Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations

Job Description

The School of Public Health has an outstanding opportunity for an Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations to join their team.

This opportunity has a priority application deadline of 12/7/26.

About this Opportunity

Reporting to the dean, the Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations serves as the chief operations officer (COO), for the School of Public Health. The position is a key strategic partner to the dean, responsible for coordinated and aligned execution of the dean’s strategic priorities and for outstanding operational effectiveness in support of the School’s mission.

 

The position exercises a comprehensive scope of responsibilities, including: chief operations, strategic planning and strategic initiative implementation, stakeholder engagement and connectivity, business and human capital planning, process improvement, change management, project management, and oversight of Office of the Dean administrative operations. The position has impact and influence across the broad areas and missions of the school. The position directly supervises four FTE, has five dual reports, and impacts strategy across all administrative domains.

 

The UW Worksite for this position is at the Hans Rosling Building on the Seattle campus. This position is eligible for occasional telework.

 

Key Responsibilities:

STRATEGY (35%)

This position acts as the dean’s Chief Operations Officer and a strategic partner. The position works closely with the dean, senior leadership and key stakeholders to implement the School’s strategic plan, coordinating and aligning with other strategic initiatives that operationalize the dean’s vision.

• Advisor and strategic partner to the dean, providing timely, actionable, day-to-day and long-term guidance across the School’s broad portfolio. Contributes expertise in operational effectiveness to strategic planning processes. Ensures that operational effectiveness considerations are included in plans.
• Leads and contributes to collaboration within diverse and virtual teams and lead while continuing to build an inclusive team culture.
• Works closely with the dean, consultants, functional and academic leaders, and other stakeholders to advance the work and ensure milestones in the overarching strategic plan, and related sub-plans, such as research and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), are achieved.
• Identifies and tracks emerging School priorities and initiatives, while ensuring SPH remains responsive to new University-level priorities and collaborative broader UW campus initiatives.
• Ensures progress in ad hoc strategic initiatives, by co-creating and resourcing working groups, ensuring clear charges and progress, and creating and facilitating stakeholder engagement opportunities with the dean.
• Partners with the Director of Communications to keep strategic priorities clear and visible and to ensure the broader stakeholder community remains informed, involved, and engaged.
• Provides strategic connectivity by engaging chairs, the elected Faculty Council, and other leaders to identify emerging problem statements, surface cross-functional concerns, detect themes, and serve as a resource and strategic partner across the School’s leadership team.
• Ensures that the work across the senior leadership team in the Office of the Dean is appropriately aligned, coordinated and on track with the structured workplan for the academic year.
• Establishes and maintains leadership operating rhythms, decision-making frameworks, and communication practices that promote alignment, transparency, and accountability across the School.

 

SCHOOL OPERATIONS (30%)

This position has executive oversight over operational effectiveness, across the School, in support of its mission to advance public health through teaching, research and service. Providing a high level of expertise, this role will bring structure, transparency, and accountability to a highly decentralized environment, to help accomplish the School’s goals and objectives effectively.

 

Strategy:

• Ensures the dean is informed and directive about team cohesion and success, while fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment

• Leads and contributes to collaboration within diverse and virtual teams and lead in continuing to build an inclusive team culture.
• Demonstrates responsiveness and discretion to build trust-based relationships across campus.
• Provides decision support to the dean by synthesizing complex information, evaluating options and risks, and developing recommendations on strategic and operational matters.
• Prepares executive briefings, presentations, and decision materials to support informed and timely decision-making by the dean and senior leadership team.

 

Operations:

• Partners with the dean, department and dean leadership and other stakeholders to clarify priorities, needs and opportunities.
• Leads review and redesign of the School’s service delivery model, to optimize our connections with new institutional workflows and to bring structure, transparency, and alignment to a highly-decentralized administrative environment. Engages best practices in change management, stakeholder engagement and communication, prioritizing transparency, accountability and trust.

• Ensures that redesign efforts are data-driven and operationally feasible. Identifies opportunities to streamline processes, clarify ownership and align and simplify the service experience across the School, in support of its mission to advance public health through teaching, research, and service. Ensures that redesign efforts create operational structures that are responsive, resilient and allow for continuous quality improvements.

• In partnership with the chief financial officer, directs short- and long-range planning to strengthen staffing, administrative infrastructure, and operational effectiveness across the School.
• Partners with administrative directors of the School’s academic departments, interdisciplinary programs and dean’s office units, to ensure that operational norms and practices continue to effectively meet the needs of the School.
• Partners with leaders, stakeholders and subject matter experts, to develop, document and improve policies, procedures, workflows, and best practices.
• Strengthens the administrative infrastructure for staff, including enhanced tools and training, to be responsive to University structure and systems changes.

 

OFFICE OF THE DEAN ADMINISTRATION (25%)

Direct oversight of Office of the Dean administrative services: research administration compliance, academic and staff human resources, information technology, space and facilities, project management and administrative support.

