Department Head Assistant

This position provides independently guided executive level support to the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences (OVNS), departmental leadership team including the departmental administrator, vice chairs of clinical affairs, education and faculty affairs and the residency and fellowship program director and coordinator. This position operates in a complex and multi-layered system and is expected to effectively communicate and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to advance the mission of OVNS. This position is embedded within a fast-paced, excelling, and ever-growing department that will continue to expand over the next ten years. This position organizes and oversees the administrative day-to-day operations and is responsible for providing excellent customer service ensuring faculty and staff are supported with their administrative needs. This position will also provide direction, leadership, and day-to-day management of the ACGME-accredited Ophthalmology residency and fellowship program for OVNS. This position will work closely with the current program coordinator and director to learn roles and responsibilities. This role also includes administrative support for our educational programs and projects.

Executive Support, Administrative Planning and Scheduling (50%):

• Responsible for scheduling and time management for the Chair of OVNS, including responsibility for complex electronic scheduling with internal and external stakeholders. This includes prioritizing and decision-making regarding meetings with faculty, staff, and collaborators involved with the Chair's many roles.
• Organize, research, and provide pertinent background materials to ensure that the Chair is well-briefed and prepared for scheduled meetings and events.
• Prepare first drafts of emails, reports, nominations for awards, and other materials for the Chair for research and leadership team.
• Take notes at meetings and prepare summary of notes to distribute and track activities.
• Assist with the development of faculty promotion documents, maintain calendar milestones, and track deadlines for various reporting requirements
• Develop an annual calendar, set deadlines and priorities, plan, and execute events.
• Lead the coordination of the OVNS faculty search process. Academic search process responsibilities include working with University of Minnesota Physicians (UMP) recruiters where applicable, search committees, applicants, arranging interview schedules and meetings, and working with the human resources to establish search files, tracking applicants, and distributing applications and evaluations.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive directory for all necessary documents related to Chair of OVNS information to ensure easy access and organization.
• Improve the process for tracking association memberships and their associated logistics, including password management, to streamline operations.

Assistant Fellowship Program Coordinator (20%):

• Serves as point of contact for fellows on all fellowship-related matters in the absence of the program coordinator. Secondary communications strategist for all program-related communications, internal, and public-facing.
• Help Design and recommend event and educational training offerings.
• Assist in the planning and execution of program orientation curriculum and other GME events such as recruitment, graduation, retreats, and exams.
• Responsible for maintaining all current fellow and alumni records. Maintains alumni database and prepares final verification of training documents.
• Point of contact for program policy questions. Responsible for the upkeep and yearly updating of Program Policy Manuals.
• Track and maintain time away for both fellowships as well as the residency program.

Accounting Support (5%):

• Serve as the secondary contact for purchasing, including vendor setups, placing and receiving orders, UMarket, etc. for faculty and staff.
• Manage travel arrangements and reimbursements for the Chair of OVNS.
• Maintain a budget for office supplies and track costs.
• Train other administrative personnel in Chrome River, invoicing, P-Card reconciliation, and other administrative accounting tasks.

Office Management (10%):

• Independently manage overall office facilities and lead projects to implement space and equipment changes.
• Resolve issues regarding state-of-the-art office equipment; work with faculty and staff to purchase needed equipment.
• Lead the development and implementation of new administrative initiatives, processes, and workflows to align with the OVNS policies and procedures.
• Develop and sustain an effective, efficient, and logical organizational system to include electronic management of paper files, emails, and meeting notes and identifying and implementing new approaches to changing situations.
• Train other administrative personnel in key software including Google documents, reference manager software, WORKS, and other systems.
• Independently leads the smooth and efficient operation of the office.

Event Planning (5%):

• Independently manage planning and logistics for seminars, workshops, and events.
• Create detailed itineraries for visiting scholars, including all travel arrangements.
• Maintain records and gather information/documentation; work with faculty, supervisor and department/center staff to make sure that seminar/event expenses are tracked and charged appropriately.
• Advising other staff on event planning.
• Set up and manage virtual seminars and events.
• Train other administrative personnel in key IT functions including Zoom, virtual set up, camera set up, and other IT systems.

Communications (5%):

• Work with Lions Gift of Sight (LGS) Director of Partner and Public Relations to highlight department faculty, activities, publications, and staff in the monthly newsletter.
• Collect information on grant announcements to include on monthly agendas.
• Work with LGS Director of PR to ensure announcements go out in a timely manner.
• Set up and use Google documents for OVNS purposes or faculty needs.
• When necessary, assist faculty with PowerPoint slides for presentations.
• Update and maintain OVNS web site.

Other (5%):

• Assist with entry of references into reference software: Update, edit, and maintain references/citation managers for research faculty.
• Format and submit manuscripts to journals on behalf of the faculty. Track and manage submissions and revisions.
• Assist with entering faculty information into WORKS. Support faculty in maintaining their CVs in WORKS.
• Prepare and edit presentation materials for leadership, faculty, and programs.
• Draft tables and figures for grants, reports, and other program materials
• Assist with the onboarding of new employees.
• Other duties as assigned.

All required qualifications must be documented on application materials.

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree or a combination or related education and work experience in residency, medical or medical education settings to equal four years.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and present complex information.
• Demonstrated experience handling a wide range of administrative related tasks with a commitment to professionalism and confidentiality.
• Outstanding communication (oral and written), interpersonal, and organizational skills with keen attention to detail.
• Must be self-motivated, self-guided, goal-oriented, and mindful of deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google applications, with the capability to learn new systems as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to be resourceful - identifies errors and takes initiative to solve problems as they arise.
• Demonstrated ability to work across varying levels of an organization, i.e., leadership, colleagues, and trainees.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with healthcare professionals or administrators.
• Experience working in an academic setting, especially administrative experience in a medical department or center and knowledge of relevant institutional policies and procedures.
• Ability to handle multiple projects and calmly respond to changing situations with a flexible manner.

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences and its success is built upon the innovation and drive of every member of our team, from faculty to administrators to technicians. Put simply, all of us are driven to provide the best eye care for our patients, discover new treatments, and educate the next generation of eye care professionals.

For more information please visit our website at https://med.umn.edu/Ophthalmology.

Pay Range: $54,000 to $66,700, we anticipate most offers will be around the midpoint of this range, depending on education and experience.

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Civil-Service

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, pharmacy and disability plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).