Chief of Staff

Responsibilities:
The Chief of Staff to the Vice President for Administration & Finance and CFO (VPAF/CFO) provides executive-level strategic coordination, project management, issue management, decision support, and high-level communications. The Chief of Staff synthesizes information from multiple sources, identifies emerging issues, risks, and dependencies, and ensures matters requiring the VPAF/CFO’s attention are elevated appropriately. The position prepares and coordinates briefings, analyses, correspondence, presentations, and other executive materials to support informed decision making and effective communication.

The Chief of Staff may represent the VPAF/CFO in meetings, working groups, and other settings and serves as a key liaison with senior university leaders, Administration & Finance leadership, the President’s and Provost’s Offices, the University System of Maryland, and other internal and external partners. The position plays a central role in coordinating significant strategic, operational, and organizational change initiatives on behalf of the VPAF/CFO.

The Chief of Staff operates with a high degree of independence and requires exceptional judgment, discretion, political and organizational awareness, and the ability to build effective relationships and influence outcomes across organizational boundaries. The successful candidate will be an adaptable and proactive problem-solver with exceptional organizational, project-management, writing, and communication skills and the ability to manage multiple high-priority matters in a fast-paced, high visibility environment.

Required Minimum Qualifications:
Requires a Bachelor's degree.
Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in executive-level administration, strategy, project/program management, finance/operations, or related work supporting senior leadership.
Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives and drive work to completion without direct authority over all participants.
Exceptional writing, editing, synthesis, and presentation skills for senior executive audiences.
Strong analytical, organizational, and project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority matters simultaneously.
Excellent judgment, discretion, diplomacy, and ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
Ability to interact credibly with senior executives, governing bodies, system-level partners, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365 and adaptability to new tools and systems.

Preferred Qualifications:
Master's Degree (e.g., MBA, MPA, or related field)
Administrative or project-coordination experience within a higher education or public-sector setting.
Experience supporting a senior executive (e.g., President, Provost, CFO, or Vice President) in a similarly fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
Knowledge of finance, administration, capital planning, human resources, facilities, procurement, or other administrative functions.