Director of Administrative Operations

The School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is seeking a Director of Administrative Operations to provide strategic support for the school’s short-term and long-term projects. The incumbent serves in a leadership capacity on projects as assigned, by overseeing and/or managing projects from concept to implementation and is responsible for project planning, oversight, implementation, monitoring, and assessment.

The Director ensures operational excellence by working collaboratively with functional areas of the school to ensure cross functional collaboration and alignment resulting in increased operational effectiveness and efficiencies. Independently manages time-sensitive and high-priority administration and operational initiatives for the school and serves as a supervisor, coach, and mentor to staff who are direct and in-direct reports.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Business Administration (65%)

• Serve as a close advisor to the Sr. Associate Dean of Finance and Administration.
• Lead school strategic projects that originate from school or university leadership.
• Provide consultation and guidance, as needed, in the day-to-day operations, strategic planning, and policy and process improvement for the school, centers, institutes, business units and programs.
• Independently manages time-sensitive and high-priority administration and operational initiatives for the school.
• Serves as a point of contact for operational inquiries across the school.
• Interfaces with building leadership to ensure delivery of quality operations support services (IT and Facilities) to SAIS; troubleshoots where needed and assists SAIS departments in liaising with building operations as required.
• Meets regularly with centers, institutes, business units and program leadership, to include, Directors, and faculty, to gather feedback on current service levels, policy and procedure concerns, and staff performance and training needs.
• Makes recommendations to school leadership and partners with functional areas on implementing changes as needed.
• Develop new methods and approaches that refine/change protocols and processes to strengthen the school and its administrative units’ capacity to function with agility and efficiency.
• Establish key performance indicators to measure and improve school and business units effectiveness.
• Communicate regularly with faculty and staff across the School to ensure compliance of policies, procedures, and best practices are achieved.
• Maintain awareness of ongoing adjacent programming, projects, initiative throughout the SAIS and University.
• Partners with SAIS leadership to develop, coordinate, and standardize services, policies, and support for centers, institutes, business units, and programs, while ensuring alignment with the overall goals of the school and University.
• Demonstrate ability to interpret, communicate and apply data to inform decisions that have optimal outcomes.

Project Management (30%)

• Conducts in-depth research and provide senior leadership with information and recommendations, as assigned.
• Identifies and facilitates cross-functional workgroups to develop, deliver, operationalize, document and support projects and solutions.
• Lead and/or manage business improvement processes, and strategic initiatives that are informed by sound and insightful operational, administrative and business practices. Work with other members of the dean’s office and administrative teams to integrate identified initiatives into organizational effectiveness efforts of the school.
• Represents the objectives, goals, vision, and strategy of the school in management meetings including those with senior leaders.

Additional Duties (5%)

• Attend meetings and serve on committees on behalf of the Sr. Associate Dean of Finance and Administration.
• Serves as a point of contact for operational inquiries across the school.
• Oversees staff, contractors and students stationed at SAIS welcome center.
• Temporarily cover for vacated/absent staff to maintain smooth operation and prevent business disruptions.
• Coordinates with building leadership to ensure delivery of quality operations support services (IT and Facilities) to SAIS; troubleshoots where needed and assists SAIS departments in liaising with building operations as required.

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Unquestionable integrity, strong work ethic and resiliency required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to draft clear, concise professional reports and correspondence.
• Business process management and improvement experience i