Director of Operations - Department of Communication

Job Details

Title: Director of Operations - Department of Communication

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: Social & Behavioral Sciences

Department: Communication

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

The Department of Communication Director of Operations serves in a senior leadership role, partnering with the Chair in the overall administrative and operational management of the department.

• Provides leadership and direct supervision for all administrative and financial functions of the department to ensure smooth departmental operations. Proactively addresses issues related to supporting a positive work environment for staff, such as workload, professional development and relationships with faculty and students. Works to effectively resolve staff conflict or performance issues. Provides overall management and supervision of department staff. Manages recruitment, selection, training, evaluation and performance management, and work assignments.
• Partners with the College of Social and Behavioral Science (SBS) central finance team to support the Chair and counsel on current and projected status of overall financial operations in the department; including budgetary planning, forecasts of long- and short-range budget projections, revenue generating programs and forecasts, and financial status reports as requested.
• Supports post-award grant management, including coordination with state and federal agencies to ensure compliance.
• Coordinates with the SBS central finance team and the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) to track grant activity across the department.
• In collaboration with the Department Chair and Personnel Committee Chair, assists with the preparation of faculty tenure and mini-tenure, promotion, and PMYR cases. Plans for and ensures that all department personnel actions and related reporting are completed with timeliness and compliance.
• In collaboration with the Academic Programs Manager, develops effective and efficient online tracking systems and documentation to provide proactive and timely reports for departmental planning purposes, including paid and unpaid leaves and course buyouts.
• Collaborates with the Chair on a variety of special projects and events, including department strategic planning. Supports departmental planning, schedules, facilities projects, and space allocations. Plans and facilitates space use in the department; serves as department reporter for the annual space survey.
• Collaborates with the Chair, Undergraduate Program Director, Graduate Program Director, and Academic Programs Manager to plan resource allocations that meet curricular demands by managing teaching assignments and contracts for faculty, lecturers, and graduate teaching assistants.
• Advises graduate students on academic requirements and satisfactory progress toward degree, with special attention to program requirements and rules; proactively advises students who have not completed their requirements or are not in satisfactory progress. Updates student files with advising notes and progress documentation as appropriate. Alerts the Graduate Program Director with student progress concerns.
• Manages faculty and graduate student visa processes. Maintains records of USCIS documentation for international employees. Tracks immigration status expiry dates and notify employees of upcoming renewals. Maintains correspondence with the Office of Human Resources, International Programs Office, and private immigration law firms regarding pending visa applications and/or changes to existing visa statuses.
• Coordinates with Department Chair to maintain the department website, email listservs, and newsletters.

Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet department, executive area/division, and university goals and objectives. Serves in a backup role to other staff as required, ensuring smooth administration of the department.

• Bachelor's degree with 5 (five) years of managerial and/or project management work experience, or Master's degree with three (3) years of managerial and/or project management work experience.
• Excellent managerial, leadership, negotiation, and project management skills and ability to manage crisis or changing situations effectively.
• Excellent initiative and problem-solving skills. Ability to make sound and mature decisions and to carry out assignments in an organized and timely manner, balancing the demands of concurrent and potentially competing projects.
• Excellent writing and editing skills. Superlative communication, interpersonal, and supervisory skills.
• Ability to motivate and lead a team to facilitate collaborative projects, and to work cooperatively with staff, faculty, department chairs, and administrators.
• Experience with financial administration including developing and managing budgets.
• Strong collaborative skills with the ability to work productively and diplomatically with faculty and staff…