Department
College International and Extracurricular Learning
About the Department
Office of National Fellowships
Job Summary
The Director and Assistant Dean of National Fellowships provides strategic and visible leadership for the Office of National Fellowships (ONF) within the College Center for Research and Fellowships, working with colleagues across the University of Chicago’s departments, divisions, and administrative units. The position is responsible for leading the ONF’s efforts in advancing national fellowship opportunities, early-career academic support programming, and related initiatives at the University of Chicago. The Director must have an innovative vision for advancing participation in national fellowship opportunities, including increasing participation among underrepresented student populations. They must also possess exceptional higher education administrative acumen with demonstrable experience in supporting major national fellowships. The Director effectively supervises and supports the staff of the ONF and coordinates with the Director of Undergraduate Research to capitalize on the interconnections of the offices’ work and promote students’ long-term intellectual and personal development.
Responsibilities
- Provides strategic leadership and oversight for all operations of the ONF including the development and management of processes, personnel, partnerships, and finances.
- As a member of the College leadership team, represents the ONF to internal and external audiences, including high-level presentations to students, parents, faculty, senior University leadership, and donors.
- Chairs fellowship committees and supports committees relevant to CCRF’s research operations and partner offices.
- Evaluates existing processes and policies for identifying and supporting fellowship candidates; makes recommendations for improvement in line with the Dean’s strategic vision.
- Partners closely with UChicago staff and faculty across all disciplines to share information and increase high-potential student engagement with the national fellowships process.
- Serves as the unit authority on ONF budgets and projections, delegating day-to-day responsibilities as appropriate.
- With College Communications, provides leadership for newsletter, media, publicity events, publications, and web content to publicize and promote ONF efforts and student achievements.
- Oversees data management and reporting efforts for the office.
- Active with relevant professional associations including the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA); attends and presents at national and regional conferences.
- Remains well-informed of national trends related to national fellowship opportunities to inform ONF programming and support at the University of Chicago.
- Collaborates closely with the OUR team on research and scholars curriculum that includes support for major national fellowships.
- Oversees ONF fellowship advisors in their advising practices and execution of fellowship application cycles.
- Provides leadership and management for direct reports, including performance appraisals, hiring and job position review, and professional development.
- Leads high-impact, developmental advising to undergraduates across all disciplines interested in pursuing select highly competitive national fellowships including Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Truman, and Gates Cambridge.
- Establishes and chairs selection committees.
- Supports faculty who serve as mentors, writes recommendation letters, participates in mock interviews, and contributes in other ways to fellowship advising.
- Provides writing and editorial support for campus and national fellowship applications.
- Designs and executes the Hugo F. Sonnenschein Medal of Excellence award.
- Manages a team of individuals that validate the academic status of students within the school to ensure proper tuition assessments and scholarship awards.
- Identifies and implements technological solutions to improve operating efficiencies and assure veracity of data gathering.
- 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:
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Preferred Qualifications
Education:
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years of experience in national fellowship mentoring, developmental advising, and/or teaching.
- Minimum 7 years of demonstrable experience in technical writing, professional or technical communication or editing and/or a position that included proposal/grant writing and/or appropriate undergraduate degree or emphasis area such as English, scientific or technical writing, etc.
- Seven years of progressively responsible administrative experience.
- Providing instruction on national fellowship application processes, as well as creating, facilitating, and delivering information sessions and workshops about various fellowship programs and effective written and oral communication skills.
- Developing national fellowship applications and advising best practices and policies.
- Utilizing current educational assessment tools to survey applicant experiences and use to propose quality enhancement plans for the unit.
- Research and publication record commensurate with discipline/experience.
- Possess an in-depth understanding of national fellowships, including national trends, and an established track record of activities related to nationally prestigious fellowships, high impact advising and, broadly, teaching and learning practices in higher education.
- Substantive experience working within the broader national fellowships enterprise and be able to effectively guide undergraduates in translating their academic interests and experiences into viable national fellowship applications.
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
- Proficiency in Mac and PC environments.
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, and online organizational tools.
- Familiarity with Canvas or other higher education course-building platforms.
- Familiarity with Adobe graphic design/web development environments, database management, social media platforms.
Preferred Competencies
- Strong leadership and managerial skills.
- Highly motivated, innovative, well-organized, detail-oriented, and resourceful academic leader who enjoys working closely with undergraduates.
- Familiarity with students and educational experience in highly selective, top-tier institutions.
- Demonstrated ability to establish good working relationships with people of different backgrounds.
- Strong commitment to young adults and the values and goals of a liberal arts education. Appreciation for the value of undergraduate research as a scholarly enterprise and as important for student development.
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative, provide thought-leadership, and work well as a principal, contributing member to a small team.
- Excellent leadership, organizational, administrative, and computer skills.
- Strong program and event management skills, prioritize and manage concurrent tasks with interruptions, meet deadlines; and respond to many emails, in-person and phone requests in a timely fashion.
- Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information related to students, faculty, and staff.
- Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and manage effectively competing demands.
- Proven ability to collaborate with faculty and institutional partners.
- Exceptional written and oral presentation skills; teaching experience.
Working Conditions
- Office environment.
- Some evening and weekend work.
- Fast-paced environment.
- Lift up to 40 lbs.
- Push carts with up to 50 lbs. of material.
- Sit at a computer for 4-6 hours.
- Periodic walking to other campus locations.
- Climbing up to 5 flights of stairs.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter, which is to include your interest in and competencies for this position (required)
- Professional/Academic References Contact Information, names of student references welcome (3)(required)
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Student Affairs & Services
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
$84,000.00 - $105,000.00
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 theBenefits 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.
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