Strategic Manager, Office of the Dean for Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT

Job description

Job Description: DIVISION: Academic Division SCHOOL: Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Strategic Manager serves as principal strategic deputy to the Dean, managing the flow of executive priorities, decisions, and follow-through across the Egan School. Reporting to the Dean, the primary responsibilities of the position include ownership of the School’s strategic tracking instruments and governance cascade, coordination of cross-functional initiatives spanning the academic departments and the Division of Student Success, preparation of executive and advisory board materials, and liaison between the Office of the Dean and central University offices across the Fairfield and Austin locations. The position requires a high degree of independent judgment and discretion in handling confidential matters. KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS NEEDED: The Strategic Manager must: Have a bachelor’s degree in business, higher education administration, or a related field; master’s degree preferred. Have a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible administrative, operational, or project-management experience, including direct support to senior leadership. Demonstrate skill in executive writing and editing, data management, governance and meeting management, and project tracking. Have proficiency with integrated enterprise systems (Workday or equivalent) and data-reporting tools Tableau or equivalent). Exercise discretion, confidentiality, and sound independent judgment, with strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and analytical skills. STRATEGIC MANAGER RESPONSIBILITIES: The Strategic Manager responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Serve as principal strategic deputy to the Dean, managing the flow of executive priorities, decisions, and follow-through across Egan. Own the strategic report and the dashboard, tracking action items and reporting progress against Egan’s strategic priorities. Maintain the decision queue for the Office of the Dean, ensuring commitments are recorded, assigned, and tracked to completion. Coordinate cross-functional initiatives that span units, including accreditation milestones, strategic partnerships, and program expansion, convening responsible parties and monitoring progress against deadlines. Draft the Egan annual report and related briefing materials for budget cycle presentations and executive meetings. Track sponsored-program and grant reporting deadlines and deliverables at the Dean’s Office level, coordinating with principal investigators and the Office of Grants and Research to ensure timely submission, without assuming financial administration of awards. Support advisory board and stakeholder communication for the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care Prepare briefing materials and background analysis to support the Dean’s decision-making and external representation. Draft and distribute Egan all-school updates to faculty and staff on behalf of the Egan leadership team. Coordinate the governance cascade for the School, preparing agendas, materials, and minutes for school-wide meetings, the Leadership Team, the Advisory Board, the Partnership Council, and University engagements. Collaborate with the Dean, Associate and Assistant Deans, Chairs, and Program Directors to support school-wide accreditation visits and related logistics (e.g., CCNE, COA). Coordinate with University Advancement on donor stewardship activities, endowment and gift reporting, and naming and recognition logistics relevant to the School (e.g., endowed funds and centers). Provide project-management for school-wide accreditation, including self-study timeline management, coordination of evidence and artifact collection, digital folder management, mock-visit logistics, and tracking of deliverables against standards, in support of the Dean, Associate and Assistant Deans, Chairs, and Program Directors. Maintain accurate, organized, and confidential records related to school-level operations, leadersh