Executive Director - Office of the President

Ponce Health Sciences University - St. Louis; Ponce (PR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) seeks an Executive Director, Office of the President, to serve as a strategic partner to the President. The role leads executive-level initiatives across PHSU’s multi‑campus system, coordinating priorities, tracking progress, and guiding cross‑functional teams.

The Executive Director works closely with senior leaders to ensure alignment with strategic plan, drive accountability, and support informed decision‑making with executive dashboards and timely

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in executive administration, strategic planning, project management, or related areas.
• Experience supporting senior executives or institutional leadership teams.
• Experience in higher education, healthcare, academic medicine, or similarly complex organizations preferred.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results within established timelines.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the President to advance institutional priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Translate priorities into actionable plans with objectives, timelines, and accountability measures.
• Monitor progress on initiatives and provide regular updates to the President.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams across campuses and administrative divisions.
• Prepare executive dashboards, briefings, and materials for presidential engagements.

Job description

The Executive Director, Office of the President serves as a strategic partner to the President of Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), and a senior administrative leader, providing executive-level support in advancing institutional priorities, coordinating strategic initiatives, and ensuring effective execution of presidential directives.

The Executive Director plays a critical role in strengthening communication, collaboration, and accountability across the University's campuses, academic units, and administrative divisions. Working closely with senior leadership, the position facilitates cross-functional initiatives, monitors progress on institutional priorities, and supports informed decision‑making.

This role requires exceptional leadership, organizational, communication, and project management skills, along with the ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and initiative in a complex, multi‑campus academic environment.

Principle Duties/Responsibilties

• Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Priorities
• Collaborate directly with the President to advance institutional strategic priorities and special initiatives.
• Translate presidential priorities into actionable plans with defined objectives, timelines, deliverables, and accountability measures.
• Monitor the implementation of key institutional initiatives and provide regular progress reports to the President.
• Identify operational challenges, emerging risks, and opportunities for institutional improvement.
• Facilitate coordination among academic and administrative leaders to ensure alignment with the University's mission and strategic plan.
• Executive Project Management
• Lead and coordinate high-priority projects assigned by the President, ensuring timely execution and measurable outcomes.
• Establish project management frameworks, including milestones, performance indicators, reporting mechanisms, and follow‑up processes.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams responsible for implementing institutional initiatives.
• Track commitments and action items resulting from presidential meetings, leadership discussions, and strategic planning activities.
• Prepare executive dashboards, project updates, and briefing materials to support presidential decision‑making.
• Executive Leadership Coordination
• Serve as a liaison between the President and senior institutional leaders, including Vice Presidents, Deans, Campus Directors, and other executives.
• Facilitate collaboration across PHSU campuses, including Ponce, San Juan, St. Louis, and the British Virgin Islands.
• Coordinate executive‑level meetings, leadership discussions, and institutional planning activities as assigned.
• Promote accountability and timely follow‑through on institutional commitments.
• Support the President in identifying and addressing matters requiring cross‑campus or interdepartmental coordination.
• Presidential Advisory and Decision Support
• Provide strategic and operational advice to the President on matters affecting institutional performance and organizational effectiveness.
• Conduct research, analyze institutional information, and prepare recommendations on emerging issues and strategic opportunities.
• Develop executive briefings, presentations, reports, and other materials for presidential engagements.
• Assist the President in evaluating institutional priorities and resource considerations.
• Handle sensitive and confidential matters with the highest standards of professionalism and discretion.
• Institutional Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
• Facilitate effective communication between the Office of the President and institutional leadership.
• Coordinate follow‑up on presidential communications, requests, and directives.
• Support the development of communications related to institutional initiatives, strategic priorities, and organizational change.
• Assist in coordinating engagement with external stakeholders, institutional partners, and community leaders as directed by the President.
• Promote a collaborative institutional culture consistent with the One PHSU, One Team philosophy.
• Operational Effectiveness and Continuous Improvement
• Identify opportunities to strengthen institutional processes, coordination, and administrative efficiency.
• Collaborate with relevant leaders to advance organizational improvement initiatives.
• Support the development and monitoring of institutional performance indicators.
• Facilitate solutions to operational challenges that require collaboration across multiple divisions or campuses.
• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Listed below are the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position, as well as the Physical Demands and Work Environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Higher Education Administration, Public Administration, Project Management, or a related field required.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in executive administration, strategic planning, project management, organizational leadership, or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience supporting senior executives or institutional leadership teams.
• Experience in higher education, healthcare, academic medicine, or similarly complex organizations strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results within established timelines.

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual must possess strong strategic thinking skills and the ability to understand institutional priorities and translate them into practical, measurable initiatives. The individual must demonstrate expertise in project management, including project planning, implementation, performance monitoring, and accountability. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required, with the ability to prepare executive‑level reports, presentations, and correspondence. The role requires the ability to work effectively with senior leaders, build collaborative relationships, and influence outcomes without direct supervisory authority. Strong analytical skills are essential to interpret institutional data, identify trends, and develop evidence‑based recommendations that support organizational goals. The successful candidate must exhibit exceptional organizational effectiveness, managing multiple projects, stakeholders, and competing deadlines simultaneously. Sound professional judgment, discretion, integrity, and the ability to maintain confidentiality are critical. The individual must be adaptable and capable of responding effectively to evolving priorities and complex organizational challenges. Proficiency with project management tools, executive dashboards. Bilingual communication skills in English and Spanish are strongly preferred.

Computer Skills

Microsoft Office applications, and collaborative technologies is required.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Performance may be evaluated using the following indicators:

Scope of Authority

The Executive Director, Office of the President reports directly to the President and works collaboratively with institutional leadership to advance presidential priorities.

The position is authorized to coordinate activities, request progress updates, facilitate meetings, and monitor the execution of initiatives on behalf of the President, within delegated authority.

The Executive Director does not replace the supervisory responsibilities or decision‑making authority of Vice Presidents, Deans, or other institutional executives. Rather, the position serves as a central coordination and execution resource to strengthen institutional alignment and effectiveness.

Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Ponce Health Sciences University and embody the principles of integrity, collaboration, accountability, innovation, and service.

The Executive Director is expected to be proactive, solution‑oriented, highly organized, and capable of building productive relationships across a geographically distributed institution.

The position requires a strong commitment to advancing the University's strategic direction while promoting a unified institutional culture under the One PHSU, One Team philosophy.