Not provided by employer
Overview: the tufts office of office of university strategy & program development tackles the most interesting and pressing challenges in higher education through critical strategic planning, advisory, and analytical supportThe office serves the university as a partner to tufts’ schools and the central administration in the identification and development of mission-related opportunities that transform the university’s model for sustainable success in the 21st century higher education ecosystemWe achieve this mission by providing business analysis and project management expertise for transformational strategic initiatives (often serving as an internal consulting agency), by providing best-in-class market research and business analysis to the tufts community, by partnering with schools and units across the university to build strategic portfolios of educational programs, and by supporting the university’s strategic planning processes and the cultivation of a strategic mindset in all areas of the institutionLed by an executive director, the office reports to the executive vice president and works closely with the office of the provost in establishing and implementing its prioritiesThe office is comprised of two teams: the strategic transformation team and the strategy & analytics teamWhat you`ll do:
The director, strategic transformation reports to the executive director of the office of university strategy & program development and leads project-based transformational initiatives aligned to the university’s and school’s strategic priorities by providing management consulting capacitiesIn doing so, the director is a key strategic partner not only to the executive director, but to the executive vice president, provost, school deans, and central unit vice presidentsThis individual will be the first hire into the strategy & transformation team, which is seen as central to building the university’s strategic capacity and is expected to grow in the coming yearsIn the near-term, the director will assist in the hiring of a senior analyst who will be a part of a small pool of analysts in the office of office of university strategy & program development.
The director will be 25% to 100% allocated to various strategic projects based on the needs of the university, the estimated time required to complete the project, and (to the extent possible) personal preferenceIn the higher education environment, strategic projects tend to move more slowly than in industryReflecting this, the director will be more deeply engaged in having a real strategic impact through both senior stakeholder engagement and day-to-day responsibility for project outcomes (a hybrid senior consultant and engagement manager role)On each project, the director is responsible for
Serving as a thought leader and advisor to key internal stakeholders (e.g., deans, provost, executive vice president) and the executive director in identifying and articulating the project’s goals and objectives
Developing issue maps and analytical frameworks that outline the strategic questions and approaches to be used
Driving projects forward, including providing project management, meeting set-up and leadership, and timeline/milestone management
Convening a cross-functional team of individuals from across the university to address the project questions
Designing, participating in, and supervising the team’s core work, research, and analytical tasks; this may include actively completing research and analysis in addition to thought leadership
Developing and delivering the highest quality actionable advice, insights, and impact for our internal stakeholders
Communicating these results through a variety of media (e.g., powerpoints, white papers, excel analyses) and during regular and milestone meetings and other communications to senior university leaders (e.g., executive vice president, provost, deans, etc.)
As a member of the office of office of university strategy & program development, the director will be on the executive director’s leadership team and on the executive vice president’s extended leadership teamIn this capacity, the director is responsible for
Engaging in office-wide and university-wide planning, committees, and environment, proactively contributing to the office and university as a whole beyond day-to-day work
Supporting work typically conducted by the executive director and office’s strategy & analytics team, as needed
Market research and business analysis
Program portfolio analyses
Strategic planning and mindset cultivation activities
Evaluating the performance of team members and supporting professional development, coaching, mentorship, and review processes
Helping to develop and contributing ‘practice building’ the office of office of university strategy & program development as it grows over time
This individual will also:
Get things done, be comfortable with periodic ‘sprints’, have an all-hands-on-deck mentality, and be comfortable having clear performance targets and being measured against them on a regular basis
Be comfortable with receiving direction and working independently to create solutions and proposals relative to that direction
Be comfortable knowing the scope of the role and the balance of work across the stated responsibilities may evolve and change to best serve the needs of the university over time
What we`re looking for: basic requirements:
Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through completion of an mba and a total of 7-10 years’ professional experience, with at least 2-3 years in management/strategy consulting in a post-mba consulting role or equivalent in-house experience
Excellent skills and demonstrated experience in the following areas:
Critical thinking and creative problem-solving
Financial, business, and strategic analysis skills (e.g., survey development and analysis, market studies, pricing analysis, competitor benchmarking, financial / database analysis, business case development)
Development and synthesis of key takeaways and data-driven recommendations for senior and executive audiences in written and verbal form
Project management and leadership of complex strategic projects
Ms excel, word, and powerpoint
Excellent communication skills in a variety of settings, e.g., one-on-one , leading large groups, presentations, ability to work with senior and junior stakeholders
Ability to handle multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
Ability to work as an individual contributor and/or on a small team
Results-oriented – willingness to be hands-on and to execute in addition to thinking big picture; willingness to learn and grow
Flexible – able to shift and adapt with projects and as the department/office grows
Proactive – does not need substantial direction, looks for opportunities to go above and beyond
Empathetic – demonstrates ability to understand, articulate, and adapt to a wide variety of skill sets and perspectives
Sense of humor, a positive and collaborative attitude, and a team player mentality, willing to take on any task big or small
Tact, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality
Interest in working in or with education, non-profit, government, or other public sector organizations
Preferred qualifications:
Mba or equivalent degree
2-3 years in a management/strategy consulting firm, in a post-mba consulting role
Higher education management/strategy consulting experience
Experience working in or with education, non-profit, government, or other public sector organizations
Experience managing direct reports and reports in a pooled resource environment
About tufts:
Tufts university is recognized as a premier university in the united states, with more than 1,300 international students, and 450 international faculty and scholarsAs well as possessing a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions, tufts is an employer of choice, offering a market-competitive and progressive total rewards program that includes a spectrum of benefits and resources to create a positive work/life experienceFor more information about tufts and its benefits, please visit: http://hr.tufts.edu/benefits/ for additional background about tufts’ business development office, please visit: http://evp.tufts.edu/administrative-initiatives/business-development/Information on tufts university’s global presence, initiatives, and operations, can be found at: https://www.tufts.edu/strategic-themesTufts’ institutional research’s fact book can be found at: http://provost.tufts.edu/institutionalresearch/files/2015-16-oire-annual-report.pdf
An employee in this position must complete all appropriate background checks at the time of hire, promotion, or transfer.
Equal opportunity employer – minority/females/veterans/disability/sexual orientation/gender identity.
Hiring insights
Job activity
Posted 30+ days ago