Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

St. Olaf College; Northfield (MN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Olaf College is seeking a dynamic Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. This executive role involves strategic planning, oversight of essential administrative functions, and direct support to the President. Strong leadership skills and a commitment to diversity and inclusion are essential for this position. The Chief of Staff will coordinate key initiatives, manage essential communication with internal and external stakeholders, and ensure alignment across campus leadership.

Benefits

9% retirement match

Significant tuition discount for employees' children

Generous paid time off

Qualifications

• Minimum 7–10 years in higher education leadership or executive administration.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion in high-pressure situations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate materials for Board of Regents meetings.
• Provide strategic counsel to the President.
• Lead major initiatives prioritized by the President.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Judgment

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Ph.D. degree preferred

Job description

Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

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Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

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Join to apply for the Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees role at St. Olaf College

Job Description

Job Description

Position Title: Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Regents

Department: President’s Office

Classification: Exempt

FTE: 1.0

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work schedule is Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; flexible work arrangements can be proposed and are subject to approval by Human Resources and the President. This position can entail some evening and weekend hours, and is on-call for emergencies outside of regular working hours. Some travel is required.

Salary Range: $150,000-170,000

Essential Job Duties

• Secretary to the Board of Regents
• Coordinate and prepare materials for Board of Regents meetings, ensuring timely and comprehensive documentation to support board deliberations using a digital board book.
• Coordinate staff support for the Board of Regents’ committees.
• Partner with Events on planning for Board of Regents meetings.
• Attend meetings of the Board of Regents, including documenting deliberations and decisions.
• Prepare draft minutes of Board of Regents meetings and committee meetings and coordinate the Board of Regents Chair and/or committee chair, the President and the General Counsel on the final version of meeting minutes.
• Oversee the orientation of new members of the Board of Regents and ongoing training for members of the Board of Regents.
• Oversee all materials to be included in BoardEffect.
• Strategic Partner and Advisor
• Provide strategic counsel to the President on institutional priorities, operations and emerging opportunities or challenges.
• Challenge assumptions, extend ideas, and offer honest feedback to ensure thoughtful decision-making.
• Provide a campus-wide perspective that bridges the community and elevates underrepresented voices.
• Assist the President with implementation of the Strategic Plan.
• Presidential Initiatives and Project Management
• Lead, coordinate, and monitor progress on major initiatives and special projects prioritized by the President.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration among President’s Leadership Team and other senior leaders to ensure timely and effective execution of goals.
• Oversee presidential office workflows and ensure alignment among support staff and campus stakeholders.
• Liaison and Communication
• In collaboration with the Executive Assistant, manage access to the President, triaging requests, and elevating critical issues, as needed.
• Serve as a key point of contact between the President’s Office and internal departments, Regents, faculty, students, alumni, and external partners.
• Manage the flow of information and ensure clear, consistent, and strategic communication from the President’s Office.
• Serve as a second voice in crisis communications and institutional messaging.
• Operational Oversight and Support
• Review presidential communications, speeches, policy briefs, and strategic documents.
• Leadership and Team Development
• Represent the President in meetings or events as necessary, maintaining institutional voice and consistency.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive environment among senior staff and across the college.
• Support institutional governance by coordinating with the Board of Regents and key administrative units.
• Coordinate the weekly President’s Leadership Team meeting agenda with the president and track progress on commitments made at weekly meetings.
• Support, respect, and commit to embracing diverse backgrounds, values, and points of view to build a strong and inclusive community
• Complete and meet deadlines for required training and performance management cycle.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Supervisor Received And Exercised

• Reports to the President of St. Olaf College
• This position does not supervise staff or students.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Ph.D. degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 7–10 years of experience in higher education leadership, executive administration, or a comparable strategic support role. Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and advise senior leaders. Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills. Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and tact in high-pressure situations. Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the mission of higher education.
  
  

Prerequisites

• Employment in this position is conditioned upon successful completion of a background check which may include criminal background checks, reference checks, verification of work history, verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, a motor vehicle check, verification of DOT certification, a credit check, employment eligibility verification, and/or a pre-employment physical. Whether a background check is deemed successfully completed will be at the sole discretion of St. Olaf College. Please note, St. Olaf College reserves the right to conduct periodic background checks at its sole discretion.
  
  

Disclaimer

• This position may require you to report early, stay late or work different shifts depending on staffing levels. It may also require you to perform all essential job functions whenever needed and during campus emergencies when necessary.
• This job description is for general information purposes. It is not intended to list all duties and responsibilities of the position. This job description is subject to change at any time by St. Olaf College, with or without prior notice.
• Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the hire is complete. We accept only online applications .
  
  

About Us

Who We Are:

Founded in 1874, St. Olaf College is a residential, coeducational liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students and 800 faculty and staff. The college is located on a picturesque 300-acre campus in Northfield, Minnesota, a vibrant, historic river town of 20,000 located 45 minutes south of culturally rich and diverse Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The college offers an academically rigorous, nationally ranked liberal arts education that fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit and emphasizes learning in an inclusive and globally engaged community. We encourage applications from candidates committed to multicultural understanding and the enrichment of our diverse community.

The college offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a 9% retirement match, contributions to eligible employees' health savings accounts, a significant tuition discount (up to a 90% reduction) at ACM, GLCA, and ELCA colleges and universities for employees' children, and generous paid time off. For a full review of the college's benefits, please see the summary of our benefits here: https://wp.stolaf.edu/hr/benefits/

To provide a safe and secure educational environment, St. Olaf College verifies the accuracy of all credentials presented by applicants and conducts a criminal background check on every new hire.

A summary of the Flexible Work Policy for staff: https://wp.stolaf.edu/hr/flexible-work-policy/

A link to our Community and Belonging page: https://wp.stolaf.edu/equity-inclusion/

A virtual campus tour: https://www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?p=483

An overview of Northfield: https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/visit/northfield/

An overview of the Twin Cities: https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/visit/twincities/

For Staff Application Assistance

[e-mail]

507-786-3068

For Faculty Application Assistance

[e-mail]

507-786-3356

Nondiscrimination Policy

St. Olaf College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, marital status, veteran status, or status with regard to public assistance. St. Olaf College prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon these and any other legally protected status in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admissions and employment.

Inquiries about this nondiscrimination policy may be referred to St. Olaf College's Director of Equal Opportunity, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both. St. Olaf's Director of Equal Opportunity (who serves as the College's Title IX, Title VI, and Section 504 Coordinator) is Pamela McDowell, Tomson Hall, [e-mail] , [phone].

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Executive

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Administrative

• Industries

  Higher Education

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