Assistant Director of Faculty and Postdoctoral Affairs, School of Engineering - Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University School of Engineering (VUSE) is seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to fill the role of Assistant Director of Faculty and Postdoctoral Affairs. As a key member of the school's leadership team, the Assistant Director will play a pivotal role in enhancing the academic and professional experience of faculty and postdoctoral scholars. This position offers a unique opportunity for an individual with a passion for academic development and faculty support to contribute to the success and growth of one of the nation's leading engineering schools.



Reporting to the Assistant Dean for People and Operations and directly supporting the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, the Assistant Director will manage all day-to-day aspects of faculty and postdoctoral student administration. Key areas of responsibilities will include: managing all faculty appointment contracts, promotions, administrative appointments and other contractual actions; collaborating with academic departments to facilitate the recruitment and onboarding process for new faculty and postdoctoral scholars, ensuring a smooth transition into the VUSE academic community; and supporting school programs and initiatives to develop postdoctoral scholars. We are specifically looking for an individual with exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills, a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders while maintaining strict confidentiality, and prior experience working in academic personnel matters or human resource administration.



The School of Engineering is internationally recognized for the superior quality of its research and education programs in selected fields of engineering. The School includes six major departments, two Institutes and the Division of General Engineering. Esteemed biomedical engineering Krishnendu (Krish) Roy joined Vanderbilt in the fall of 2023 as the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering and University Distinguished Professor. "My goal is to ensure that Vanderbilt School of Engineering is a

diverse, inclusive and equitable place that has a profound impact on the advancement of society and the human condition, locally and globally, and that it trains the most impactful engineering leaders of the future." Dean Roy is leading VUSE into the future focused around a growing research portfolio and expanded educational programs.



Duties and Responsibilities



Strategy





+ Works with the Sr. Associate Dean and Assistant Dean for People and Operations to define and operationalize strategic vision for faculty and Postdoctoral affairs at VUSE



+ Works closely with the Office of Faculty affairs and Office of Postdoctoral Affairs



+ Identifies opportunities to streamline processes, evolve policy, and leverage technology to realize faculty and Postdoctoral affairs goals, anticipating consequences and considering long-term sustainability of solutions



+ Formulates plans, invents processes, and partners with internal and external stakeholders to enact strategic priorities





Appointment Transaction Processing





+ Leads the processing of day-to-day transactions for human resources events across the academic career lifecycle (e.g., initial appointment, reappointment, appointment changes, promotion, tenure, leaves of absence, transfers, retirement, emeritus status, termination, etc.) for faculty and research staff (including postdoctoral fellow and research visitor scholars) populations



+ Coordinates appointments to endowed professorships and leadership roles



+ Reviews and evaluates Faculty and Postdoctoral appointments, ensuring appointment criteria are satisfied, compliance with relevant policies and processes, and that appointment types are applied in a consistent manner across the school and over time; escalates complex or unusual cases to the Senior Associate Dean



+ Serves as content expert on appointment types and processes, advising on complex cases



+ Monitors transaction volume and processing timelines throughout the year to ensure timely processing of appointments and appropriate staffing



+ Identifies recurring issues and looks for patterns, works to understand root causes, and develops resources or works with relevant stakeholders to address and resolve problems





Recruitment





+ Supports preparation of the annual faculty hiring plan



+ Oversees pre search process, ensuring policies and procedures are followed



+ Collaborates on initiatives to develop recruitment resources and improve the recruitment and onboarding experiences for faculty and research staff



+ Oversees recruitment run by the Faculty Affairs Office





Faculty Support





+ Oversees coordination of the Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, ensuring that meetings are staffed and the committee has the resources and materials needed to do its work



+ Supports faculty projects and initiatives, such as those arising out of faculty development programs



+ Recommends, plans, leads, or supports events for the community of faculty and postdoctoral affairs practitioners across all academic departments of the engineering school





Project Management





+ In collaboration with the Senior Associate Dean and Assistant Dean, plans, oversees, executes, and supports significant recurring projects and batch appointment processes, including but not limited to: promotion & tenure cycle, annual reappointment process, Faculty Activity Report, appointment review processes for maintenance of eligibility as well as projects related to postdoctoral affairs.



+ Formulates implementation and change management plans for new initiatives and ad hoc projects to advance strategic priorities





Information Technology





+ Proficiently uses the IT systems to manage the work of the office and process appointment transactions, including Interfolio, FIS, RedCap, and Oracle Cloud



+ Assesses systems and makes recommendations, to ensure alignment between process design/implementation and system support/maintenance/enhancement



+ Serves as HCM Specialist processing transactions in the Oracle Cloud system i.e. hiring, termination, assignment and pay changes. Regularly audits Oracle records for accuracy and completeness and meets all relevant deadlines.





Data Management, Reporting, and Analytics





+ Maintains accurate records and databases across multiple systems, understanding how those systems relate to each other and reconciling data across systems. Understands, maintains and reconciles accurate records and databases across multiple systems



+ Navigates a complex organizational and technological environment to obtain data. When interpreting data, recognizes and integrates data strengths and weaknesses from different data sources to answer questions



+ Defines and implements methods to proactively identify and address data issues (e.g., missing data, discrepancies)



+ Uses data to identify trends, anticipate needs, and inform decisions and action



+ Develops analytic plans, performs data analysis, and prepares reports for recurring needs (e.g., monthly reports on new hires, annual reports on turnover, accreditation reports, etc.) or ad hoc requests and presentations



+ Fulfills data verification requests (e.g., appointment history)



+ Tracks data across multiple systems in coordination with central offices such as Human Resources, IT, Provost's Office, & department representatives, providing guidance and training to users when needed





Communication, Collaboration, and Outreach





+ Develops, plans, and implements internal messaging mechanisms to successfully communicate internal operations, policies and procedures related to faculty and postdoctoral affairs



+ Oversees the preparation and distribution of appointment letters to faculty and research staff; reviews, updates, maintains, and evolves letter templates



+ Develops reference materials and contributes to the ongoing maintenance of websites and resources supporting faculty



+ Works with administrative professionals in various departments and provide appropriate training on Faculty and postdoctoral affairs matters



+ Builds strategic relationships with campus partners to influence processes and outcomes and advocate on behalf of VUSE





Human Resources & Policy





+ Works with the Senior Associate Dean to establish policies and procedures for all phases of faculty appointments, investigates problems, and strategizes solutions.



+ Reviews policies, recommends changes, implements new policies, and ensures consistent interpretation





Miscellaneous





+ Performs other duties as assigned.





Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not have supervisory responsibility. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Assistant Dean for People and Operations.



Qualifications





+ A bachelor's degree is required.



+ At least five years of relevant administrative support experience is required.



+ Experience supporting executive or senior level staff is preferred.



+ Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office applications is preferred.



+ Interfolio, FIS, RedCap, and Oracle knowledge is preferred.



+ Excellent communication, verbal, written and interpersonal skills are preferred.



+ Strong time management skills are preferred.



+ Strong attention to detail is preferred.



+ The ability to proactively seek information to resolve problems



+ The ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities in a timely fashion is preferred.



+ The ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise judgment in uncertain and complex circumstances is preferred.



+ The ability to exhibit an ability to be flexible, composed under pressure, and consistently professional is preferred.



+ The ability to work independently, as well as with a diverse team of members and stakeholders, is preferred.



+ The ability to foster a collegial environment conducive to teamwork is preferred.







Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion





At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.



Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.



Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.


Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.