• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $86,000 - $98,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Managing Director, the Senior Associate Director, Faculty Engagement and Program Strategy serves as a senior programmatic leader to faculty and Initiative leadership. This role contributes to the strategic development and integration of the faculty-facing portfolio, through leadership priorities, and long-term program strategy within the broader AI in business initiative. The Senior Associate Director ensures coherence, quality and alignment across AIB activities through strategic oversight and collaboration with AIB Directors and operational teams, and serves as a primary point of contact for faculty, supporting the advancement of planned initiatives.

This role requires significant independent judgment, influence without authority, and the ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels to advance AIB’s mission. The AI in Business Initiative, formerly known as the Digital Future Initiative, will catalyze AI-related research and teaching across CBS, powering solutions for teaching, learning and industry that bridge the gap between theory and practice, harnessing AI technology in ways that are both innovative and scalable. Across industries and sectors in functions as varied as marketing, finance, operations, accounting and product development, AI is changing how business happens. Columbia Business School’s new AI in Business Initiative aims to drive the research, education and collaborations that will shape the practice of business in the AI age.

About Columbia Business School
For over a century, Columbia Business School has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers, and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools which advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs. Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world – from the very center of business. Our ever evolving curriculum, featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning, prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and innovation, twenty first century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability.

Responsibilities

Faculty Engagement and Curricular Pathway Support 

• Under the direction of the Managing Director, supports the planning and coordination of the Initiative’s educational activities, as needed, including alignment with faculty priorities and integration with broader AIB programming.

• Provides support and alignment between faculty-led initiatives, co-curricular programming, and other AIB activities, strengthening coherence and impact across the faculty-facing portfolio.

• Serves as a primary faculty-facing partner for AIB initiatives, exercising independent judgment to advise on timing, scope, sequencing, and feasibility of proposed activities in alignment with institutional priorities and capacity.

• Owns follow-up planning and execution after faculty discussions, translating agreed priorities into actionable plans, timelines, and deliverables, and coordinating directly with faculty and internal partners to move initiatives forward.

• Develops and implements operational frameworks and processes to support faculty participation, research prioritization, and cross-faculty collaboration within AIB.

• Ensures coherence and alignment among program elements, avoiding duplication and optimizing sequencing, resourcing, and impact.

• Leads complex, cross-functional initiatives requiring coordination across academic departments, centers, and administrative units.

• Supports faculty labs and research initiatives by coordinating programmatic needs such as postdoctoral engagement, proposal workflows, onboarding of new labs, and alignment of lab activities with AIB priorities and resources.

Thought Leadership Execution 

• Oversees execution of AIB’s thought leadership initiatives, including academic conferences, signature events, research-related convenings, and partnerships, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and available resources.

• Manages speaker outreach, agenda development, event logistics, vendor relations, marketing and publicity, post-event evaluation and other duties as required.

• Supports the translation of faculty research into scalable outputs, including conferences, reports, practitioner-facing content, and external partnerships that advance AIB’s mission and visibility.

• Contributes to the development of multi-year content themes and intellectual priorities aligned with emerging trends in AI, digital transformation, and technology-driven disruption.

• Partners with School communications, media, and external relations teams to amplify faculty research and AIB outputs to global audiences.

• Ensures intellectual rigor, brand alignment, and high production quality across all thought leadership assets.

Communications and Engagement Support

• Collaborates with Center colleagues and School partners to support communications related to faculty-facing programming, including website updates, newsletters, email campaigns, and social media content.

• Assists with program-related marketing and content development to ensure strong participation, clear messaging, and alignment with AIB’s brand.

• Partners with alumni relations and external affairs teams to develop faculty-driven alumni programming, convenings, and engagement strategies.

• Cultivates relationships with industry partners, sponsors, and collaborators to advance AIB’s research, thought leadership, and programmatic goals.

• Represents AIB in cross-functional and cross-university discussions with internal stakeholders and external collaborators, ensuring alignment and effective follow-through on faculty-driven initiatives.

Budget & Financial Oversight

• Collaborates with the Managing Director to develop and monitor the Initiative’s annual budget. 

• Tracks revenue and expenses; performs monthly reconciliations; prepares reports on variances. 

Data & Reporting

• Maintains and updates alumni and industry contact databases

• Works with the Initiative’s Managing Director to produce reports and documents for internal and external constituencies including Advisory Board updates, donor reports, alumni/industry briefings, and School-wide strategy materials.

Other

• Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of four  years of experience in program management,  higher education administration, research centers, think tanks, or related environments.

• Demonstrated experience partnering with faculty or subject matter experts in complex, matrixed organizations.

• Strong analytical and conceptual skills with the ability to synthesize complex ideas into actionable programs.

• Excellent written, visual, and oral communication skills,

• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism. Strong interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy in sensitive or confidential matters.

• Interest or expertise in digital transformation, technology, or innovation ecosystems strongly preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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