Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer, CAHSS
University of Denver

Job Info

---

As the University's largest and most varied academic unit, the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Science is composed of artists, learners, performers, scholars, scientists, and teachers, and acts as a central hub where many of the University's disciplines intersect. The Office of the Dean for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) is the college's administrative center directly responsible for guiding, coordinating, and applying academic, financial, and human resources policies for the 21 departments, programs, schools, and centers housed in CAHSS. Nearly all 6,000 undergraduates at the University take liberal arts courses with us, and about one-third of these students declare a first major in a CAHSS program. Most of our departments, programs and schools offer masters or doctoral programs. CAHSS scholars, artists, instructors, staff, and students collaborate in a shared quest for knowledge about the human condition and the development of skills to improve our local and global communities.

Position Summary

The Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer (AD&COO) oversees all non-academic administration in the CAHSS. The AD&COO provides strategic leadership and management, financial, and planning expertise to fulfil the CAHSS mission. The AD&COO serves on the Dean's senior leadership team. This position provides management expertise and support to the College and its internal stakeholders that enable the promotion of the Dean's resource-development, community building, and strategic engagement. Central to this role is providing integrative, coordinated processes to critical non-academic functions while working with the Dean and others on strategies to ensure the health of CAHSS's business operations.

The AD&COO is a dynamic and innovative leader who understands the challenges and opportunities in managing business and operations and has a positive track record of doing such with the goal of achieving a high level of mission-focused performance, continuous improvement, and a strong sense of community. The AD&COO also directs all non-academic core operations of the college in support of its academic, research, and community outreach mission. Working closely with the Dean, senior staff, and department Directors and Chairs, the position supervises and provides leadership for budget and finance, business operations, facilities management, human resources, financial aid functions, marketing and communications, graduate recruitment and admissions, and facilities and safety for CAHSS. Beyond this wide, base-function, the AD&COO also provides critical analysis and real-time decision making by triaging issues that arise in the operational and non-academic functions across the college and then addressing these directly or delegating authority to others in operational support functions.

The AD&COO coordinates strategic and financial planning efforts, including the development and implementation of strategic plans, and communicating the resultant budgets, and programmatic goals to units within CAHSS and external stakeholders as appropriate. The AD&COO works closely with the Dean to develop goals, objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs). They also ensure consistent implementation of strategic plans and tracking outcomes in support of the wider success of the college. An additional key function of the position is using continuous improvement methodologies to optimize staffing structure and business operations systems throughout CAHSS. They will also serve on various internal and university committees as requested. As such, exceptional communication skills, a positive approach to problem-solving, data-driven decision-making, and exacting customer service standards are essential. The AD&COO should also be comfortable and adept at working across all levels, including not only faculty and various staff, but also executive management levels. The AD&COO will work closely with the Office of Planning and Budget and the Controller's Office to develop high-quality University-level deliverables.

The AD&COO position is an anchor presence in the Dean's Office. This position will represent the Dean while they are away in all CAHSS matters. The standard hours of the Dean's Office are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; on occasion there are hours required outside the standard hours.

Essential Functions

Strategy and College Senior Leadership

• Work closely with the Dean on day-to-day management of the college and is involved in strategic planning for the unit.
• Represent the Dean's vision in all college matters, internally and externally.
• Work closely with the Senior Associate Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Planning and Student Success, as well as the
• Executive Director for Advancement.
• Responsible for recommending and implementing long-range strategic planning, goals, and growth projections.
• Responsible for considerable contribution to University strategic planning.
• Establish long-range financial objectives to meet the strategic goals of a multifaceted organization.
• Support faculty and staff communication with and to the Dean through holistic engagement with the college, central offices, and
• other key stakeholders.
• Represent the Dean as requested at meetings, events, and engagements.
• Undertake special projects as assigned, e.g., support of the Dean's presentations to the Board of Trustees and other stakeholders.

