Chief of Staff to the Vice Provost for Admissions & Financial Aid

The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (Admissions and Financial Aid) in University Student Services is responsible for the enrollment management function that underpins the University’s ability to attract, recruit, admit, and matriculate our Arts and Sciences and Engineering undergraduate students. The office also is a key advisor to the university’s graduate and professional programs whose students are among the best in the nation.

Reporting to the Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid and serving as a member of the management team for Admissions and Financial Aid, we are seeking a Chief of Staff (COS) to the Vice Provost for Admissions & Financial Aid who will provide crucial day-to-day support to the Vice Provost, helping to coordinate, guide, and support the strategic and operational functions of the enrollment management office. Serving as a valuable thought partner to the Vice Provost, the Associate Vice Provosts, and the enrollment management office, the COS will also play a visible role, frequently interfacing with relevant offices across the Schools and Divisions. Acting as a strategic partner and skilled problem solver, the COS will facilitate impactful cross-institution initiatives and contribute to fostering a culture of high performance and collaboration within the enrollment management office

The COS will serve as a key point of contact for the office and will triage issues for the Vice Provost and the Vice Provost’s leadership team to ensure needs and issues are communicated and resolved appropriately. They will anticipate and manage long-term, short-term and day-to-day priorities for the Vice Provost and advise on and coordinate university-wide initiatives.

The COS requires strong alignment with Johns Hopkins University's mission, values, and strategic vision, as well as demonstrated leadership, judgment, and flexibility in a complex organization and fast-paced environment.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Day to Day Support for the Office of the Vice Provost

• Manage the daily operations of the office, and ensuring the Vice Provost has all the information, tools, and materials to operate at full capacity in a proactive and timely manner through advance planning, creation, aggregation, and review of all issues and materials.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the Vice Provost’s immediate office, triaging and coordinating requests from internal and external stakeholders.
• Draft and initiate correspondence, reports and assemble resource information for meetings and presentations as well as prepare and edit presentation materials and accompanying reports.
• Manage recurring senior leadership team meetings, agendas, materials, and follow-ups for the Vice Provost (such meetings include Admissions and Financial Aid Offices meetings as well as other meetings). Coordinating multiple project work streams across various issues and stakeholders, including tracking key activities and milestones, managing deliverables to deadlines, integrating activities across work streams, surfacing project risks and concerns, and recommending solutions as appropriate.
• As requested, lead and/or participate in meetings on behalf of the Vice Provost.
• Anticipate, identify and troubleshoot issues of concern or significance; exercise discretion to ensure that matters requiring the attention and/or decision making of the Vice Provost are thoroughly developed, researched and evaluated.
• Working closely with Enrollment Management leadership, support the evaluation of processes and efficiency analyses to provide exceptional service throughout Enrollment Management in accordance with the University mission.
• Lead and support efforts designed to achieve collaborative strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, and business process improvement goals across a decentralized institutional environment by working in close collaboration with the Associate Vice Provosts and the Dean of Admissions.
• Establish and nurture a high-performing office, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.
• Ensure that staff have the resources, tools, and support to succeed; the processes to enable success; and the ability to track and measure operational excellence and outcomes to ensure the department is meeting commitments.
• Build and maintain successful working relationships and coordination with a wide range of offices such as the senior university leadership, deans, and senior staff within the divisions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• A proven track record of leadership.
• Prior demonstrated success and experience within a complex, decentralized, top-tier higher education institution is highly desirable.
• A decisive, forward-thinking approach with deep engagement, good judgment, common sense, wisdom, and insight who will serve as an advisor to the other members of the senior leadership team and contribute to building an effective Vice Provost’s team.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive and bring focus and clear prioritization to multiple, simultaneous, complex, and competing high-profile situations or projects in a dynamic and fast-paced environment where expectations for performance and productivity are high.
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence and the ability to use diplomacy and sensitivity in working with a diverse and broad range of constituents and relate effectively to individuals throughout all levels of the organization and its external stakeholders.
• A strong consensus-building approach that promotes inclusiveness encourages participation and facilitates the sharing of knowledge and ideas.
• Superb verbal, written, and interpersonal skills, including outstanding listening, communication, persuasion, and presentation abilities with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• A supervisory style with a commitment to clarity and accountability, a demonstrated ability to hire, mentor, and empower staff, and a track record of successful oversight of people, fundraising, and complex budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise discretion and sound judgment, and provide immediate direction in situations that require time-sensitive solutions.
• The highest level of personal ethics and professional integrity.

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Five years of related experience. 
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

• Master's Degree preferred.
• Higher education enrollment management experience preferable.