Chief of Staff

HU101 The Howard University; United States; Presencial; USD 100.000 - 110.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Health & Wellness

Work-Life Balance

Financial Wellness

Professional Development

Additional Perks

Descripción de la vacante

Howard University’s Graduate School seeks a Chief of Staff to act as operational partner and strategic advisor to the dean, translating strategy into action and aligning programs across the enterprise. This senior leader will drive critical initiatives, manage the Dean’s agenda, and coordinate cross-functional teams for coherent execution.

The role requires a master’s degree and at least five years of supervisory experience, with a proven ability to handle confidential information and engage

Formación

• Master’s degree required and progressive experience in higher education administration.
• Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into executable plans and measurable results.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills across diverse stakeholders.

Responsabilidades

• Serve as chief integrator for the Graduate School’s strategic agenda and translate vision into actionable plans and dashboards.
• Architect and manage the Dean’s office cadence, meetings, and governance workflows; prepare briefing materials.
• Coordinate cross-unit initiatives to ensure alignment among academic, research, advancement, and administrative divisions.
• Represent the Dean in meetings and external forums; ensure consistent executive messaging.
• Draft communications and build a high-performance culture with service excellence, discretion, and accountability.

Conocimientos

Strategic leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Educación

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university

Descripción del empleo

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission. At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

BASIC FUNCTION

The Graduate School at Howard University seeks a Chief of Staff to serve as an operational partner and strategic advisor to the dean. Reporting directly to the Dean, the Chief of Staff is a key member of the senior leadership team and plays a central role in translating strategy into action. The Chief of Staff works closely with the Dean and senior leaders to shape priorities, drive implementation, and ensure alignment across the programs in the Graduate School. This includes overseeing critical initiatives and advancing the Dean's priorities through disciplined execution, cross-functional coordination, and high-level problem-solving. The Chief of Staff will also lead and manage a portfolio of strategic and operational projects that cut across academic programs, administrative functions (including overseeing daily priorities, coordinating schedules and key meetings, arranging high-level travel), and external engagement to help ensure that the Graduate School's efforts are coherent, well-coordinated, and aligned with its mission and strategic vision.

SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY

Supervisory authority is limited to the direction of an administrative assistant and students. Provides functional leadership and/or support to project managers, standing committees, and special initiative teams.

NATURE AND SCOPE

Even as an administrative support position, this role routinely operates at a high level of college leadership and routinely interacts with stakeholders across the University, Board of Visitors, faculty, corporate and foundation partners, government agencies, and accreditation bodies. The Chief of Staff exercises broad discretion and independent judgment in sensitive and high-impact matters. The successful candidate must, therefore, demonstrate sound judgment, intellectual agility, and discretion and must have a demonstrated ability to navigate complex and sensitive matters in a timely manner. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable operating at a strategic level and attending to day-to-day executional details.

Strategic Leadership & Execution

Serve as chief integrator for the Graduate School’s strategic agenda. Help translate the Dean’s vision into actionable strategic plans, performance dashboards, timelines, and accountability structures. Work closely with the Dean's to manage the Dean's time and attention, including prioritizing requests and preparing high-quality briefing materials. Proactively identify risks, barriers, and opportunities impacting the implementation of the College’s vision and mission.

Executive Operations & Governance

Architect and manage the operational cadence of the Dean’s office, including leadership councils, Board of Visitors activities, strategic retreats, and governance workflows. Support the effectiveness of the Senior Leadership Team by organizing meetings, structuring agendas, and ensuring alignment on goals, decisions, and implementation. Establish and maintain college-wide systems for tracking decisions, initiatives, commitments, and follow-through. Prepare the Dean for high-stakes engagements, negotiations, and external presentations.

Leadership Coordination & Institutional Alignment

Act as liaison between the Dean, department chairs, and administrative directors to ensure unity of effort and strategic coherence. Coordinate cross-unit initiatives that require collaboration among academic, research, advancement, and administrative divisions.

External Relations & Partnerships

Support the development of high-impact partnerships with industry, foundations, federal agencies, and alumni. Represent the Dean in selected meetings and institutional forums. Ensure consistent executive-level messaging across internal and external stakeholders.

Office of the Dean Leadership

Draft and coordinate communications on behalf of the Dean, including remarks, correspondence, and materials for internal and external audiences. Build a high-performance culture focused on service excellence, discretion, accountability, and strategic execution. Oversee workflow management, resource allocation, and continuous improvement efforts.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing materials for senior leaders and varied audiences. Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect long-term institutional goals to near-term actions. Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility across a wide range of constituencies, including faculty, staff, students, and external partners. Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a complex, fast‑paced environment, managing multiple priorities while maintaining a high standard of quality and accuracy. Proven capacity to lead through influence, coordinate across diverse stakeholders, and drive initiatives to completion.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience, which includes managing administrative and strategic initiatives in higher education.
• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience.
• Proven experience with the ability to handle confidential information with discretion, to manage a large variety of details and coordinate complex projects during numerous interruptions, and to meet deadlines in a fast‑paced work environment.
• Preferred experience working with executives and academic leaders.
• Proven successful administrative experience in a university setting.

Note: This position description should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as may be required. The university has the right to revise this position description at any time. This position description is not be construed as a contract for employment.

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

$100,000-$110,000 Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented, historically Black private university providing an educational experience of exceptional quality to students of high academic potential with particular emphasis upon the provision of educational opportunities to promising Black students. Further, the University is dedicated to attracting and sustaining a cadre of faculty who are, through their teaching and research, committed to the development of distinguished and compassionate graduates and to the quest for solutions to human and social problems in the United States and throughout the world. Howard University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex,sexual orientation,gender or gender identity, marital status, religion, disability or protected veterans status. Veterans and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Inquiries regarding provisions for persons with disabilities or veterans status, Equal Employment Opportunity and Title IX should be directed to the Office of Employee Relations and Equal Employment Opportunity at 202-806-1280. This position description should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as may be required. The university has the right to revise this position description at any time. This position description is not be construed as a contract for employment.