Director of Operations
The University of Chicago

Department
PSD Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation: Administration

About the Department
The Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI) is a mathematical sciences research institute funded by the National Science Foundation. It is managed by the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is hosted at the University of Chicago.

The essential mission of IMSI is to apply rigorous mathematics and statistics to urgent, complex scientific and societal problems, and to spur transformational change in the mathematical sciences and the mathematical sciences community. This mission is based on a vision with three fundamental elements: innovation, communication, and broadening participation.

IMSI is animated by a commitment to furthering innovation in the mathematical sciences. This commitment is rooted in a recognition of the pervasive role of the mathematical sciences in the wider enterprise of research, science, and technology, and the influence of that enterprise on the society we live in. Insights which arise in the abstract precincts of the mathematical sciences can have profound effects on society. IMSI aims to facilitate innovation in the mathematical sciences with awareness of and responsiveness to this interdependence. Scientific activity at IMSI is focused on applications of the mathematical sciences, with an emphasis on questions of importance to society at large. Much of the activity at IMSI aligns with a set of scientific themes which have been chosen as focal points for research at IMSI. These themes will evolve over time; current IMSI themes are described here.

The second element of the vision for IMSI is a focus on effective communication about the mathematical sciences. Research in the mathematical sciences is generally couched in the precise and technical language developed by experts to communicate among themselves. This form of communication is essential to advancing research in the mathematical sciences, but it is often a barrier to the dissemination of ideas across disciplinary boundaries, as well as to audiences outside of the mathematical sciences. IMSI will work to help participants in its programs improve their skill at communicating with new audiences as well as with potential collaborators in other disciplines. Organizing committees for long programs will be expected to formulate and implement plans for facilitating communication among members of the typically interdisciplinary groups of researchers they assemble.

The third element of the vision is a focus on broadening participation. Research in the mathematical sciences is an activity that has the potential to bring meaning and fulfillment into the lives of those who participate in it. It achieves this through the satisfactions available through curiosity-driven research in theoretical mathematical sciences, through the interplay of the mathematical sciences with other disciplines and domains of inquiry, and through beneficial contributions to society at large. This potential is most likely to be realized through the participation of people with a variety of insights, experiences, and perspectives. One of the fundamental intentions behind IMSI is to offer broad avenues of access to its programming and to create an environment that promotes the fullest possible flourishing of science and the human beings who engage in it.

Job Summary
Responsible managing the daily operations related to planning and executing IMSI scientific and outreach activities, particularly the event planning team, engagement with organizers & speakers, and overall IMSI operations. Supervises staff to ensure that visitors and events are executed in alignment with the institute's goals. Develops and oversees the implementation of office procedures and policies and ensures compliance. Prepares and monitors the budget. Manage all administrative support for the leadership of IMSI and supervision of institute staff.

Responsibilities

• Functions as the IMSI staff leader on the operations necessary for the successful outcome of IMSI's scientific events.
• Leads and supervises a team of professional staff while collaborating with Institute staff and leadership to support departmental priorities.
• Manages human resource activities for staff employees including hiring, orientation, onboarding, performance planning and compensation recommendations, staff development and employee relations, staff retention in the situation of possible departure, and staff departures.

• Serves as the leader and main point of contact for program and workshop organizers. Communicates with organizers to plan activities and bring their vision to life. Disseminates necessary updates to the IMSI staff.
• Develops and implements relevant policies and procedures and ensures compliance. Creates, updates, and maintains email templates for programs. Creates, updates, and maintains procedures related to all IMSI activity. Keeps staff informed of any University policy changes.
• Represents the Director, Institute, and University well in all internal and external verbal, written, and in-person correspondence. Build relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders and collaborators. Develops and implements communication strategies with an international audience of researchers.
• Coordinates formal invitations, university appointments, visas, and funding to speakers and other activity attendees and work with organizers to find suitable replacements when needed.
• Works with IMSI tech team to ensure all technology needs are met during events.
• Responsible for IMSI website updates regarding activities, including registration forms, activity schedules, and invitations.
• Develops and executes reporting on all events including participant demographics, end-of-activity surveys, and participant feedback.
• Oversees Program team to ensure all institute invoice payments and visitors reimbursements are timely, and in compliance with relevant rules and regulations.
• Responsible for the first draft of the IMSI Annual Report.
• Correspondence with visitors over email and by phone, answering visitor inquiries and triage with team on group inboxes to ensure that all emails receive an appropriate response.
• Represents the institute at conferences such as the Joint Statistics Meeting (JSM) and Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM). Plans and staffs outreach booths as needed. Promotes the institute to conference attendees. Ensure marketing materials such as flyers and swag are up to date.
• Represents IMSI at meetings with the NSF, other mathematics institutes, and within the university.
• Helps plan agenda and take notes at the following meetings: NSF visits, IMSI Advisory Board, IMSI Science Committee, IMSI Executive Meeting, IMSI Administrative meeting, IMSI staff meeting, etc.
• Supervises the payment of all institute invoices in a timely manner, including subaward payments, hotel payments, and payments to other institutions for allowable expenses.
• Manages employees by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merits, incentive and/or promotional increases.
• Manages program operations and administrative functions which may include planning and scheduling, program evaluation, policy implementation, personnel administration, budget, marketing, fundraising and proposal development.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

---

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree in a related field.

Experience:

• Experience in event planning or operations and providing confidential executive administrative support.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience working in a university environment.
• Experience overseeing complex operations.
• Experience working with collaborators from multiple institutions.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Advanced experience using basic software applications (e.g. Microsoft Office Suites, Google Docs, email and calendaring programs).
• Experience with Wordpress and working within a website to add content and data.

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated experience composing, editing, and proofing written language for professional communication in the English language.
• Demonstrated experience successfully accomplishing complex assignments with ambiguous requirements and minimal oversight and supervision needed.
• Demonstrated experience initiating and successfully leading administrative process improvements that resulted in operational efficiencies.
• Demonstrated experience handling confidential information with a high degree of discretion.
• Strong customer service experience.
• Experience managing a team.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover letter (required)
• List of three references upon request

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
Administration & Management

Role Impact
People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5

Drug Test Required
No

Health Screen Required
No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No

Pay Rate Type
Salary

FLSA Status
Exempt

Pay Range
$115,000.00 - $130,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

---