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: Associate Dean (B)
Job Summary:
The Associate Dean of Operations & External Relations is a senior level administrator providing overall management and direction across Extension's internal operations, policy development, and external relations, including both elected and nonelected county, state, federal, and tribal partners. This role will collaborate with and report to the Dean of UW-Madison's Division of Extension. The Associate Dean will supervise two Assistant Deans responsible for oversight of Extension's partnerships and program delivery across all 72 counties in Wisconsin. The Associate Dean also supervises the Directors of units providing division-wide services including human resources, communications, information technology, access and inclusion, and finance, as well as specialists responsible for facilities, planning, policy and administrative management.
Successful applicants will need to have significant work experience as an organizational leader as they step into working as part of leadership within Extension to create the conditions that facilitate effective delivery of Extension education across Wisconsin.
Principle Duties
The Associate Dean of Operations & External Relations will be responsible for performing the following tasks:
Organizational Strategy and Decision-Making
Job Category: Limited
Employment Type: Regular
Job Profile: Associate Dean (B)
Job Summary:
The Associate Dean of Operations & External Relations is a senior level administrator providing overall management and direction across Extension's internal operations, policy development, and external relations, including both elected and nonelected county, state, federal, and tribal partners. This role will collaborate with and report to the Dean of UW-Madison's Division of Extension. The Associate Dean will supervise two Assistant Deans responsible for oversight of Extension's partnerships and program delivery across all 72 counties in Wisconsin. The Associate Dean also supervises the Directors of units providing division-wide services including human resources, communications, information technology, access and inclusion, and finance, as well as specialists responsible for facilities, planning, policy and administrative management.
Successful applicants will need to have significant work experience as an organizational leader as they step into working as part of leadership within Extension to create the conditions that facilitate effective delivery of Extension education across Wisconsin.
Principle Duties
The Associate Dean of Operations & External Relations will be responsible for performing the following tasks:
Organizational Strategy and Decision-Making
- Provide strategic insight and direction for operations, policy development, and external relations.
- Work in partnership with the Academic Associate Deans in providing critical support for their programming priorities.
- Work with the Assistant Deans to engage external partners to solicit their needs and priorities, and align them with Extension capacity and expertise.
- Work with the operations units and specialists to streamline services and align work to address customer needs and priorities in the areas of budget, human resources, communications, information technology, access and inclusion, facilities, planning, and policy.
- Serve as a core member of the Deans Executive Team by contributing to and developing policies and strategies to advance Extension's work.
- Align annual strategic initiatives in coordination with Assistant Deans and Operational units.
- Regularly engage with administrative leadership at UW-Madison, including the Offices of: Legal Affairs, University Relations, the Provost, the Chancellor, Risk Management, the Comptroller, and others as needed to address issues and ensure alignment between Extension and campus.
- Engage with administrative leaders in other Schools, Colleges and Divisions on campus to work on issues of share interest and/or impact.
- Manage overall budget for Operations and the Dean's Office.
- Develop strategies to diversify funding sources for Extension's priorities.
- Supervise Operation Directors, Assistant Deans for Geographies, and operations specialists.
- Build relationships with federal, state, local and tribal officials to address mutual priorities and secure external funding.
- Engage with administrative leadership of other Extension organizations, particularly those in the North Central region.
- Develop new and strengthen existing key strategic partnerships with nonprofit and nongovernment organizations.
Division of Extension headquarters are located within Madison, WI
Partial Remote
This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. Remote work requires an approved remote work agreement (RWA). A RWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee.
This position has the possibility of working up to 2 days remote per week.
Evening/Weekend Work
This position may be required to work occasional nights and weekends to meet the divisional needs and priorities of the communities served.
Travel Expectations
It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions. Read more about UW-Madison Driver Authorization.
Applicants are required to: Have a valid drivers license and a reliable source of independent transportation for periodic in-state work travel, and/or comply with requirements for UW-Madison vehicle use authorization.
Key Job Responsibilities:
- Builds consensus and develops collegial, collaborative working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, partners with administrative and academic departments to support initiatives, and gathers input from key stakeholders to support recommendations
- 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
- Serves on various university review committees, working with a wide range of constituencies including the Faculty Senate, Deans and Associate Deans, General Counsel, and University Leadership
- Provides leadership for one or more academic programs by establishing strategic direction and setting priorities that align with the academic directives of the Dean, and ensures units effectively carry out duties in a way that best supports the university's initiatives, strategic direction, and academic mission; provides direct supervision of department/program leadership and monitors compliance with laws, regulations, university policies and procedures, and relevant contractual obligations
- Advises and collaborates with the Dean, Assistant Deans, and/or Office of the Provost on critical issues, represents the functional area of supervision at appropriate meetings and events as requested; and serves on and/or leads various program and/or university committees as directed to address issues
- Directs on-going assessment and continuous improvement of academic programs and services by guiding the establishment of annual goals, ensuring progress towards goals is met, articulating challenges, and reporting on annual outcomes and achievements for programs/services
- Ensures initiatives are effectively using program assessment and data analysis to improve initiatives and strategies, identifies opportunities for improvement, and makes recommendations to the Dean for approval
- Leads special initiatives and/or academic programs that require senior leadership attention with respect to program design, planning, coordination, and interaction with internal and external stakeholders
Division of Extension, Office of the Dean is hiring for an Associate Dean of Operations & External Relations.
About Extension
Extension embodies the Wisconsin Idea by developing and connecting the research and educational resources of UW-Madison with residents and communities to address local, statewide, and national issues. We teach, learn, lead and serve, transforming lives and communities.
Compensation:
Starting salary will be based on experience and qualifications. Well-qualified applicants can anticipate earning between $165,000 and $190,000, with final salary determined by experience and qualifications.
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. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.
Required Qualifications:
- At least five years of management experience within a complex organization.
- Demonstrated record as a proven leader and manager of employees.
- Demonstrated record of building effective working relationships with internal and external entities.
- Experience developing and implementing organizational policies.
- Experience managing a physically distributed workforce.
- Experience and understanding of the Extension mission.
- Experience working within a Land Grant University or large public institution.
- Experience working with local, state and/or federal elected officials.
- Experience and understanding of how to engage and support fundraising and philanthropic approaches to diversify funding.
- Understanding of Native Nations Governance and Sovereignty and ability to work with diverse tribes
Required Education
Master's degree required
Preferred Education
Earned terminal degree preferred
How to Apply:
We are eager to learn more about how your experience and passion may align with this position. To begin the application process, click the "apply now" button. You will be prompted to upload the following documents:
- Resume
- Letter of Qualifications (cover letter)
For additional guidance and resources on how to tailor your application materials to the job posting, please click https://extension.wisc.edu/careers/.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. Additionally UW-Madison cannot employ F-1 STEM OPT Extension participants, because UW-Madison does not meet the E-Verify employer requirement.
This position has been identified as a position of trust. The selected candidate will be required to pass an initial caregiver check to be eligible for employment under the Wisconsin Caregiver Act and every four years.
Application Deadline is October 4, 2026 at 11:59pm (CDT).
Contact Information:
- Sara Dawson
- 608-890-2629
- sara.dawson@wisc.edu
- Paul DeLong
- paul.delong@wisc.edu
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.