College Finance and Economics

• Oversee financial planning, reporting, and compliance.
• Conduct financial management responsibilities in a multifaceted (e.g., multiple programs, units, etc.) college primarily funded by a broad range of (multi-dimensional) funding sources that include an income generation component.
• Ensure admissions are aligned with financial goals.
• Responsible for large, combined budgets.
• Display a comprehensive understanding of accounting and budgeting practices to propose and submit operating budgets and prepare project/capital expense requests.
• Partner with University Advancement Office to steward a complex gift portfolio and develop funding strategies to support CAHSS.
• Provide expertise on financial matters and university fiscal policy.
• Exercises oversight and authority of a dynamic budgetary planning and forecasting process.

Business and General Operations

• Independently manage a broad range of business functions for CAHSS with unique and specialized activities or services.
• Independently analyze and resolve unprecedented issues and problems.
• Serve as the College resource for others in resolving issues and problems.
• Oversee activities that impact and interface with other functional areas.
• Develop and monitor internal policies and procedures to meet wide-ranging business needs, which have broad impact, including negotiating with external entities and constituents.
• Plan for staffing needs and workload distribution for multi-functional areas and may also identify funding source(s) for staffing.
• Develop strategies and lead long-term staffing plan for a diverse and dynamic workforce.
• Prepare and analyze complex technical matters involving existing and emerging issues pertaining to the subject area and makes recommendations from the analysis.
• Anticipate problems and develops mitigation strategies.
• Develop written documents and/or reports on complex matters that can be understood by both internal and external audiences.
• Communicate information involving complex matters (both internal and external) to CAHSS departments, which may involve using persuasion and negotiation.
• Serve as the college resource for environmental, health, and safety issues.

Human Resources

• Supervise and manage professional employees.
• First point of contact for all staff issues that arise throughout the college.
• Actively participate in ensuring employee growth and development.
• Oversee CAHSS supervisors to ensure compliance with performance management policies and procedures.
• Work with HRIC to recommend resolution of disciplinary matters as needed.
• Provide live and annual feedback to department chairs and supervisory staff on performance and engagement satisfaction of the college's staff.

University-Wide

• Play a leadership role in the campus-wide business officer community as a mentor, role model, and resource for other business officers.
• May recommend to University offices, changes to systems and processes regularly utilized by business officers.
• Serve on a number of University-wide committees and councils as needed.

Supervisory Role

• Direct reports
  
  • Director of Business and Operations
  • Facilities and Asset Manager
  • Director or Marketing and Communication
  • Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
  • Additional office staff as needed
• Indirect reports and dotted-line reports
  
  • Combination of 21 departmental business managers and coordinators

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience and proven ability to assist in thought development, implementation, life-cycle management, and measurement and controls of strategic plans.
• Knowledge of general business operations with a strong sense of fiduciary responsibility.
• Knowledge of appropriate business practices and procedures.
• Demonstrated advanced proficiency in level of professional skill and/or knowledge in accounting, economic feasibility analysis, and financial forecasting.
• Demonstrated efficacy in leadership communications to individuals and groups at multiple experience levels and discipline types through multi-faceted, inclusive, relevant, and empathetic communication methods.
• Ability to build cohesive, holistic, and unified networks and teams to execute at high levels of efficiency through empathetic and inclusive leadership across the college.
• Ability to oversee and gather, organize, summarize, and analyze data within prescribed timeframes.
• Ability to analyze business operations and/or financial statements.
• Ability to determine and ensure compliance with laws and regulations, draw conclusions, and review, examine and prepare documents.
• Ability to choose an effective course of action or develop appropriate solutions and/or reach conclusions in a timely manner.
• Ability to take action consistent with available facts, constraints, and anticipated consequences.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in business or operations related field, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• 10 years of experience in business or administration management, including experience in financial management, direct personnel management, and general operations.
• Experience leading complex organizational and personnel teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management expertise
• Change management experience
• Higher education budget, finance, and/or administration experience
• Higher education leadership experience
• Proficiency in two or more languages
• Demonstrated intercultural competencies

Working Environment

1. Standard office environment.
2. Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
3. Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

1. Ability to sit in front of a computer for an extended period of time.
2. Occasionally required to move about the office/campus with the capability of transporting objects up to 20 lbs.

Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; on occasion there are hours required outside the standard hours.

Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) February 13, 2023.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is 16.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $145,000-160,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:
1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university's complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non-discrimination-statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.

Advertised: January 25, 2023
Applications close:

This job has expired.