Pennsylvania State University logo

Pennsylvania State University

Chief of Staff to the Dean - Dean's Office

🇺🇸 Centre County, PA

🕑 Full-Time

💰 $86K - $130K

💻 Other

🗓️ November 19th, 2025

Edtech.com's Summary

The Pennsylvania State University is hiring a Chief of Staff to the Dean for the College of Medicine. This role supports the Dean as a strategic advisor by managing projects, overseeing administrative functions, driving strategic initiatives, and coordinating communication and policy development to advance the college's academic, clinical, research, and community engagement goals.

Highlights
  • Serve as trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Dean, managing projects, meetings, and initiatives.
  • Collaborate on defining and tracking annual strategic priorities and progress reporting.
  • Manage the Dean's schedule, daily calendar coordination, and event planning.
  • Drive execution of strategic initiatives and coordinate large-scale projects across departments.
  • Support LCME accreditation efforts and enhance the admissions process in collaboration with Vice Dean of Education.
  • Partner on development and implementation of the College's Master Space Plan with Facilities leadership.
  • Lead communication strategies aligned with college goals and supervise Dean’s Office staff.
  • Represent the Dean at meetings and act as liaison between Dean and senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
  • Required qualifications include a Bachelor's or Master's degree in relevant fields and 7-10 years of leadership experience including supervisory roles.
  • Compensation ranges from $86,300 to $129,500 annually, with full-time employee benefits including medical, retirement plans, paid time off, and a 75% tuition discount.

Chief of Staff to the Dean - Dean's Office Full Description

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:


Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants
 
POSITION SPECIFICS
Chief of Staff to the Dean
The Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Dean of Penn State College of Medicine serves as a trusted advisor and strategic partner, supporting the Dean in achieving the college's academic, clinical, research, and community engagement missions. The CoS provides high-level administrative oversight, project management, and policy development to ensure the effective coordination of initiatives across departments and affiliated institutions. This role requires exceptional leadership, discretion, communication, and organizational skills.

Key Responsibilities
  • Support the Dean in executing executive responsibilities by serving as a strategic advisor to the Dean, offering insights on key stakeholders, supplying contextual and background information on critical issues, and managing assigned projects, meetings, and initiatives.
  • Collaborate with the Dean to define annual strategic priorities and implement a system for regular progress reporting on priority initiatives.
  • Design and implement an efficient system for managing the Dean's time, ensuring she remains on schedule, and oversee daily calendar coordination and scheduling activities.
  • Work closely with Dean to strategically plan the Dean's attendance at internal and external events and ensure preparation of relevant documents and briefing materials.
  • Collaborate with Strategic Planning team to drive the execution of strategic initiatives, ensuring effective tracking of milestones, deliverables and overall growth.
  • Oversee the progress of key projects and initiatives, proactively identifying and resolving obstacles to ensure timely success. Lead the coordination of high-impact projects, such as large-scale events, by working collaboratively across multiple departments to align efforts and drive the successful delivery of shared goals.
  • Collaborate with the Vice Dean of Education to provide strategic support from the Dean's Office for LCME accreditation efforts.
  • Partner with the Vice Dean of Education to assess and enhance the admissions process, with a focus on promoting student success.
  • Will collaborate with the Assistant Vice President for Facilities on the development and implementation of the College of Medicine's Master Space Plan.
  • Work with Executive Communications Manager to develop, lead and execute communication strategies that align with the college's mission and goals. Provide guidance on policy development and decision-making processes. Ensure timely and accurate flow of information to and from the Dean's office.
  • Oversee the development and implementation of standard operating procedures for the effective and efficient operation of the Dean's Office, supervise selected staff within the Dean's Office.
  • Represent the Dean at meetings when the Dean's attendance is not required; attend selected meetings with the Dean to ensure that action items arising from these meetings are executed in a timely manner.
  • Assist the Dean with addressing outstanding issues to ensure appropriate action is taken and results communicated appropriately.
  • Serve as point person for Dean's Office oversight of Chair's ECLIP bonus plan.
  • Engage with Vice Deans across the medical college to strategically drive and advance priority initiatives within their specific areas.
  • Oversee daily operations of the Office of the Dean, ensuring efficient workflows and communication.
  • Provide administrative staff support through oversight of assigned staff for the Dean's Executive Leadership team.
  • Manage special projects and respond to time-sensitive issues on behalf of the Dean. Act as a liaison between the Dean and senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners.

Qualifications
Required:
  • Bachelors/Master's degree in education, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, or a related field.
  • Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience.
  • Solid organization, management, administrative, problem solving and human relations skills; must possess a style which exhibits maturity, leadership, sensitivity, teamwork and diplomacy.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
  • High degree of professionalism, integrity, and discretion.
Key Competencies
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Outstanding Organizational skills
  • Problem Solving & Decision Making
  • Relationship Management
  • Confidentiality & Diplomacy
 
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONSBachelor's Degree8+ years of relevant experience, includes 3+ years of supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience 
acceptedRequired Certifications:None
 
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
This position requires the following clearances in addition to applicable background checks: PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form, and Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check.
 Penn State does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of a staff employment Visa. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.
 
SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $86,300.00 - $129,500.00.
 
Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
 
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university's teaching, research, and service mission.