Academic Department Manager

Barnard College; United States; Hybrid; USD 74,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

Barnard College is seeking an Academic Department Manager to oversee an academic cluster of multiple departments and provide comprehensive business support to chairs within the cluster.

The role reports to the Associate Director of Academic Administration and includes managing department assistants, coordinating with the Provost’s Office, and supervising student workers while helping plan budgets, courses, space, and events across several departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred with 5 years related experience, or two years of college with 5–7 years related experience.
• Excellent organizational ability.
• Ability to set priorities and manage competing responsibilities under pressure.
• Excellent computer skills: word processing, spreadsheets, email, and online calendaring.
• Tact and good judgment with diverse constituencies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience as an administrator.
• Experience managing an office and/or staff.
• Experience working with faculty and students in an academic environment.
• Experience transacting in Workday or another Employee Management System.

Responsibilities

• Manage Department/Program Assistants, guide career development, and direct the work of administrative assistants.
• Rationalize work assignments across the cluster.
• Serve as primary liaison with the Provost’s Office to determine training and resources for success.
• Maintain and update a process guide for department assistants with the Provost’s Office.
• Manage student workers and supervise those who support the department.
• Partner with chairs/directors on annual operating budgets and expenditures across all lines.
• Advise chairs on budget performance throughout the fiscal year and provide reports as needed.
• Assist in curricular planning, scheduling, and liaising with Columbia cognate departments, leaves, advising, contingent faculty, TAs, and graders.
• Participate in budget reviews with chairs and Provost’s budget team.
• Plan department and program assessments, accreditation exercises, and reviews.
• Support space planning discussions with the Provost’s Office and Capital Projects.
• Draft announcements and communications for department events.

Skills

Organizational skills

Prioritization

Communication skills

Tact and judgment

Administrative experience

Office management (Workday)

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Workday

Job description

Job: Academic Department Manager Reporting to the Associate Director of Academic Administration, the Academic Department Manager is responsible for the operation of an academic cluster comprised of multiple departments. The Manager will provide comprehensive business support to the chairs within their cluster, serve as a key partner to the Provost’s Office to develop and refine strong operational protocols and business processes, as well as supervise one or more department assistants, each of whom supports one or more departments or programs.

Job Description: Reporting to the Associate Director of Academic Administration, the Academic Department Manager is responsible for the operation of an academic cluster comprised of multiple departments. The Manager will provide comprehensive business support to the chairs within their cluster, serve as a key partner to the Provost’s Office to develop and refine strong operational protocols and business processes, as well as supervise one or more department assistants, each of whom supports one or more departments or programs.

We are looking to fill two openings for the following clusters: Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, and Environmental Science Economics, History, and Political Science

Essential Duties Summary:

• Management of Department/Program Assistants Manage performance, guide career and personal development, and direct the work of administrative assistants.
• Rationalize work assignments across the assigned cluster.
• Primary liaison with the Provost’s Office to determine necessary training and resources for the cohort to succeed.
• With the Provost’s Office, maintain, revise, and update a process guide for department assistants.
• Management of Student Workers Assess department or program need for administrative support from student workers
• Supervise and review student workers who support the department with administrative tasks
• Budget and Financial Management Partner with chairs/directors in developing annual operating budget requests, including proactive planning, management and projection of expenditures across the full complement of operating lines (travel, events, honoraria, programs, etc…).
• Advise the chair on budget performance throughout the fiscal year, including providing reports as needed.
• Partner with chairs/directors in developing annual instructional budget and administrative staff requests and planning searches for any departmental hires (staff, students, faculty).
• Participate in budget review discussions with chair(s) and budget team within the Provost’s Office.
• Review and approve financial transactions from the administrative cluster
• Partner with chairs in curricular planning exercises in dialogue with the Provost’s office and the Registrar regarding course scheduling, communication with Columbia cognate department, faculty leaves, advising assignments, contingent faculty, TAs and graders
• Partner with chairs to plan department and program assessments, accreditation exercises and reviews.
• Partner with chairs to quantify space planning and improvements in dialogue with Provost’s office and Capital Projects.
• Partner with chairs to develop schedule and plan for events and draft announcements and communications
• Other duties as assigned, including reassignment of constituent departments and academic programs within the administrative cluster based on evolving operational needs

Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:

• Required Qualifications Summary Bachelor’s degree preferred and 5 years related experience, or two years of college and 5 - 7 years related experience
• Excellent organizational ability
• Ability to set priorities, balance competing responsibilities, and work both under pressure, and independently without immediate supervision
• Excellent computer skills; including experience with word processing, spreadsheets, email, and online calendaring.
• Tact and good judgment in dealing with a variety of constituencies
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Experience as an administrator
• Preferred Qualifications Experience managing an office and/or staff.
• Experience working with faculty and students in an academic environment.
• Experience transacting in Workday or another Employee Management System.

This job is currently a hybrid position and may require a presence in the office up to five times a week, including for team and full staff meetings and other times as directed by the supervisor.

Salary: $74,000 to $81,000 annually The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Company: Barnard College

Time Type: Full time

Barnard is an intellectually stimulating, diverse college community of approximately 800 full- and part-time faculty and staff dedicated to providing an extraordinary educational environment for our 2,600 students. Whether you are a current or potential Barnard employee, the Office of Human Resources is here to provide you with clear and accurate information and the best possible service. We hope that you find the site useful and will feel free to email any of the HR staff directly with questions or suggestions. We look forward to working with you.