• Oversees the Office of the Dean grant proposal review and research administration compliance team. School reviewer and signatory for all non-sponsored contractual agreements with external partners.
• Oversees the School’s human capital management, including oversight of the Academic and Staff Human Resources team.
• Oversees the School’s Information Technology team, led by the Chief Information Officer, providing desktop support, server management, data security and consulting services schoolwide.
• Leads governance processes for the Office of the Dean senior leadership team, including agenda development, facilitation of discussions, documentation of decisions, and follow-through on action items.
• Ensures decisions made by the dean and senior leadership team are communicated, assigned, and implemented, with regular reporting on progress and obstacles.
• Manages space allocations for the School and space assignments for the Office of the Dean. Develops needs assessments for long-range space planning and renovations for the School.
• Coordinates with School and campus partners to ensure that the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health and other public health spaces, are safe, well-maintained, collaborative spaces for our faculty, staff and students.
• In partnership with the chief financial officer, directs Office of the Dean’ facilities and administrative expenditures.
• Facilitates public information requests.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (10%)

• Directly supervises 4 FTE in the Office of the Dean and provides dual supervision of 5 FTE in the Departments. Efforts including workload management, prioritization, coaching, performance support, and review of work products.
• Ensures responsibilities are completed accurately, timely, and in compliance with University policy and operational requirements.
• Establishes and maintains cross-training and backup systems to ensure continuity of business operations.
• Supports departmental human resources teams by providing guidance, coordination, and oversight to promote operational performance, policy compliance, and timely execution of HR-related responsibilities across the School.

Required Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Health. or other advanced degree, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 7 years of senior-level leadership experience leading strategy and/or operations in a higher education, research, or nonprofit setting.

Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Manager.

Additional Qualifications

• Outstanding strategic thinker who can provide leadership, guidance, and support to the Dean and other senior leaders.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.  
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.  
• Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders.  
• Ability to think strategically and develop and implement plans to achieve goals.   
• Demonstrated project management experience and skills. 
• Lead and move projects forward effectively, in a matrixed environment.
• Innovation and critical thinking.
• Skilled and adept in change management.
• Outstanding organizational, analytical, writing and presentation skills, with a demonstrated record of successfully planning and implementing innovative plans and systems.
• Must have a management style that emphasizes solutions, collaboration, communication, flexibility, trust, and patience.
• Proficiency with clear and concise communication at all levels both verbally and written.
• Strong organizational and management skills; experience managing high-level professional staff roles.
• Demonstrated ability working through major organizational transformational changes.
• Demonstrated efforts in creating a diverse and equitable work environment.
• Direct supervisory experience of 5+ employees and proven ability to lead and inspire teams while fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation.
• Demonstrated commitment to and knowledge of equity, justice and anti-racism. 
• Demonstrated ability to work well in collaborative teams and to engage in consultative leadership.
• Willingness to learn from and engage with critical stakeholders within and outside the School of Public Health. Familiarity with project management software and tools.
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral). Ability to communicate in a diplomatic, convincing, and clear manner, and ability to synthesize complex financial and regulatory reports into high level summaries.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious working relationships and effectively address complex and sensitive administrative issues throughout the spectrum of constituents; and Ability to work independently with a high degree of reliability, accuracy, integrity, and productivity.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of executive-level experience in a higher education, research or nonprofit setting.

• Experience in research administration, education program support and/or public health practice.

Working Conditions

• Office and remote work setting with significant time spent in meetings (virtual and in-person).
• Fast-paced environment with competing priorities, frequent interruptions, and responsibility for managing urgent and escalated issues.
• Regular exposure to sensitive, complex, and high-risk employee relations matters requiring discretion and sound judgment.
• Ability to occasionally lift, push, pull, or carry objects up to 25 lbs.
• Occasional extended work hours may be required. 

About the Team

The University of Washington School of Public Health (SPH) is a dynamic and diverse community of approximately 1,850 students, over 150 core faculty, and more than 500 staff committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service. Organized across five academic departments, SPH brings people together across disciplines and communities to address critical health challenges through rigorous science, collaboration, and equity-driven solutions. The assistant dean for strategy and operations will join a collaborative leadership team that is committed to making our school a better place to teach and learn and to conduct research that benefits communities locally and worldwide. 

The Assistant Dean for Strategy and Operations will work closely with partners across both the School of Public Health and those in the Office of the Dean, serving as a strategic partner to the dean and collaborating with senior leaders, department chairs, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders across the School.  Within the Office of the Dean, the role will help align strategic priorities and strengthen schoolwide operations. This position provides an opportunity to work across the breadth of SPH while helping advance its shared commitment to solving the greatest public health challenges and co-creating health equity with communities in the region and the world. To learn more about SPH, visit: https://sph.washington.edu/

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

$190,008.00 annual

Pay Range Maximum:

$234,996.00 annual

Other Compensation:

-

Benefits:

For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

Shift:

First Shift (United States of America)

Temporary or Regular?

This is a regular position

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

100.00%

Union/Bargaining Unit:

Not Applicable

About the UW 

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.  

UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

Our Commitment 

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or [email protected]. 

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.