Director of Administrative and Academic Operations - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Job Description Summary
Penn Engineering's world-acclaimed faculty, state-of-the-art research laboratories and highly interdisciplinary curricula offer an experience that is unparalleled. Innovation and technology drive every program and transform the fundamentals of what future engineers are learning.
Manage office and supervise administrative staff of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), with 20+ faculty and five staff members; develop staffing allocation model for departmental administrative support; maintain electronic and physical archives of critical department documents; streamline the process of paperwork as well as formulaic or highly predictable staffing duties; demonstrate excellent customer service to students, faculty, as well as internal and external customers; provide administrative support to department Chair; assist Chair with department planning and project management; act as liaison; make decisions and implement resolutions regarding conflict, concerns and confidential department matters; supervise the logistics of CBE faculty recruitment and other functions associated with faculty appointments, promotions and award nominations; manage department communications, including writing letters, reports, editing and publication of brochures, newsletters, etc.; manage the coordination of conferences, workshops, meetings, and special events; assist with preparation and the coordination of research grant proposals; develop physical resources (space) assessment and allocation model of CBE faculty and departmental activities. Prepare survey reports, provide information for regional and national rankings of department. Participate in university-wide projects/pilots.
Job Responsibilities
- Provide administrative support and act as liaison for Chair; manage conflict, initiate resolution. Prepare survey reports and presentation materials; compile and summarize data, oversee the development and maintenance of key projects (conferences, workshops, special events). Develop and implement measures to improve operating efficiencies.
- Supervise/manage CBE office and support staff; hire train and evaluate performance; coordinate schedules; provide high level of quality customer service to students, faculty, internal and external customers. Develop an effective standard for offering staff support for faculty and their associated needs, develop metrics for determining the right workload balance, and predict growth in position needs as a function of faculty additions. Assist in assignment and onboarding of teaching assistants and student workers.
- Prepare dossiers for faculty and other department personnel for review, promotion, and award nominations. Collect teaching evaluations, other information gathering required for dossiers.
- Supervise logistics of CBE faculty recruitment, i.e., advertising, working with search committee, database, candidate visits; manage faculty appointments, promotions, and dossier preparation.
- Coordinate departmental meetings; maintain files; update records and stay current with applicable policies. Manage department communications including print, online, departmental website and social media. Information gathering for internal and external department reporting. Organize, plan, and oversee CBE events and activities both promotional and outreach to alumni and students.
- Prepare reports, presentations, materials; compile and summarize data, oversee the development, maintenance and distribution of materials promoting department. Create working manuals to be used as guidelines for detailed projects.
- Coordinate and allocate office space for faculty, staff, and graduate students. Develop charts and make assessment of faculty and department needs. Work with Director of Facilities Planning to determine approximate present $/sq ft catalog for all present faculty and develop a model with Chair to guide allocation of future needs.
- Participate in committees associated with enhancing departmental and school image.
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