Assistant Dean, Educational Programs and Services

Stanford University; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 237,369 - 302,041; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University in Palo Alto seeks an Assistant Dean for Educational Programs and Services to lead comprehensive educational initiatives in a dynamic environment. The successful candidate will provide operational oversight, strategic direction, and innovate educational processes to support medical and graduate education. This role requires a collaborative leader with a strong background in financial management and academic administration. The position offers competitive pay and a full-time schedule with an onsite work arrangement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and ten years of relevant experience in administrative and financial management.
• Demonstrated senior leadership experience overseeing complex educational programs.
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets and resources.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the management of areas of responsibility and provide leadership.
• Define and advance the business and administrative mission for EPS.
• Lead operational planning and integrate various educational functions.
• Set policy direction and provide strategic counsel on academic policies.
• Oversee staffing, financial, and educational resources to ensure alignment.
• Responsible for financial viability and management of the annual budget.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Diplomacy

Excellent communication skills

Advanced financial expertise

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Understanding of regulatory requirements

Advanced expertise in business applications

Strong interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (MD, PhD, MBA, etc.)

Job description

Assistant Dean, Educational Programs and Services

School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States.

Note: This position has been deemed critical by the School of Medicine and is exempt from the hiring freeze.

Stanford University School of Medicine is world-renowned for leading-edge education, research, patient care, and medical advancements.

Stanford University School of Medicine seeks a dynamic and strategic leader to serve as Assistant Dean for Educational Programs and Services (EPS). This role offers a unique opportunity to lead a comprehensive portfolio supporting the full continuum of medical and graduate education, including undergraduate medical education, graduate education, graduate medical education, continuing medical education, postdoctoral affairs, and the Lane Medical Library.

Reporting to the Associate Dean and Chief Operating Officer and partnering closely with the Senior Associate Deans for Medical Education, Graduate Education, and Postdoctoral Affairs, the Assistant Dean provides strategic direction and operational oversight for a large, complex organization, translating academic vision into integrated operational strategies that advance the School’s education mission.

This role requires a highly collaborative leader who can engage effectively with faculty, senior administrators, and staff across the institution. The Assistant Dean acts as a trusted advisor on organizational design, programmatic priorities, and institutional challenges, ensuring that operational infrastructure evolves in alignment with academic goals, learner experience, and emerging trends in education, including the integration of new technologies.

The Assistant Dean leads a multi-layered organization through a team of senior leaders and is responsible for advancing organizational performance and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned leader to shape the future of education at Stanford, supporting innovation and a best-in-class experience for learners, faculty, and staff.

Onsite Cadence: Onsite, Main Campus

Core Duties

• Oversee the management of areas of responsibility. Direct staff and provide leadership to achieve goals and vision of the organization. Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, personal development for direct reports and accountable for the performance of employees.
• Define and advance the business and administrative mission for EPS, creating strategies to translate the academic vision of the Senior Associate Deans for Medical Education and Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs and other faculty leaders along with the Chief Operating Officer into actionable operating goals.
• Lead operational planning across EPS to integrate medical, graduate, GME, CME, and Postdoctoral Education functions into a scalable, multi-tiered organizational structure that supports the academic mission.
• In close collaboration with faculty leadership, set policy direction and provide strategic counsel on academic and administrative policy governing educational programs, learner services, accreditation standards, and institutional compliance.
• Serving as a strategic leadership partner to faculty leaders and the COO, lead long-range strategic planning for EPS, supporting the School of Medicine's educational mission.
• Oversees allocation of staffing, financial, facilities, and educational resources across EPS with limited review by senior officers, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and long-term sustainability.
• Responsible for the financial viability and success of the organization. Develop and deliver complex, comprehensive financial analysis, high level strategic modeling both short and long term and provide advice to senior leadership decisions. Oversee the management of the consolidated annual budget plan of ~$125M. Responsible for committing school resources with limited review by senior officers.
• Champion major initiatives, lead complex, high-visibility process redesign and innovation projects; develop and implement initiatives.

Education & Experience (Required)

Bachelor’s degree and ten years of relevant experience in administrative and financial management, or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Required)

• Demonstrated strategic leadership, planning and change management skills.
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of diplomacy in persuading and influencing a wide variety of people at various levels to achieve results.
• Excellent strategic planning skills.
• Excellent communication skills. Able to influence people, solve problems, trouble shoot, think creatively and resolve conflicts.
• Advanced financial expertise in accounting, budget planning, and financial forecasting.
• Advanced expertise in grants and contract administration.
• Exceptional negotiation and effective interpersonal skills negotiation and political acumen skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Expert analytical and problem solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of industry standards, trends and/or regulatory requirements.
• Subject matter expertise for area(s) of responsibility.
• Advanced expertise in business and management computer applications and databases.
• Broad understanding of information technology hardware and software infrastructure.
• Ability to multi-task and manage deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to cultivate strong collaborative relationships with faculty and able to anticipate faculty needs.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree (e.g., MD, PhD, MHA, MBA, MPH) or an equivalent combination of education and extensive leadership experience in academic/educational administration within a health/medical/Biosciences education setting.
• Demonstrated senior leadership experience overseeing complex educational programs and services in a large academic medical center or equivalent environment.
• Proven track record in strategic planning, program development, implementation, and evaluation across multiple educational domains (medical student education, graduate education, GME, CME, postdocs).
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets, staffing, and resources at scale.
• Knowledge of accreditation and regulatory processes (LCME, ACGME) and experience guiding programs through accreditation cycles.
• Ability to lead diverse teams, influence across a complex organization, and work effectively with senior leadership.
• Experience within Stanford Medicine or comparable top-tier academic medical center.
• Demonstrated success in large-scale program integration across multiple educational domains.
• Proficiency with educational technology, digital learning platforms, and data analytics.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in education.

Physical Requirements

• Constantly perform desk-based computer tasks.
• Frequently sitting.
• Occasionally stand/walk, writing by hand, use a telephone, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh 11-20 pounds.
• Rarely sort/file paperwork or parts, rarely twist/bend/stoop/squat.

Working Conditions

• Occasional evening and weekend hours.

Work Standards

• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.

The expected pay range for this position is $237,369 to $302,041 per annum.

Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs. At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. All candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S.

Additional Information

• Schedule: Full-time
• Job Code: 4134
• Employee Status: Regular
• Grade: O
• Requisition ID: 109041
• Work Arrangement: On Site

There may be additional duties; these are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.