Chief of Staff

About the role

The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) seeks a Chief of Staff to support the Dean and senior leadership team in advancing strategic initiatives and ensuring operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Dean and ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
• Lead and manage special projects, cross-departmental initiatives, and institutional planning efforts.
• Cook up and manage goal setting and performance tracking.
• Manage, coordinate, and anticipate issues for discussion, and participants.
• Manage, coordinate, and anticipate government affairs and special executive projects.
• Prepare reports, briefings, presentations, and other materials for executive meetings and decision-making.
• Draft speeches, reports, and correspondence for the Dean; maintain consistent internal and external communications.
• Facilitate collaboration among senior leadership, organize leadership meetings, and track follow-up actions.
• Aid in policy development and implementation; prepare decision memos and monitor outcomes of leadership initiatives.
• Oversee, manage administrative staff within the Dean’s office, streamline workflows, and manage calendars and priorities.
• Act as liaison to key committees, ensuring agendas, minutes, and follow-up documentation are completed.
• Handle sensitive issues discreetly and serve as point of contact for faculty and external stakeholders on critical concerns.
• Serve as liaison to the medical school Board of Directors, coordinating and reviewing meeting materials and related communications.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Minimum of ten years of progressive leadership experience in roles such as Chief of Staff, Chief Administrative Officer, or Director-level positions with broad cross-functional oversight, required.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, required.
• Background in academic medicine, healthcare administration, or related fields, required.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with faculty and key internal stakeholders, including Legal, Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT, and Facilities, required.
• Proven track record in leading complex, multi-stream projects from initiation through successful, on-time, and on-budget completion, required.
• Deep understanding of organizational operations, governance structures, and executive office workflows, required.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive documents and presentations, required.
• High level of judgment and discretion in managing sensitive and confidential information, required.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to operate independently with significant responsibility and autonomy, required.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and collaboration tools such as Teams, required.
• Advanced degree (MA, MBA, JD, or PhD) from an accredited institution, preferred.
• Experience in a medical school or higher education environment, preferred.
• Familiarity with accreditation standards and compliance requirements in academic medicine, preferred.
• Experience with organizational change management and process improvement initiatives, preferred.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies and tools, preferred.
• Familiarity with expense reporting tools and virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions. Physical Demands: In the work environment described, position requires sitting at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching, and physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job. Work Environment: Work is performed full-time (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Some local travel will be required, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Alice L. Walton School of Medicine is an equal opportunity employer.