This senior leadership position serves as the principal advisor to the Dean of the School of the Arts, focusing on strategic, financial, facilities, and operational affairs. The Chief Administrative Officer helps shape the School’s strategy, makes recommendations to the Dean, and leads the implementation of approved initiatives, ensuring effective integration with University processes while supporting the School's unique mission.
Responsibilities
Serve as a strategic and operational advisor to the Dean and a senior leader of the School of the Arts
Recommend, implement, and execute major School strategies, initiatives, and plans in partnership with the Dean
Collaborate with university partners on matters of shared strategic and operational importance
Work with senior academic and administrative leaders and faculty to facilitate collaborative decision-making and resolve cross-functional issues
Partner with faculty Chairs and senior leaders to align priorities, investments, and administrative capacity across programs
Represent the School, as appropriate, in executive-level committees and University meetings
Manage senior operational relationships with Arts & Sciences leadership and provide executive-level coordination on matters affecting the School
Provide strategic direction and administrative oversight for the School’s budget and resource planning in partnership with the Associate Dean of Finance and Arts & Sciences finance leadership
Develop resource-allocation recommendations for review by the Dean, including priorities for academic programs, faculty and staff appointments, financial aid, technology, facilities, capital projects, and acquisitions
Review and interpret financial information prepared by Finance leadership to advise the Dean on strategic choices, resource tradeoffs, financial vulnerabilities, and institutional risk
Partner with faculty Chairs and senior leaders to assess priorities and investments across programs and incorporate financial implications into School planning
Provide administrative oversight of the School’s annual budget and the Lenfest Center of the Arts operating budget
Coordinate resource planning for new program initiatives with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, faculty, and senior administrative staff
Provide leadership and oversight for major administrative functions supporting the School, including academic administration, instructional technology, risk management, facilities, resource management, and organizational effectiveness
Advise the Dean on workforce planning, organizational structure, institutional practices, and administrative matters related to human resources
Work with the Dean and appropriate academic and administrative leaders on faculty recruitment and appointment-related matters, with advisory input on workforce and resource implications and coordination with Arts & Sciences
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Provide advisory oversight on workforce planning, employee-related institutional practices, and payroll administration, working through Arts & Sciences and appropriate functional leaders for human resources and payroll activities
Support development of staff, effective cross-functional collaboration, institutional change, and community building
Develop, in partnership with the Dean, a vision for the School’s physical and capital infrastructure and establish School-wide priorities for facilities investment
Provide overall administrative oversight of offices, classrooms, work spaces, studios, and related technology environments, including efforts to upgrade and refresh learning and production facilities
Develop proposals and plans for relocation, adaptive reuse, repurposing, and reconfiguration of facilities for review by the Dean, University Facilities and Operations, and University Planning
Partner with the Director of Instructional and Motion Picture Technology and other functional leaders to identify and prioritize technology and capital needs across the School, consistent with School strategy and available resources
Serve as the School’s senior liaison to University Facilities and Operations and Environmental Health and Safety on facilities, safety, and compliance matters
Work with the appropriate functional leaders to address identified risks and hazards
Anticipate, monitor, and evaluate the impact of School-wide operating and administrative procedures and workflows
Identify friction points, reduce unnecessary redundancies, and implement streamlined workflows that improve efficiency, responsiveness, and service delivery
Lead acquisition, adoption, and training for tools that increase staff efficiency, including new software and AI-enabled tools, in partnership with relevant functional leaders
Establish, document, and disseminate School-level operational and administrative practices and policies to support consistency, institutional effectiveness, and best practices
Coordinate contingency operational and administrative plans for units with staff vacancies and other potential disruptions to maintain continuity of critical administrative and academic functions
Serve as the School’s primary liaison to the University Emergency Management Operations Team (EMOT) and coordinate School-level operational response and continuity planning
Serve as the School's senior administrative liaison with Arts & Sciences and central University offices, building collaborative relationships and coordinating on matters affecting the School
Partner closely with Arts & Sciences and other University leaders to coordinate planning, resolve cross-institutional operational issues, and advance initiatives requiring collaboration across organizational boundaries
Convene biweekly meetings of senior administrative leaders with the Dean of Student and Alumni Affairs and the Dean of Admissions and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to coordinate School-wide administrative matters
Represent the School in senior University forums and maintain executive-level relationships with the Vice President of Arts & Sciences and other relevant University leadership and administrative offices
Participate in preparing institutional reports, including reports required for re-accreditation, the A&S Academic Review Committee (ARC), the Office of the Provost, and the EVP of Arts and Sciences, as delegated by the Dean
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree
A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience in higher education or arts administration
Experience with complex strategic planning and resource allocation
Excellent organizational, planning, and management skills
Ability to build trust and alignment across departments and functions
Ability to lead cross-departmental teams in planning exercises employing a consensus-building approach
Ability to interact positively with highly diverse groups and constituents
Ability to handle confidential matters with tact and discretion
Nice to have:
MFA/PhD/Master’s degree
Extensive experience in higher education or arts administration, including significant experience with strategic planning, financial and resource management, facilities, operations, and organizational effectiveness
Strong organizational and strategic planning skills
Demonstrated success implementing strategy and leading institutional change
Ability to build effective relationships across complex academic and administrative environments
About the Company
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
For more than 250 years, Columbia has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world.
