Job Title: Mgmt 4, Admin & Operations, Gr. 11
Position Title: Assistant Director for Administration
Effort: 100%
Term: N/A
The MIT Design Initiative is a new endeavor to elevate design education and research across MIT and around the world by creating new educational experiences in design for MIT’s students; building capacity for research in the creative fields; attracting and retaining leading students and faculty in design disciplines; and connecting to a global network of industry, education, and civic organizations to expand educational impact and foster a new generation of socially responsible entrepreneurs. The goal is to expand design as a field of inquiry and as a way of thinking that complements analytic approaches with creative and synthetic approaches; to diffuse design education across MIT, with a particular focus on undergraduate education; to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among designers; and to broaden the application of design to unconventional fields including the civic realm, public health, lifelong learning, and community engagement.
The Assistant Director for Administration will work in collaboration with the Founding Faculty Director, and will have major responsibility for structuring, implementing and/or overseeing all administrative functions of the Design Initiative.
Primary Responsibilities (Essential Functions)
- Develop and manage an initial operating budget of approximately $3M;
- Responsible for all aspects of staff management including recruiting, training, supervising, evaluating, and coaching;
- Foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work and learning environment;
- Represent the initiative to and manage relationships with organizations, sponsors, prospective sponsors, faculty and other MIT units;
- Work closely with the Faculty Director on matters of interest to the initiative’s faculty steering committee and its advisory council of external stakeholders and luminaries in the field of design;
- Assist the Faculty Director to design and implement fundraising strategies; write grants, proposals, and brochures;
- Work with faculty and staff to develop and implement public outreach programs, educational workshops, conferences, and events;
- Collaborate on space and EHS matters with departmental, School and MIT stakeholders;
- Create internal policies and procedures and organizational systems;
- Engage in collaborative planning and implementation of curriculum and degree programs;
- Oversee the creation of a dynamic communications campaign.
Supervision Exercised
Hire and supervise staff as appropriate
Supervision Received
Reports to the Founding Faculty Director
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree and at least seven years of administrative experience;
- Excellent analytical, financial, problem solving, listening, writing and communications skills;
- Successful track record of developing and managing employees and supervising teams;
- Strategic thinker who exhibits a collaborative working style and cooperative spirit;
- Strong program management skills and proven ability to understand, communicate, and present complex technical information to a wide variety of audiences;
- Advanced knowledge of databases, spreadsheets and accounting principles; knowledge of or ability to rapidly learn MIT financial, HR, and operational systems;
- Experience handling multiple tasks and changing/conflicting priorities;
- Sound judgment, tact, and ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
Preferred
- A Master’s degree or terminal degree in a design field, or related field of study;
- Experience with graduate student financial aid and visa processes;
- MIT experience strongly preferred.
To apply for this position please visit MIT’s Careers website.