Secretary of the University Staff (Application Deadline: 10/26/2026, 11:55 PM CDT)

University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking a Governance Secretary (Inst) to serve as the principal administrative liaison for University Staff, governance bodies, and university leadership. The role ensures governance processes align with policies, bylaws, and procedures and supports documentation, meetings, and compliant governance operations.

The Secretary provides expert guidance to staff leaders and governance groups, participates in policy development, chairs committees as needed, and

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience supporting executive leadership, boards, committees, shared governance bodies, or similar governing organizations.
• Experience coordinating complex meetings, including agenda development, meeting logistics, minute-taking, and records management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of governance principles, organizational bylaws, policies, and decision-making processes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with executive leaders, staff, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees.
• Provides strategic guidance and oversees support provided to the representative governance body, executive committee, standing committees, and various ad-hoc committees and working groups; maintains agendas, minutes and other documents for university-wide dissemination and archival purposes
• Serves as a key administrative liaison with the faculty, academic staff or university staff committees; may serve as ex-officio member of appropriate governance bodies, as designated by policy
• Recommends and participates in the development and establishment of university policies and procedures; researches and analyzes policy concepts, complex policy issues, and legal implications of proposed university policies; establishes and chairs policy making committees and may serve on various university planning and policy-making committees
• Directs and schedules logistics and secures resources for operational work plans of governance committees
• Reviews institutional activities and actions that may impact respective constitutes or shared governance and disseminates updates to appropriate entities
• Provides information, advice, and consultation on policy, rules, and participation in the shared governance of the institution
• Serves as the institutional resource and expert for respective constituents and related statutes, rules, procedures, and policies for employees and leadership

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category

Limited

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Governance Secretary (Inst)

Job Summary

The Secretary of the University Staff serves in a highly visible and complex role as the principal administrative liaison between University Staff, the University Staff governance bodies, and university leadership. This position is dedicated exclusively to supporting the interests, governance activities, and representation of University Staff, ensuring that University Staff perspectives are effectively communicated and considered within institutional decision-making processes.

As the primary point of contact for University Staff governance operations, the Secretary coordinates and supports official University Staff committee, council, and shared governance meetings; prepares and maintains accurate governance records and documentation; and ensures that University Staff governance processes are conducted efficiently, transparently, and in accordance with established policies, bylaws, and procedures.

The Secretary of the University Staff serves as a trusted advisor to University Staff leaders, representatives, and governance groups on matters related to governance practices, bylaws, institutional policies, and regulatory requirements affecting University Staff. As the recognized subject matter expert on University Staff governance and procedures, this position helps ensure that governance activities and decision-making processes are properly administered, thoroughly documented, and compliant with applicable laws, regulations, and institutional standards. The role also fosters engagement and participation among University Staff employees, strengthening their voice in shared governance and promoting collaboration between University Staff representatives and university leadership.

Key Job Responsibilities

• May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees
• Provides strategic guidance and oversees support provided to the representative governance body, executive committee, standing committees, and various ad-hoc committees and working groups; maintains agendas, minutes and other documents for university-wide dissemination and archival purposes
• Serves as a key administrative liaison with the faculty, academic staff or university staff committees; may serve as ex-officio member of appropriate governance bodies, as designated by policy
• Recommends and participates in the development and establishment of university policies and procedures; researches and analyzes policy concepts, complex policy issues, and legal implications of proposed university policies; establishes and chairs policy making committees and may serve on various university planning and policy-making committees
• Directs and schedules logistics and secures resources for operational work plans of governance committees
• Reviews institutional activities and actions that may impact respective constitutes or shared governance and disseminates updates to appropriate entities
• Provides information, advice, and consultation on policy, rules, and participation in the shared governance of the institution
• Serves as the institutional resource and expert for respective constituents and related statutes, rules, procedures, and policies for employees and leadership

Department

Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (VCFA)

Compensation

Well qualified applicants can expect to earn between $90,000 - $110,000 with final salary based on experience and qualifications.

In addition to salary, this position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience supporting executive leadership, boards, committees, shared governance bodies, or similar governing organizations.
• Experience coordinating complex meetings, including agenda development, meeting logistics, minute-taking, and records management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of governance principles, organizational bylaws, policies, and decision-making processes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with executive leaders, staff, and external stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a complex environment.
• Effective communication skills in stressful situations with University Staff Employees.
• Ability to coordinate multiple shareholder meetings in a day.

Contact Information

Daniel McCusky, HR Generalist

[e-mail]

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.