Department Administrator II - Biology

About the role

The Department of Biology at UW–Madison seeks a Department Administrator II to partner strategically with the department chair and support a cutting-edge research and innovative teaching unit within the College of Letters & Science (L&S). The department administrator provides key leadership central to all aspects of the department and is responsible for the smooth execution of administrative, operational, and financial functions. This role operates with a significant level of independence, with general direction from the chair and faculty leadership, and requires creative problem-solving, continuous improvement, and management of change. The ideal candidate will combine expertise in budgeting, financial management, and human resources with strong project management, communication, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities include supervision of the department's administrative team, development of department budgets, financial analyses, reports, and forecasts, management of renovation projects and facilities maintenance, and coordination of personnel and infrastructure needs with dedicated teams and committees throughout the department. The department administrator interfaces with teams at L&S to ensure support for daily operations including human resources, instructional administration, purchasing, fund and gift management, research support, and other business functions. The department administrator reports to the department chair and is part of the department's leadership team, requiring a collaborative, professional approach with the ability to take initiative and pursue goals independently. This leadership role requires regular availability and an onsite presence; hybrid scheduling options will be discussed during the interview process, however candidates should anticipate being onsite a minimum of three days per week, and as needed, following an initial onboarding period that will require greater onsite presence.

The Department of Biology, officially launched in 2026, brings together the former botany and integrative biology departments. With more than 250 employees including faculty, staff, postdoctoral, and student employees, the department is committed to innovative teaching and impactful discovery in diverse areas of research spanning molecules to ecosystems. The department houses 8 undergraduate and 3 graduate academic programs, the Wisconsin State Herbarium, Botany Garden and Greenhouse, the UW Zoological Museum, and the newly formed Center for Botany.

Responsibilities

• 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 in developing and administering budgets; oversees financial operations including grants, contracts, 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
• Responsible for communication and marketing of department activities, accomplishments, and department philanthropic activities including meeting with and engaging potential donors
• Provides oversight and management of office and research space on and off campus, department information systems, and regional network development
• Facilitates the training and professional development of the administrative team and contributes to comprehensive onboarding processes for new hires across the department
• 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

Requirements

• At least 5 years of professional administrative experience with progressive responsibility in areas such as overseeing office operations, guiding process improvements, and supporting strategic initiatives in a complex organizational environment
• Experience working with financial data and budget generation
• At least 2 years of experience with supervision
• Strong verbal and written communication and administrative and organizational skills supported by effective use of digital tools and systems
• Experience fostering and maintaining collaborative relationships with people from a variety of backgrounds and education levels
• Ability to apply sound judgement and discretion in applying and interpreting laws, rules, policies, and procedures as applicable to the position

Qualifications

• 3 or more years of supervision experience
• At least 2 years of experience managing financial data and budget development in a higher education or similarly complex organizational setting
• Experience in higher education administration
• Experience leading and supporting strategic initiatives
• Experience with personnel issues, including conflict management
• Experience providing support and guidance on policy, budget forecasting, and decision-making
• Experience with philanthropy strategy and oversight of gift funds
• Bachelor's degree required; focus in business, non-profit administration, or related field preferred
• Master's degree preferred

Pay

The expected salary range for this position is $95,000 to $128,000 for highly experienced candidates. Actual pay within this range will depend on experience and qualifications.

Benefits

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits.

Schedule

This leadership role requires regular availability and an onsite presence. Hybrid scheduling options will be discussed during the interview process; candidates should anticipate being onsite a minimum of three days per week, and as needed, following an initial onboarding period that will require greater onsite presence.