecting planning, setting goals, monitoring progress, tracking results and making appropriate adjustments to plans based on circumstances.

• Ability to function as part of an interactive team while demonstrating initiative to achieve program’s goals and advance the division’s mission.

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.

• Act with integrity, professionalism, kindness, and confidentiality.

• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.

• Self-motivated and can take initiative.

• Prioritize and manage multiple projects independently with a high attention to detail.

• Align work with broader divisional strategies and priorities.

• Develop partnerships by communicating and demonstrating the value of career empowerment.

• Build and scale programs.

• Ability to manage competing priorities, work simultaneously on multiple initiatives, and meet deadlines.

• Effective organizational and time management skills with a high degree of attention to details.

• Ability to develop strong working relationships with, and build consensus among, a diverse array of stakeholders within and beyond the university.

• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.

Working Conditions

• Office Environment.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
 

Academic Affairs

Role Impact
 

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

40

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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