Experience Inc. Jobs

The Assistant Dean for People and Operations works closely with the school’s Chief Business Officer (CBO) and Vanderbilt School of Engineering (VUSE) leadership to directly facilitate the day-to-day operations of the school and help implement the school’s short- and long-term strategic priorities and initiatives. This position reports directly to the CBO and has 3 direct reports supporting the areas of Facilities, Human Resources, and Faculty Affairs. This individual interfaces with a wide constituency of partners across the institution and must be a proactive communicator who passionately engages with people, develops creative solutions, and builds constituent confidence and trust.

The School of Engineering is internationally recognized for the superior quality of its research and education programs in selected fields of engineering. The School includes six major departments, two Institutes and the Division of General Engineering. Esteemed biomedical engineering Krishnendu "Krish" Roy joined Vanderbilt in the fall of 2023 as the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering and University Distinguished Professor. "My goal is to ensure that Vanderbilt School of Engineering is a diverse, inclusive and equitable place that has a profound impact on the advancement of society and the human condition, locally and globally, and that it trains the most impactful engineering leaders of the future." Dean Roy is leading VUSE into the future focused around a growing research portfolio and expanded educational programs.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction for school level administrative operations in facilities, human resources and faculty affairs support.

• Works closely with the school’s Chief Business Officer (CBO) and Vanderbilt School of Engineering (VUSE) leadership to directly facilitate the day-to-day operations of the school and help implement the school’s short- and long-term strategic priorities and initiatives.

• Communicates openly with staff, faculty, and administration; builds cohesive relationships across the school and university to ensure alignment with school and institutional goals.

• Develops and maintains a service orientation for reporting units with high standards of performance; regularly solicits feedback from all stakeholders.

• Develops yearly personnel goals reflecting individual needs and departmental priorities, and takes individual responsibility for goal achievement.

• Assesses, evaluates, and documents staff performance annually and periodically as needed, emphasizing career development and retention.

• Recruits, develops, and retains high-performing business and administrative professionals.

• Builds and maintains strong working relationships within the departments and institutes and will work closely with other work units within Vanderbilt School of Engineering.

Operations Management

• Promote, execute, and lead various initiatives as determined by the Dean, Associate Deans and Chief Business Officer.

• Partner with the school leadership group to align administrative processes and systems with school objectives and serve as the point of contact for daily school operations.

• Develop and implement procedures pertinent to effective and efficient operations, seeks opportunities for process improvements and operational efficiency within the School of Engineering.

• Develop and implement policies and procedures to streamline administrative processes.

• Provide leadership that advances the mission and attainment of goals for the unit.

• Set standards and lead the operations team to achieve high performance through established goals and objectives that improve overall efficiency and effective support services.

• Employ budget-conscious decision-making and apply creative solutions to ensure cost- effectiveness across all administrative activities

• Support school wide data gathering, analysis and survey response for internal analysis and external submission (i.e. Provost Office, US News, ASEE)

The Assistant Dean for People and Operations will also directly supervise subordinate managers in the areas of Facilities Management, Human Resources and Faculty and Postdoctoral Affairs. As this is a new role, the Assistant Dean for People and Operations will be tasked with making the overall operation of these groups more cohesive and responsive to school and department needs. Key functions in each of these areas include:

Human Resources Management

• Lead the human resources function, including staff recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and professional development.

• Work closely with Chief Business Officer to determine appropriate staffing levels across the school; develop and implement metrics to support staffing recommendations.

• Administer annual staff merit increase process.

• Ensure compliance with university policies, employment laws, and best practices.

• Foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture that supports the school’s mission and values.

Faculty and Postdoctoral Affairs

• Support the Associate dean for Faculty Affairs, including the appointments, promotions, and tenure processes.

• Facilitate communication and coordination between faculty and administrative functions.

• Oversee appointment and reappointments for all School of Engineering faculty and postdocs, including:

• Develop and implement school-wide faculty and postdoctoral guidelines and protocols

• Prepare memos and contracts for Faculty Affairs and/or the Provost for approval

• Pre tenure reviews (2 and 4 year) in Interfolio

• Promotion cases (Tenure Track and Non-Tenure Track) in Interfolio

• Initiating background checks for new faculty

• Assisting with school-wide faculty searches and offers.

• Resource for faculty and postdoctoral affairs for department administrators regarding policy and procedures.

• Responsible for managing the Faculty Information System (FIS) database for the school.

• Compiling faculty data and reports for VUSE and University administration.

• Creating and maintaining physical and electronic faculty files.

• Tracking named/endowed chairs and administrative appointments.

Facilities Management

• Develop and implement strategies for the effective management and maintenance of School of Engineering facilities.

• Collaborate with relevant departments to ensure a safe, clean, and conducive environment for faculty, staff, and students.

• Oversee strategic space planning and utilization to optimize the use of resources.

• Liaison between Campus facilities and CBO to prioritize facility renewal projects in accordance with the school’s needs.

• Recommend, implement and monitor policy and procedures for space management:

• Ensure facility use is in compliance with established guidelines

• Utility consumption data, space utilization information, and revenue

• Expenditure rations for budget control and planning

• Maintain classroom technology and periodic upgrades.

• Oversee school emergency preparedness training and response teams.

• Recommend process improvements related to inventory and equipment disposal or sale process

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does have supervisory responsibility over three subordinate direct reports and leads a greater team of administrative and facilities personnel. This position reports administratively and functionally to the VUSE Chief Business Officer.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, higher education administration, or a directly related field from an accredited institution or equivalent is required. A Master’s degree or higher in human resources, business, public administration, or related field is preferred.

• Five (5) or more years of professional, progressively responsible leadership experience is necessary.

• A minimum of three (3) years of experience partnering directly with senior leadership to develop, align and implement organizational development strategies at a complex organization is required. Prior higher education experience is preferred.

• Strong project management experience with capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously is preferred.

• A proven experience in strategizing, think operationally, organizing, and implementing research-based programs is preferred.

• Strong budget management skills are preferred.

• A proven track record in working successfully in a diverse range of ethnic, cultural, and economic communities is preferred.

• A proven track record of listening, communicating, writing, presenting, and problem-solving skills is preferred.

• Strong writing skills with close attention to detail is preferred.

• The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with a broad range of potential partners and audiences is preferred.

• The ability to take initiative regarding projects management and to identify opportunities for future growth is preferred.

• The ability to develop presentations, track activities, assess performance of various programmatic activities is preferred.

• Strong data management and analytical skills are preferred.

• An awareness of, and aptitude to, appropriately and effectively understand, respect, and adapt to cultural and identity-based difference within group environments is preferred.

• The knowledge of, and commitment to, concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion is preferred.

• A skillset related to creating and supporting an environment that allows for inclusion, effective intercultural engagement, and personal humility and authenticity is preferred.

• The experience of fostering and reinforcing an environment that values unique experiences, cultures, backgrounds, and goals is preferred.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.