Chief of Staff

University of Chicago Law School; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 230,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wide range of benefits programs

Health and retirement benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

A prestigious law school is seeking a Chief of Staff to provide strategic support in finance and human resources management. The role requires a seasoned professional with 10+ years of experience, including prior Chief of Staff experience. Responsibilities include leading financial management, overseeing HR operations, and engaging with faculty and key stakeholders. This role emphasizes exceptional interpersonal skills, analytical capabilities, and the ability to manage complex organizational dynamics in a dynamic environment. The position is located in Chicago, IL with an annual salary range of $230,000 to $250,000.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Experience in higher education or the legal profession.
• Prior experience as a Chief of Staff.

Responsibilities

• Direct Finance and HR functions to improve operations.
• Lead comprehensive financial management for the Law School.
• Oversee human resources and talent management strategies.
• Manage Dean's Office operations and executive support.
• Facilitate management processes and program management.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Financial acumen

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Diplomacy

Change management

Education

College or university degree in a related field

Juris Doctor or Master’s degree in Management, Leadership, or Business Administration

Job description

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.

Job Summary

The University of Chicago Law School seeks a dedicated professional with an appreciation for academia to serve as Chief of Staff (COS). The COS will support various strategic projects and initiatives, with management of efforts to maximize effectiveness of the Office of the Dean, financial management, and human resources management across the Law School. The ideal candidate must be comfortable working on cross‑functional priorities at a strategic and operational level, thriving in an intellectually engaging role that demands an elite level of excellence.

Reporting to the Dean, the COS will engage with administrators, faculty, and alumni of the Law School, as well as key stakeholders from the broader community. The COS will need exceptional interpersonal skills for navigating and influencing within a complex environment with varying demands and considerations. Success in this role will require an ability to quickly gain in‑depth knowledge of the school and university while building trust with the Dean, staff & faculty, University leadership, and other constituencies.

Responsibilities

• Direct the Finance and Human Resources functions, working with functional leads to improve operations and strengthen systems.
• Lead comprehensive financial management for the Law School, including budget development, forecasting, variance analysis, and long‑term financial planning.
• Oversee human resources strategy and operations through talent management, organizational development, and workforce planning initiatives.
• Direct all aspects of the Dean’s Office operations, including executive support, calendar management, and day‑to‑day coordination.
• Develop and maintain systems to organize and track the Dean’s priorities, ensuring focus of the dean’s office team remains on highest‑impact activities.
• Take strategic initiatives from conception through execution in collaboration with senior leadership.
• Partner closely with Associate/Assistant Deans, Deputy Dean, and administrators to ensure operational excellence.
• Facilitate strategic management processes and provide program management for critical initiatives.
• Through supervision of the Associate Director of Data Strategy and Analysis, collect, analyze, synthesize, and report on data from across the Law School and external sources to inform Dean’s decision‑making.
• Represent the Dean and Law School in campus and community interactions with professionalism and integrity.
• Prepare reports, proposals, briefings, presentations, and responses on organizational and strategic issues that frequently require sensitivity, discretion, judgment, or negotiation.
• Provides leadership and direction through managers. Establishes budgetary plans, policies and protocols to enhance the central pedagogical mission and operational goals.
• Serves as a liaison to academic, research, and administrative units within the division and of the University.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

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

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 10+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Juris Doctor or Master’s degree in Management, Leadership, Business Administration, or other related field.

Experience:

• Progressive experience in a related field, preferably with some experience in higher education.
• Experience working in the legal profession or higher education.
• Prior experience as a Chief of Staff.
• Act with diplomacy in an academic environment to build trusted relationships with a broad range of individuals within the Law School and across the broader University.
• Demonstrate commitment to high standards of excellence and ethics, including sound judgement, discretion, and ability to navigate highly matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and diplomacy.
• Proven project management skills with experience managing to deadlines, ability to understand and address interdependencies and competing preferences, manage various stakeholders, and familiarity with efficient systems and processes.
• Strong writing and communication skills, with experience researching and preparing executive‑level documents, reports, and presentations.
• Demonstrate analytical and problem‑solving skills with an aptitude for working with quantitative data and interpreting/translating findings into meaningful narratives.
• Naturally resourceful with the ability to identify needed information; persistence in working with diverse systems and people.
• Experience with change management principles; capacity to learn quickly and adapt.
• Solid financial acumen; experience making decisions on financial budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

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

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$230,000.00 - $250,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

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.

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.

The University of Chicago’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.