"Associate Dean of Special Projects & Executive Chief of Staff - Office of the Dean"

POSITION DETAILS

The CUNY School of Medicine (CUNY SoM) located in the heart of Harlem, New York, is the only medical school in the City University of New York system and the only public medical school in Manhattan. Building upon 50 years of success as the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, the institution transitioned to the CUNY School of Medicine (SoM) in 2016. The CUNY SoM offers an accelerated BS/MD degree (7-year program) and a Physician Assistant Master’s Degree (27-month program). True to its legacy of access, opportunity, and community transformation, the medical school’s mission remains to recruit highly talented students who represent New York City itself. CUNY SoM places a special emphasis on the recruitment of those who are underrepresented in the field of medicine and on training high quality, culturally competent health professionals and scientists equipped to address the healthcare needs of New York’s medically under-served communities. As a major priority, CUNY SoM also seeks to enhance the recruitment and retention of senior leadership, faculty, and staff to more closely reflect the makeup of our student body.

The Office of the Dean is currently seeking an Associate Dean of Special Projects & Executive Chief of Staff. The position will report to the Dean and act as a trusted confidential advisor and strategic partner. The Associate Dean will oversee high-level initiatives and special projects as well as manage and coordinate the administrative functions of the Dean's office. The incumbent will assist the Dean in managing and strategizing major issues and initiatives impacting the senior executive staff, faculty, departments and offices, as well as serving as the Dean’s liaison to campus and community stakeholders.

In addition to the above overview, the Associate Dean of Special Projects & Executive Chief of Staff’s responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, and others in support of the Dean; serves as a key confidential liaison for the Dean with stakeholders across CUNY, and represents the Dean in a variety of formal and informal settings as assigned.
• Provides daily oversight for the Dean’s office administrative functions, working closely with the Executive Assistant and Administrative Manager to ensure efficient operations and that the office of the Dean is a presentable, welcoming, safe, and professional environment for faculty, staff, students and visitors.
• Develops agendas for special meetings and itineraries for visitors. Proactively reviews the Dean’s official calendar, personal calendar and research activities to efficiently manage time and resources; provides general oversight and guidance to Executive Assistant and Administrative Manager on scheduling matters.
• Oversees high-level projects, tracking progress, addressing challenges, and ensuring timely completion; Coordinates aspects of group projects, forecasting and strategy work including, but not limited to: timeline and milestone development, project management, gathering and analyzing data, synthesizing insights, and ensuring recommendations are aligned with academic and institutional priorities. Partners with key stakeholders such as Finance and Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness teams, as required.
• Assures compliance with university, union, and governmental policies, procedures, and regulations related to academic and administrative matters; cooperates with all audit requirements and implements all audit recommendations in a timely manner.
• Assists with compliance with program accreditation standards and New York State Education Department (NYSED) policies and requirements in collaboration with key members of the senior leadership. Coordinates with the CUNY Central Office on matters related to Board of Trustees agenda items involving the school.
• Provides strategic advice to the Dean; keeps the Dean apprised of significant issues and identifies approaches to resolve issues. Assists the Dean with unexpected emergent matters and troubleshoots issues in collaboration with relevant offices within the School of Medicine.
• Prepares the Dean for meetings and speaking engagements; ensures coordination of necessary information, documents, support resources and travel arrangements, and captures follow-up items for response or closure.
• Supports the Dean's workload and prioritizes time by managing information flow, anticipating and troubleshooting potential challenges, resolving issues, and providing analysis and advice on key issues. Establishes efficient processes for the timely and efficient flow of information to and from the Dean's Office with internal and external stakeholders.
• Plans and manages standing leadership and/or committee meetings, including preparation of agenda, minutes and other documents, as well as gathering feedback and input to foster continued improvement.
• Partners with senior leaders and stakeholder groups, providing counsel to advance key initiatives. Follows up with cabinet members, other executives, and staff to ensure they are delivering necessary information and updates to the Dean in a timely, complete manner, and that materials are of highest quality.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Dean or designee.

QUALIFICATIONS

This position is in CUNY's Executive Compensation Plan. All executive positions require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree and eight years' related experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree such as MBA, JD, MPH or MPA.
• At least ten years of experience supporting a President’s or Dean’s office.
• Demonstrates excellent planning, organizing, coordinating, problem solving, time management and supervisory skills.
• Knowledge and experience in academic medicine and an understanding of importance of health disparities.
• Understanding of NY State Education Department policies and of LCME, ARC-PA and MSCHE accreditation standards and processes desirable.
• Student-centered with a strong commitment to service.

CUNY TITLE

Associate Administrator

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary Range: $150,000 - $195,000
Salary commensurate with education and experience.
CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

HOW TO APPLY

Please visit www.cuny.edu, access the employment page, log in or create a new user account, and search for this vacancy using the Job ID: 31672 or Title: Associate Dean of Special Projects & Executive Chief of Staff. Select "Apply Now" and provide the requested information.
Applicants must provide a resume, cover letter and a one-page writing sample.

CLOSING DATE

Open until February 27, 2026.