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Director of Administration, SMFA at Tufts

Tufts University · Boston, MA · 3 wk ago
HybridManagement$144k/yrFull-time

About the role

The Director of Administration serves as the senior administrative leader for SMFA, overseeing its financial, human resources, and facilities operations. This role works closely with the SMFA Dean and the Executive Administrative Dean (EAD) to ensure alignment of resources with strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage administrative operations: Provide hands-on oversight of finance, HR, and facilities, personally driving execution where needed in a lean, highly collaborative, and decentralized environment.

  • Act as the central point of coordination: Ensure clear communication, policy implementation, and resolution of complex administrative issues between SMFA and university offices.

  • Recruit, mentor, and oversee the SMFA administrative team: Align roles and responsibilities to support evolving organizational and academic needs.

  • Own the development, management, and forecasting of the school's budget: Partner with the University Budget Center while managing budgets across multiple academic units and stakeholders.

  • Drive financial and business innovation: Identify opportunities to improve financial performance, support revenue-generating initiatives, and introduce new approaches to resource allocation.

  • Advise school leadership: Serve as a key financial advisor to the Dean, driving decision-making, tradeoffs, and long-term planning.

  • Partner with Human Resources: Support recruitment, workforce planning, employee relations, and faculty-related administrative processes.

  • Oversee facilities and space planning: Lead space planning, capital projects, and renovations across SMFA, including coordination across campuses and with studio operations.

  • Lead administrative initiatives and process improvements: Enhance efficiency, strengthen practices, and support evolving institutional needs.

  • Contribute to senior leadership: Serve as a key member of the SMFA cabinet and partner with senior leadership to advance the school's academic and artistic mission.

Qualifications

  • Knowledge and experience typically acquired through: Bachelor’s degree, 7–10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including complex administrative, financial, and operational oversight.

  • Experience managing or overseeing budgets in a complex organizational setting, ideally across multiple stakeholders or units.

  • Deep financial and budget management expertise, including experience overseeing complex, multi-stakeholder budgets, financial planning, and forecasting.

  • Demonstrated ability to serve as a strategic financial partner to senior leadership, advising on tradeoffs, resource allocation, and long-term planning.

  • Strong operational leadership skills, with experience managing administrative functions such as finance, HR, and/or facilities in a complex, decentralized environment.

  • Excellent communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders.

  • Strong organizational, prioritization, and problem-solving skills, especially in environments with competing priorities and decentralized structures.

  • Highly proactive, adaptable, and able to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

  • Professional presence with a strong service orientation.

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