Administrative Affairs Manager

About the role

The Administrative Affairs Manager serves as a key operational lead within the UW Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC), managing high-level administrative functions, workflow optimization, and program execution across academic research, clinical care, and health system domains. Reporting directly to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) with a functional matrix line to the Director, this role oversees the operational interfaces connecting UWCCC, UW Health Cancer Services, the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), and the broader UW–Madison campus.

The position is responsible for managing center-wide committee governance, leading cross-institutional communication strategies, aligning joint health system initiatives, and overseeing administrative support for NCI designation maintenance and strategic recruitment.

Core Operational Areas

• Program Execution & Strategy Implementation: Plan, execute, and evaluate operational goals, center programs, and administrative services, recommending functional enhancements to leadership.
• Cross-Institutional Operations & Workflow: Identify operational needs, implement unit policies and workflows, and coordinate joint administrative initiatives across university and UW Health clinical operations.
• Governance & Stakeholder Relations: Manage decision-making and informational committees, oversee executive briefing processes, and coordinate high-level stakeholder communications with the Dean’s Office and health system leadership.
• Team Leadership & Administrative Supervision: Directly supervise the Executive Assistant, establishing clear operational priorities, managing administrative workflows, evaluating performance, and fostering ongoing professional development to ensure high-level executive support.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with Director to engage with UW Health stakeholders to set priorities and ensure alignment with the health system on key cancer care priorities.
• Plans, implements, executes, and evaluates existing strategies and objectives for a program and makes recommendations to unit leadership for program or function enhancement.
• Leads the development and preparation of periodic reports and financial statements, and records progress, status, or other special reports for leadership or external agencies.
• Schedules logistics and secures resources for program activities across multiple work units to ensure optimum efficiency and compliance with appropriate policies, procedures, and specifications.
• 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.
• Identifies workflow needs, contributes to the development of strategic and operational solutions, allocates resources, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures.
• May assist in the development and monitoring of the unit or program budget and approve unit expenditures.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 to 5 years of professional experience in administrative program coordination, executive support, business office operations, or research/healthcare administration.
• Prior experience drafting professional correspondence, executive briefings, meeting minutes, and localized communication announcements.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating agendas, rosters, and administrative logistics for standing institutional committees or governance boards.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tracking workflows simultaneously, maintain organized task structures, and proactively follow up on action items.
• Prior experience working within a university setting, health system, academic medical center, or research institute.
• Must provide a valid driver’s license. Employees may use their own transportation or receive approval for University Car Fleet usage. Employment is conditional pending the results of a Pre-hire Driver Authorization Check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience navigating matrixed reporting environments or joint university-hospital collaborative governance frameworks.
• Experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder programs or strategic initiatives.
• Familiarity with medical terminology, research environments, or academic medicine operations.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

About the department

The UW Carbone Cancer Center has been an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center since 1973. UW Carbone is an integral part of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health, bringing together more than 330 physicians and scientists from 50 departments and nine schools to conduct research and translate laboratory discoveries into new patient treatments. UWCCC builds community by creating a collaborative, respectful, and welcoming environment in which all faculty, students, and staff will thrive.

Pay

The starting salary for the position is $80,000 annually but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Benefits

• Generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
• Competitive insurances and savings accounts.
• Retirement benefits.

For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage.