Strategic Projects Associate

Department

F&A Strategic Initiatives

About the Department

Finance and Administration (F&A) aims to provide the services and support needed to foster an environment of academic and research excellence at the University of Chicago. We are dedicated to collaborative partnerships with our colleagues and customers that lay the foundation for an exemplary service delivery process. Being fully aligned with the strategic and academic priorities of the University, each of the departments within F&A is tasked with implementing the processes necessary to achieve lasting excellence.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Financial Program Management, the Strategic Projects Associate supports the Office of the CFO by contributing to the implementation of the University's financial, strategic, and operational priorities. This role is ideal for an individual with a proactive mindset who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is interested in growing into a diverse range of responsibilities. The Strategic Projects Associate will support the Director of Financial Program Management by working on high-priority initiatives within the Finance and Administration division under her mentorship, collaborating with cross-functional teams to execute strategic objectives effectively.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with leadership and cross-functional teams to define project scope, objectives, and deliverables, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
• Monitors project progress, identifies risks, addresses issues, and escalates concerns as necessary to keep initiatives on track. 
• Develops, maintains, and updates project plans, timelines, governance processes, meeting notes, status reports, presentations, quick reference guides, webpages, emails, and other documentation and communications for strategic initiatives under the supervision of the Director. 
• Coordinates cross-departmental efforts and manages relationships with internal teams and external vendors to ensure effective execution of projects.
• Conducts research, compiles and analyzes data, and creates reports, proposals, and presentations to support decision-making and strategic initiatives.
• Identifies and implements process improvements to enhance operational efficiency. 
• Assists with other administrative projects as needed and acquire higher level guidance and skills.
• Helps coordinate events, researches logistics, assists with planning and preparing presentations, event outreach, and post-event write ups.
• May maintain website (including but not limited to: employment page, news page, staff page, project pages, innovation challenge page).
• May assist with other administrative projects as needed and acquire higher level guidance and skills.
• Performs other related work as needed.
   

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

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

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education: 

• Bachelor’s degree. 

Experience: 

• Progressively responsible project management experience. 

Preferred Competencies 

• Manage multiple initiatives, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.  
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. 
• Exceptional organizational, time-management, and attention-to-detail abilities. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and handle sensitive and confidential information. 
• Work both independently and as part of a team, demonstrating flexibility and initiative. 
• Work on cross-functional teams or strategic initiatives and adapting to changing priorities. 

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (require