Job Description

Job Summary

The Associate Dean of Administration, Finance, Facilities & Planning (AFF&P) serves as the School’s CFO and lead administrator with management and performance responsibilities for budget; financial operations; HR/Talent Management; space planning; IT; and facilities including research lab construction; risk management; general and lab safety; and contract review.

Reporting directly to the Dean of the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, the Associate Dean is part of a highly collaborative senior leadership team that shares oversight responsibilities for many critical areas. The position joins Northwestern Engineering at an exciting time in which the school is poised for growth in faculty, facilities, and educational programs. The Associate Dean works closely with the dean to ensure that McCormick maintains the financial resources, administrative staff, processes, policies, and facilities to achieve an ambitious strategic plan.

The Associate Dean contributes to the development of long-range strategic plans, governance structure and objectives, and the establishment and effective implementation of organizational policies and procedures. The position advocates, collaborates, innovates and adapts to achieve operational excellence and administrative infrastructure stability in support of McCormick’s teaching and research mission. The McCormick student body encompasses 2400 undergrads; 1000 PhD students; and 1350 masters students. Leads the strategic deployment of the School’s revenue streams. Optimizes financial, human capital, IT, and space/facilities resources across nine academic departments, over 20 master’s programs, the Segal Design Institute, the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and McCormick Research Centers.

The Associate Dean directly supervises the AFF&P team, McCormick IT team, the Center for Centers and administratively co-supervises the nine academic department Business Administrators and the Research Administration team. Direct management portfolio is subject to change to enable to strategic priorities of the school. The position develops trusted relationships with the other NU schools and Central Administration, and represents McCormick on NU committees and externally, particularly with peers in major U.S. engineering schools.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategy, Innovation, Metrics and Analysis

Engages in the ideation, management and evaluation of the School’s strategic initiatives and programs informed by data analysis and collaborative dialogue. Contributes to the annual strategy brief to the NU President and Provost. Serves as a change agent to ensure the continued evolution and viability of McCormick’s financial, administrative, IT and facilities infrastructure. Creates policy and procedure. Prepares and delivers management presentations.

Budget Strategy, Planning, Management and Performance

Directs the strategic allocation of McCormick’s six revenue streams and the McCormick quasi endowment for optimal short- and long-term performance. Ensures all gifts and endowments are utilized in a timely manner and compliant with donor intent. Ensures that federal research expenditures are compliant with Uniform Guidance. Oversees the annual all-funds non-sponsored budget planning process and quarterly forecasting for all McCormick units including academic departments, masters programs, Segal and Farley Institutes, independent research centers and all deans’ offices. Serves a central role in the annual faculty and staff salary planning process; determination of new faculty start-up packages; and faculty retention packages. Directs the planning and funding mechanism for capital projects. Provides continual process improvement to provide clear communication, streamline work effort and achieve optimal budget consistency and equity across the school. Ensures accurate and timely collaboration with the NU Office of Budget and Planning and NU Financial Operations/Controller on all financial matters.

Financial Operations and Business Services

Stewards daily financial operations including purchasing, payroll and reimbursements with attention to adherence to university and federal sponsored policy and procedure including reconciliation and audit controls.

Human Capital, Organizational Management, Shared Services

Collaborates with reporting McCormick units to identify the optimal staff structure. Maintains McCormick’s successful track record in shared service offerings which enable administrative efficiency and subject matter experts who support the entire unit/School. Directs the school’s position management strategy for ~240 staff FTE. Oversees McCormick staff recruitment endorsing NU HR guidelines and diversity, equity and inclusion values. Committed to staff compensation equity across the school whether funded on soft or hard money. Ensures that 100% of McCormick staff receive at minimum an annual performance review. Serves as a university resolution officer and school representative for Title IX, Clery Act and related policies. Oversees proper management of staff performance cases including direct handling of senior level positions as appropriate. Nurtures a collaborative relationship with NU Human Resources.

Employee Engagement, Talent Management and Training

Develops, rewards and retains staff talent; provides counsel regarding career pathing. Hosts the Dean’s annual townhall, McCormick’s staff orientation program, and oversees staff recognition events throughout the year.

Drives the structure and offerings of the McC Training Hub to broadly share best practices. Serves on the McC Learning Council Committee and collaborates closely to merge NU training offerings with McCormick-developed boot camps, work/info sessions. Leverages NU HR/OOE/OOD offerings such as the Wellness Committee to best support staff whole-selves at work.

Information Technology Development, Systems and Customer Support

Oversees the McCormick IT Team which innovates systems development from websites and apps to faculty annual report and multiple proprietary student tracking systems, ensures information security, supports teaching and research IT requirements, provides customer desktop/laptop service and help desk, and manages the School’s AV hardware, software and user support. Along with the McCormick Senior IT Director, maintains a strong working relationship with NUIT.

Space, Facilities and Safety including Research Space

Directs the planning and funding for all capital projects. Leads the School’s space allocation strategy for ~450,000 nasf across nine buildings on the Evanston campus; one in Chicago and leased space in downtown Evanston. Strives to optimize space utilization; oversees the McCormick lab renovation process especially for new faculty/PIs. Collaborates with Office of Research Safety to comply with NU research safety standards and procedure. Oversees data collection and analysis of metrics to measure space productivity by PI; annual space survey oversight; annual capital equipment inventory; annual evacuation drills for Tech, Ford and Cook. Serves as Building Manager for Tech, Ford and Cook including communication with other NU school occupants. Maintains a collaborative working relationship with NU Facilities Management and related project architects and contractors.

Compliance, Contracts, Risk Management, Emergency Planning and Business Continuity

Assumes the delegation of signature authority from NU Senior VP for contract review and authorization. Contributes to NU’s risk management assessment. Ensures the currency of the School’s business continuity plans. Maintains collaborative relationships with NU General Counsel, Risk Management, and University Police in the best interests of the School.