"Director for Special Projects, Planning & Strategic Initiatives"

Director for Special Projects, Planning & Strategic Initiatives

Company:
North Carolina State University

Job Location:

Category:
Sponsored Programs, Grants, and Contracts

Type:
Full-Time

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Location: Raleigh, NC

Essential Job Duties:
The Director for Special Projects, Planning & Strategic Initiatives is a critical, high-impact leadership role, reporting directly to the Department Head/Chair of the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME).

This position is responsible for overseeing the strategic planning, structural integrity, and successful execution of high-priority initiatives unique to the BME's dual-campus environment (NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill). The Director will serve as the Department Head's executive project manager, translating the departmental vision into actionable goals, ensuring the unique administrative functions support core academic and research missions, and driving strategic projects to completion. This role is expected to work closely with the College of Engineering at NC State, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill Operations Offices to ensure departmental administrative processes are aligned with broader College and School policies and to streamline the resolution of complex, cross-institutional issues. This role is a key steward of the unique inter-institutional knowledge required to maintain the department's operation.

Key Responsibilities

Departmental Strategic Planning and Implementation (45%)

• Strategic Execution: Lead the formulation, implementation, and tracking of the department's strategic plan and high-priority initiatives, ensuring alignment with the long-term goals of BME, NC State's College of Engineering, and UNC-CH's School of Medicine/College of Arts and Sciences.
• Project Leadership: Manages and oversees all special projects assigned by the Department Head/Chair. Projects include, but are not limited to, maximizing the strategic impact and compliance of newly established endowments; leading major facility and space-utilization projects across both campuses; contributing to the development of new educational or research programs; and participating in hiring committees for development and communications positions.
• Decision Support: Work with department leadership team and provide strategic decision support to the Department Head/Chair by conducting research, analyzing internal trends (e.g., enrollment, research funding, dual-campus personnel data), benchmarking against peer institutions, and preparing high-level slide decks, reports, letters and presentations to aid in informed decision-making. This includes anticipating threats and opportunities related to BME's growth and financial stability.

Structural Stewardship, Operations, and Administrative Efficiency (35%)

• BME Charter Stewardship: Serve as the definitive steward of the Lampe Joint BME Charter and its associated appendix agreements, which form the unique foundation for a single department administered by two universities and three colleges/schools. This involves assisting in enforcing the Charter's terms with administrative units at both NC State and UNC-CH and assisting in drafting and executing necessary updates to the agreements.
• Operational Optimization: Streamline and optimize the department's administrative workflows, improve internal communication structures across both campuses, and manage the administrative calendar to ensure key inter-institutional deadlines (e.g., HR, budget, grant submissions) are met efficiently.
• Policy Implementation & Issue Resolution: Serve as the department's expert on complex institutional policies for both NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill and ensure consistent, accurate application of these policies across all departmental operations. This role proactively resolves issues as they arise and implements necessary policy changes to maintain the department's unique functioning.

College Alignment and Strategic Stakeholder Engagement (20%)

• Inter-Institutional Advocacy: Serve as the primary operational liaison and advocate for BME with leadership at both NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill to maintain the department's special processes required to pursue its endowed mission.
• Development and Communications Support: Collaborate closely with the College/School Directors of Development and Communications to prepare strategic vision materials, coordinate external engagement, and support outreach to alumni, industry, and friends for philanthropic, collaborative, and research efforts.
• External Coordination: Coordinate efforts across varied internal and external stakeholders-including faculty at both universities, administrative teams, physician groups, and industry partners-to implement key strategic programs and projects, leveraging the department's unique dual-campus structure.

Other Work/Responsibilities:

• Other tasks and responsibilities may be assigned based on the needs of the organization and evolving priorities.

Minimum Experience/Education:

• A master's or advanced degree in a relevant field such as business administration, public administration; or a related discipline with at least 3 years of experience.

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience in a high-level project management or executive operations role, preferably within a complex academic or research environment that requires navigating multiple institutional policies or systems.
• Proven ability to manage multiple large-scale initiatives simultaneously and ensure deadlines are met.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), with a demonstrated ability to serve as a central point of contact and advocate for a specialized unit among varied, high-level stakeholders.
• Experience in optimizing workflows, improving communication structures, and fostering a positive work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic decision support through research, data analysis, and insightful presentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge or direct experience managing a joint or inter-institutional administrative unit, proven leadership skills with experience in supervising and leading a team.

Required License or Certification:

• N/A