Department Administrator

Department Administrator

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.

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.