Department Administrator

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $180,000 - $220,000

Position Summary

The Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health seeks a highly strategic, collaborative, and results-oriented Department Administrator (DA) to provide senior administrative leadership in support of the department's research, educational, and service missions. Reporting to the Department Chair and working closely with the Vice Dean for Finance and Administration, the DA is responsible for oversight of the department's operational, financial, human resources, faculty affairs, educational, communications, compliance, and strategic planning functions.

Serving as the department's chief administrative officer, the DA partners with departmental leadership to translate strategic priorities into operational plans, ensuring sound fiscal stewardship, organizational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, continuous process improvement, and exceptional administrative support for faculty, staff, students, and external partners.

Responsibilities

Overall Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all administrative functions within the Department of Epidemiology.
• Serve as the principal administrative advisor to the Department Chair on financial, operational, human resources, faculty affairs, compliance, and organizational matters.
• Partner with the Department Chair and departmental leadership to develop and implement strategic initiatives, organizational priorities, and long-range operational plans.
• Oversee departmental financial management, budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and resource allocation.
• Develop operational dashboards, key performance indicators, and executive reports to support informed decision-making.
• Provide oversight of research administration activities, including grants management, proposal development, pre-award and post-award administration, and sponsor compliance.
• Oversee faculty recruitment planning, faculty start-up resources, workforce planning, succession planning, and organizational development initiatives.
• Support departmental human resources and faculty affairs operations, including recruitment, retention, employee engagement, and performance management.
• Ensure administrative systems effectively support the department's educational mission, academic programs, faculty, and students.
• Provide strategic oversight of departmental communications, events, branding, alumni engagement, and external-facing activities.
• Oversee departmental facilities, space planning, operational infrastructure, and capital improvement initiatives.
• Lead organizational change initiatives, process improvement efforts, technology implementation, and AI-enabled administrative innovation.
• Maintain compliance with University, CUIMC, MSPH, sponsor, and governmental policies and regulations.
• Serve as the department's primary administrative liaison with University leadership, central administrative offices, affiliated institutions, external funding agencies, and strategic partners.

Essential Functions

Operations Management - 30%

• Provide senior administrative leadership for departmental operations and infrastructure.
• Direct and support senior administrative staff responsible for finance, grants, HR, faculty affairs, educational programs, communications, and operations.
• Develop staffing models, organizational structures, and operational strategies that support departmental priorities.
• Lead strategic planning initiatives and translate departmental priorities into measurable operational objectives.
• Improve workflows, service delivery, procurement, reporting, records management, and space planning.
• Oversee departmental facilities, space utilization, capital planning, emergency preparedness, and business continuity planning.
• Evaluate and implement technology solutions, automation tools, and AI-enabled applications that improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Develop operational dashboards and performance metrics to support continuous improvement and organizational effectiveness.

Financial Management, Budgeting, and Research Administration - 15% 

• Serve as the department's senior fiscal administrator and principal advisor on budgetary matters.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, reconciliations, financial controls, financial reporting, and resource allocation.
• Develop long-range financial forecasts and multi-year budget strategies.
• Prepare financial analyses and modeling to support faculty recruitment, staffing, new programs, and strategic initiatives.
• Identify financial risks and recommend mitigation strategies to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability.
• Support grant proposal development, pre-award and post-award administration, sponsor reporting, and research compliance requirements.
• Oversee financial planning associated with faculty start-up packages and major departmental investments.

Human Resources and Faculty Affairs Management - 15%

• Advise on personnel, faculty affairs, staffing, compensation, employee and labor relations, and workforce planning.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, retention, succession planning, leadership development, and performance management.
• Oversee administrative planning related to faculty recruitment, appointments, promotions, retention, and faculty start-up resources.
• Promote an inclusive, collaborative, service-oriented workplace culture that supports employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with University, CUIMC, MSPH, union, and governmental requirements.

Educational Programs Management - 15% 

• Support administrative and operational systems that serve academic programs and students.
• Partner with faculty, program directors, and educational leadership to ensure academic programs are adequately resourced, compliant, and operationally effective.
• Support accreditation activities, educational planning, enrollment initiatives, and academic program evaluation.
• Identify opportunities to improve educational operations, student services, and administrative support.

Communications and Events Management - 15%

• Oversee departmental communications, seminars, conferences, retreats, faculty recruitment activities, and special programs.
• Support departmental branding, executive communications, reputation management, alumni engagement, donor-related activities, and external partnerships.
• Ensure communications and events align with departmental priorities, institutional standards, and strategic objectives.
• Coordinate communications and events with University departments and external stakeholders, as appropriate.

Compliance Management, Audit Oversight, and Institutional Liaison - 5% 

• Ensure compliance with financial, grants, HR, faculty affairs, educational, operational, and research administration requirements.
• Coordinate internal and external audits, monitor compliance activities, and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Identify organizational risks and strengthen internal controls, policies, and business processes.
• Monitor research integrity, sponsor compliance, conflict-of-interest requirements, and audit readiness.
• Serve as the department's liaison to University administrative offices and represent the department on institutional initiatives and committees, as appropriate.

Other Duties as Required - 5%

• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned in support of departmental priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus five years of related experience.
• Previous experience reflecting sound financial management and research grant management is required.
• Strong personnel management skills and demonstrated ability to oversee complex financial, operational, human resources, and administrative systems.
• Successful completion of a background check prior to a final offer of employment.
• Demonstrated executive leadership experience within a complex academic, healthcare, research, or higher education environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a diverse population of faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading strategic planning, organizational development, workforce planning, and change management initiatives.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and executive decision support.
• Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, organizational, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong technology proficiency, including Microsoft Office, enterprise systems, data analytics, dashboards, and AI-enabled productivity tools.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across multiple stakeholder groups while exercising sound judgment, initiative, discretion, and unquestionable integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.