Department Administrator

About the role

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the largest department in the College of Engineering. The department serves over 1,700 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students across three-degree programs: Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, and Aerospace Engineering (launching Fall 2026).

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership in developing and administering budgets.
• Oversees financial operations including grants, contract, and other funds to ensure adherence to prudent and generally accepted accounting practices, and compliance with Federal, State, university, and sponsor rules, regulations, laws and bylaws.
• Provides leadership for faculty recruitment, evaluation, development, and promotion processes.
• Oversees communication and marketing of department activities, accomplishments, and department philanthropic activities including meeting with and engaging potential donors.
• Exercises 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 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
• Provides leadership for the strategic and short-term planning processes, as well as obtaining and validating data needed for strategic decision-making.
• Provides leadership, guidance, and management of the department's research, teaching and service programs, and staff to ensure efficient and effective operations.
• Provides leadership and administrative oversight of basic and translational research programs including staffing, compliance, fiscal, information technology (IT), and facility needs.
• Provides leadership and oversight of training programs.

Requirements

• Extensive business administration experience.
• Significant staff supervisory experience.
• Experience in managing budgets and creating financial reports.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to oversee multiple tasks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field.
• Master's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field preferred.

Skills

Exceptional organizational, project management, communication, and supervisory skills, along with the ability to navigate a complex and dynamic academic environment.

Benefits

Flexible salary range based on experience and qualifications, with a minimum starting salary of $110,000.

Pay

The position is compensated at a minimum of $110,000 per year, with flexibility to offer a higher salary based on the successful candidate's experience and qualifications.

Schedule

The position is expected to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Contact Information

Darryl Thelen
1513 University Ave
Madison, WI 53706
dgthelen@wisc.edu