Director, Administrative Operations - School of Science, Engineering & Technology

The Director, Admin/Ops SET supports the School of Science, Engineering & Technology within the university’s evolving structure. This position provides operational leadership, administrative oversight, and strategic planning for this assigned school. The Director reports to the Academic Dean of the respective school, works closely with the Provost’s Office and is a liaison to central university offices including Human Resources, Capital Projects, Finance, Information Technology Services, Space Planning, Research, Office Graduate Affairs, Undergraduate Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Communications.

This position will supervise administrative staff, lead special projects, and collaborate with stakeholders across academic and administrative units to ensure the smooth functioning of school operations; and will work in partnership and coordination with the Provost's Office to ensure academy-wide alignment and consistency.

Managerial Scope: This position directly and indirectly manages an organization of 25 -30 employees in the following functions and disciplines, in collaboration with central offices: Academic Administration, Business Administration, Graduate Academic Administration, Communications & Events, and Scientific Computing (includes Applications). The staff members in the research facilities are also supported by the SET Dean and Director.

The salary range for the position is $130.7-$148k

Job Description

Administrative and Operational Oversight – 45%

• Oversee daily administrative operations, including research administration, academic administration, budgets and finance, space coordination, facilities coordination, and workflow efficiency.
• Supervise and mentor school-level administrative staff and coordinators and liaise with cross-functional units. This position directly and indirectly manages an organization of 25-30 employees in the following functions and disciplines: Academic Administration (including Graduate Guidance), Communications & Events, Business Administration[CF1]
• Develop structures, business policies and processes and implement administrative policies in collaboration with Academic Dean and consistent with University policies and processes.
• Consult with Provost's Office and central HR on staff recruitment requests.
• Serve as primary school liaison to central HR Compensation on compensation and job description requests.
• Ensure University staff hiring processes and policies are followed; coordinate with HR and Provost's Office on interviewing and onboarding new staff.
• Coordinate logistics for staff performance review and salary planning processes for assigned school, in partnership with the Associate Dean.
• Foster an inclusive and high-performing administrative staff culture.
• Serve on committees as needed.

Strategic Leadership & Planning – 35%

• Support the school and collaborate with the Academic Dean in administrative planning, operational decision-making, and resource prioritization.
• Lead development and implementation of process improvements, administrative realignments, and change management strategies.
• Represent school on institutional committees and project teams (e.g., Workday governance, HR process design).
• Manage administrative budgets and present reports to the Dean. Manage grant, gifts and endowment funds, including reporting systems to allow faculty to track budgets and spending. Oversee core facilities budgets, working with faculty and facility Directors. Work in close collaboration with the Provost Finance Team throughout the fiscal year.
• Collaborate with Provost's Office and other school Directors to implement University policies across all schools.
• Act as high-level staff liaison with Chairs.
• Coordinate with the Provost Office on capital planning and space needs.
• Partner with Faculty and Academic Affairs on faculty hiring and curricular planning, as needed.

Special Projects, Research and Academic Operations – 15%

• Manage academic support functions, such as awards and Commencement activities.
• Manage research support functions, such as cost sharing and institutional support letters, in collaboration with the Academic Dean and the Provost Office.
• Work with the Vice Provost of Research to ensure regulatory compliance with state and Federal regulations.
• Lead school-level initiatives and projects as assigned by the Academic Dean.
• Provide operational support for research, academic programs, and student affairs in collaboration with faculty and administrative colleagues, including oversight of support for undergraduate research.

Communication and Stakeholder Engagement – 5%

• Maintain consistent communication with school staff, academic chairs, and central university offices.
• Ensure timely dissemination of operational updates, policy changes, and process improvements.
• Coordinate with Provost's Office on opportunities for academy-wide communication and engagement.

Requirements:

• BA/BS required, preferably in a science or engineering field. Master or doctoral degree in higher education, public administration, science field, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a complex organization required. At least 10 years is preferred. At least 5 years of supervisory or management experience required. Experience in higher education, nonprofit management, scientific operations, or academic operations preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead administrative teams and implement systems that improve operations.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills; able to build trust and work collaboratively across departments and schools.
• Experience with HR processes, recruitment, and performance management.
• Experience with research administration.
• Strong organizational and communication skills; ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Excel, and administrative systems (Workday or similar platforms preferred).
• Experience with space management or capital project coordination is helpful but not required.

Pay Range Disclosure

The University's pay ranges represent a good faith estimate of what Brandeis reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of posting. The pay offered to a selected candidate during hiring will be based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience and education/training, internal peer equity, and applicable legal requirements.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Brandeis University is an equal opportunity employer which does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religious creed, gender identity and expression, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, genetic information, disability, caste, military or veteran status or any other category protected by law (also known as membership in a "protected class").