• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $230,000 - $245,000

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Senior Vice Dean for Curriculum and Programs (SVD-CP), who reports to the Dean, the Senior Associate Dean for Curriculum and Programs is a senior leadership role that serves as the principal liaison between faculty and administrative leaders across Columbia Business School (CBS). This role is responsible for ensuring alignment, coherence, and integration of academic and programmatic initiatives across all CBS degree programs.

The Senior Associate Dean strategically advances the School’s academic vision by overseeing curriculum delivery, cross-functional program development, and data-informed decision-making. This leader champions academic excellence, operational efficiency, and continuous innovation in curriculum and administrative processes.

The Senior Associate Dean directly supervises the Director of Strategic Projects and oversees the Curriculum and Programs (C&P) budget team. The incumbent plays a pivotal role in building and enhancing curriculum support infrastructure to meet evolving institutional needs.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School has developed leaders and builders of enterprises who create value for their organizations and society. Through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs, CBS prepares students to lead in a rapidly changing world.

Our cutting-edge curriculum, STEM-certified programs, and immersive experiential learning opportunities equip students to thrive in areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, twenty-first-century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability.

CBS administration enables the School’s educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational excellence. We are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and high-performing community that drives innovation and impact from the very center of business.

Responsibilities

Strategic Program Management & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Leads execution of long-term curriculum and program initiatives, managing timelines, deliverables, and cross-departmental collaboration.

• Serves as the primary partner to the Dean’s Office Chief of Staff for prioritization and goal-setting initiatives.

• Facilitates cross-functional alignment across academic divisions, faculty committees, administrative offices, and program teams.

• Tracks committee outcomes and ensures follow-through on key action items.

• Attends meetings between the SVD-CP and departmental leads to surface and resolve execution gaps.

Academic Strategy & Communication

• Ensures alignment between academic goals, operational program delivery, and communications strategy.

• Represents C&P in key academic events and curriculum committees, including governance discussions and strategic planning groups.

• Prepares briefings, reports, and backgrounders for the SVD-CP and other senior leadership on curriculum proposals, faculty concerns, and governance matters.

• Drafts executive-level communications, memos, and presentations on curriculum innovation and change initiatives.

Organizational Leadership

• Leads team meetings and reviews of curriculum and program projects on behalf of the SVD-CP.

• Collaborates with Marketing & Communications and Alumni Relations to promote academic innovations and program success stories.

Operational and Team Management

• Identifies and addresses process gaps, opportunities to leverage data, continuously improve workflow effectiveness and cross-unit coordination, optimize resource allocation, and drive increased efficiency across C&P operations.

• Partners with the SVD-CP to lead performance management and professional development for the curriculum team and departmental leads.

• Partners with department leads to promote use and integration of data throughout C&P.

• Provides strategic oversight of the curriculum and program budget; supervises directors of budget and curriculum. Advises on financial planning across departments to ensure alignment with academic priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree strongly desirable.
• Minimum of 8-10 years of related experience such as academic leadership, curriculum, or program operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or doctorate in education, business, or a related field; advanced academic credentials preferred.

• Significant experience (8-10+years) in academic leadership, curriculum management, or cross-functional program operations.

• Exceptional management, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead high-level strategic initiatives, manage complex stakeholder environments, and drive outcomes in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Experience working in or with higher education institutions, particularly with curriculum governance structures.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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