Senior Director, Operations and Administration

Department
 

Development Economics Center

About the Department
 

The Development Innovation Lab (DIL) at the University of Chicago uses the tools of economics to develop innovations with the potential to benefit millions of people in low- and middle-income countries. It was founded and is led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer.

Job Summary
 

The Senior Director oversees the Development Innovation Lab and the Development Economics Center’s operations and administration. The Senior Director is also responsible for coordinating smooth processes between project teams and administration and operations.

This role is charged with leading, either directly or through facilitation, finance, budgeting, grant management, HR, communications, facility and security management, events, University engagement, and call for proposal processes. The Senior Director is also a senior administrator working closely with the Office of Legal Counsel and the Global Office.

This position manages multiple related teams of managers and professional staff responsible for the administration of academic, research, clinical or administrative programs of the University.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with the Executive Director, Faculty Director,  and other unit leadership in the development of strategies, plans, policies, and procedures.
• Works with the Executive Director to develop an organizational infrastructure that will meet the needs of a complex international research agenda. Assesses strengths and gaps in current operational workflow, processes, and procedures to continue to improve overall operations work.
• Oversees accounting and financial management. Oversees the Director of Finance who is responsible for managing both unrestricted and grant budgets.
• Oversees DIL’s HR. Works with the University system to oversee hiring, employee engagement, training and development, safety and health, succession planning, conflict resolution, onboarding/offboarding protocols, and DIL-specific staff policies and procedures. This includes both managing DIL staff and interacting with other HR staff in the University.
• Assists with communications and events, including managing staff who lead these initiatives.
• Oversees operational needs of DIL’s office, such as kitchen supplies, meals for events, problems with facilities, etc.
• Liaise with University systems and DIL. Manages relationships for DIL with the Global office, Office of Legal Counsel, URA, Office of Risk Management, Department of Safety and Security, IT Services, and Facilities. 
• Manages other managers and professional staff by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merit, incentive and/or promotional increases.
• Manages program operations and administrative functions to include planning and scheduling, program evaluation, policy implementation, personnel administration, budget, marketing, fundraising and proposal development.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

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

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience.
• International development experience, including significant time spent working in low or middle income countries
• Working in a higher education context.
• Background working at UChicago.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Knowledge of labor laws and HR practices relevant in a University setting strongly.
• Excellent computer skills evidenced by proficiency in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat. Knowledge of DIL’s technological tools (Asana, Slack, Google Suite).

Preferred Competencies

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills including outstanding judgment, discretion, and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Proven track record of working with multiple stakeholders to build successful policies and processes.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex data into clear, thoughtful, and actionable reports.

Working Conditions   

• Candidates must be willing to travel as needed for their respective responsibilities.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)