"Assistant Dean, Faculty and Talent Management"

Job Description Summary

The Assistant Dean is an innovative and strategic leader responsible for cultivating an exceptional talent ecosystem that supports both faculty and staff, and drives the career success of students and alumni. This role provides strategic and operational direction for all talent management functions, encompassing comprehensive processes for recruitment, onboarding, professional development, career advancement and performance management. The Assistant Dean champions an agile, supportive, and high-performance culture, leveraging innovative talent management practices and data-driven insights to attract, retain, and develop a workforce, directly enhancing the school's academic excellence and operational effectiveness.

The Assistant Dean serves as a faculty member at the school and acts as a visible change agent and creative thought partner to the leadership of the school by constantly analyzing and reimagining how education can be delivered in more efficient and accessible ways.

Essential Functions:

• Provide strategic leadership by formulating and implementing appropriate plans for the faculty and staff talent management areas to meet the long-term growth and other goals of the school consistent with our launch plan aspirations and guiding principles.
• Ensure operational excellence and fiscal stewardship by establishing clear and impactful policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and decision frameworks that achieve high efficiency and effectiveness in meeting short-term goals, key performance indicators (KPI) and other key school initiatives within budget. Such policies and processes must be consistent with university policies, accreditation standards and relevant regulation.
• Effectively collaborate with and guide the work of external vendors/partners and internal partners (other Wake Forest University schools/offices) to meet school goals, ensure timely completion of plans, and achieve win-win arrangements, and serve as an ambassador of the school/university through purposeful engagement with community.
• Lead comprehensive faculty and staff talent management functions, encompassing strategic workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, professional development, performance management, and succession planning, ensuring alignment with shared governance principles and the strategic priorities of the school and university.
• Manage faculty governance processes, including committee oversight, faculty meetings, personnel reviews, and policy development, to meet school goals and accreditation standards.
• Oversee comprehensive performance management systems, providing guidance and support to managers on goal setting, regular feedback, performance evaluations, and corrective action processes in accordance with university policies.
• Develop and oversee professional development programs for both faculty and staff designed to enhance effectiveness, productivity, and capabilities, fostering a culture of continuous growth and innovation.
• Identify and implement strategic synergies between faculty and staff talent management processes and systems to optimize efficiency, foster cross-functional collaboration, and promote a cohesive organizational culture across the school.
• Champion a culture that fosters belonging for both faculty and staff, promoting a sense of connection throughout all talent management initiatives and school operations.
• Provide inspirational leadership and effective supervision of direct reports to nurture a culture of equity, innovation, and collaboration/teamwork to achieve high performance and ensure the success of students and community partners.
• Teach assigned course sections, actively participate in faculty governance and development, and contribute to continuous program improvement through curriculum recommendations and outcomes assessment.

Other Functions:

• Represent the school’s Dean in their absence.

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Master’s degree in business, HR, or a related field plus 10 or more years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Prior teaching experience in adult education
• Deep understanding of talent management best practices.
• Ability to act as a thought leader, setting a vision, aligning resources with goals and strategies, and inspiring others to enact vision/strategies.
• Excellent collaborator and communicator, able to build and manage positive and trusting relationships, communicate effectively, and display a cooperative spirit across a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain composure, effectiveness, and focus when facing difficult challenges; demonstrate sound judgment and discretion in dynamic environments or when dealing with sensitive issues.
• Agile and adaptive in navigating change, ambiguity, and unanticipated obstacles, leveraging proactive problem-solving skills and driving changes to achieve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, as well as upholding the University's and school's mission, vision and other values.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• PhD or other terminal degree in a field related to the School of Professional Studies’ programmatic foci plus
• Previous experience leading faculty and/or overseeing human resources functions in a higher education environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency in using cloud-based office tools, including Microsoft Office, Google platforms, and other relevant software.

Accountabilities:

• Responsible for own work and the work of others.
• Budgetary responsibilities.

Additional Job Description

Open Until Filled

Time Type Requirement: Full time