Chief Administrator for LSA Germanic and LSA Slavic Language Departments

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Who We Are

The Departments of Germanic Languages & Literatures (GLL) and Slavic Languages & Literatures (SLL) at the University of Michigan are seeking a high-level Chief Administrator for both units who is an experienced and dynamic leader who can partner with the Chairs, Dean's office, and colleagues to create an effective and robust administrative structure to support and promote optimal departmental functioning.

Germanic Languages & Literatures has 12 tenure-track faculty members, 20 lecturers as well as postdocs. The department's graduate student cohort varies between 16 and 25 at any given time, with almost 50 majors and minors at any given point in time.

Slavic Languages & Literatures has 10 tenure-track faculty members, six to eight lecturers at any point in time, and fourteen to eighteen graduate students. The department offers two majors and 5 minors with a total of 20-30 graduating students per year.

There are six staff members providing support to the two units, with four providing support to both departments and one providing support to each department.

Key skills and attributes required by all members in the Chief Administrator community include :

• An individual who embraces the mission and vision of LSA and the Departments, and the Chief Administrator's community expectations
• High-level administrative experience in an academic setting
• Excellent change management skills to guide administrative and personnel transitions
• Commitment to improving administrative processes and building efficiencies within and across departments and the school
• Ability to engage in strategic planning to set and reach both short- and long-term goals
• Commitment to establishing and maintaining a supportive and meaningful environment for faculty, students, and staff
• Experience with financial management, budgeting, and expenditure projection
• Experience in research budgeting and oversight
• Experience and demonstrated success in leading and managing administrative, technical, and research staff
• A commitment to collaboration and partnership
• Strong communication skills, with excellent people skills and experience building and leading teams
• Experience with grants management, HR policies and procedures, and processes related to student funding and support

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent required. Five years or more of administrative work in an academic environment; strong financial management skills in budgeting and expense reporting; strong experience developing a highly interactive and collaborative team environments; demonstrated ability in managing staff, leadership through change, and working within a complex and collaborative administrative structure; excellent verbal and written communication skills; excellent interpersonal and leadership skills; strong organizational skills; demonstrated ability to manage various aspects of a complex organization. Five to seven years' experience supervising, mentoring and professionally developing a variety of staff. Experience with management of externally funded sponsored research, experience with undergraduate and graduate student programs. Experience in a research environment in conjunction with grant / contract proposal preparation. Ability to work proactively in a fast-paced, dynamic unit and the ability to work independently and interactively as part of a team. Excellent communication skills; excellent interpersonal skills are necessary. Strong organizational skills and competency and experience using technical and administrative tools to effectively manage a unit's business practices

Desired Qualifications

Master's degree preferred.

Knowledge of UM policies and procedures is strongly preferred

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile / remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the