Chief of Staff

Salem Academy and College invites applications for a Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff is a senior administrator and serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and Leadership Council.

About Salem Academy and College:

Salem Academy and College is the oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the country. Since 1772, the institution has engaged in transformational change to innovate women’s education. Founded with the mission of making education accessible to all, Salem has a rich 250-year-old history and a long-standing track record of educating students who are prepared to make a bold impact locally, nationally and globally through liberal arts education. Our graduates are committed to making the world a better, healthier and more equitable place. Salem College is the nation’s only liberal arts college exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders.

Salem College has more than 40 full-time faculty and over 150 staff members who support approximately 500 students including full-time undergraduates, part-time students and graduate programs. Salem recently received the largest philanthropic gift in its history with a $5M anonymous donation focused on enabling our health leadership transformation as well as a $3.6M estate gift to support the College. Salem completed its 250th-anniversary campaign this year exceeding a $12.5M goal.

U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 Rankings, ranked Salem College No. 1 among all National Liberal Arts Colleges in America as a Top Performer on Social Mobility. Our institution has rapidly moved up the national ranking for Social Mobility, from No. 10 in 2020 and No. 4 in 2021 to No. 1 in 2022. Salem College is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 2 National Liberal Arts College in North Carolina. Salem has been ranked among the top three National Liberal Arts Colleges in North Carolina for the past seven years. In addition, Salem College was ranked 6th in the nation for college affordability last year.

Salem College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant college town known as the “City of Arts and Innovation". Winston-Salem is a lively academic community, home to six institutions of higher education and more than 26,000 students. Winston Salem has a collaborative and engaged academic community with strong private and public schools, excellent healthcare systems, and affordable housing. The Winston-Salem area also offers a rich variety of cultural opportunities and has a vibrant art and restaurant scene. Within a few hours of campus are mountains for skiing, camping, or hiking; rivers for whitewater rafting; and the beautiful ports and beaches of North and South Carolina.

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the President, the Chief of Staff works closely and in collaboration with the President’s Office staff on a wide variety of special projects and initiatives involving the Office of the President and its priorities. The Chief of Staff is a senior administrator and serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and Leadership Council.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages and initiates major projects on behalf of the President, either individually or as a member of a task force, working group, or project team; anticipates and tracks critical dates, events and organizational issues for follow up with appropriate parties to ensure deadlines are met and the President is informed.
• Works directly with the President and Senior Academy and College leaders in a collaborative manner to execute critical plans and projects.
• Collaborates across the campus to accomplish projects and support achievement of strategic plan goals.
• Staffs the President’s Cabinet, including regular communication with the Cabinet on behalf of the President, when required; organizes and sets meeting agendas, records minutes of meetings, and provides information as requested.
• May chair or serve on committees as required on behalf of the Office of the President.
• Plans, coordinates, and implements Office of the President special events and programs.
• Prepares Presidential presentations and reports that are data-driven for multiple stakeholder groups.
• Provides budgetary oversight for major institutional strategic initiatives and administrative offices.
• Represents the Office of the President at internal meetings and forums as needed.
• Works to resolve staff, faculty, student, campus-wide or community disputes/complaints that come to the President’s Office using mediation skills and involving appropriate campus resources.
• Keeps abreast and ensures that President is informed of community, regional and state events, and issues relative to Salem Academy and College involvement.
• Maintains the President’s confidence and protects the operations by keeping information confidential.
• Represents the Office of the President at internal meetings and forums as needed and assists in relationship building in the community both locally and regionally.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree and five or more years of progressively responsible higher education experience working effectively and collaboratively with faculty, students, staff, administration, governing boards, and external agencies.
• Previous experience providing executive support.
• Demonstrated respect for the confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Demonstrated capacity to work effectively with persons from culturally diverse backgrounds including international students and non-traditional students and to foster sensitivity to diversity and an inclusive campus culture.
• Ability to interact effectively with senior leadership.
• Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of the principles and practices of management, supervision, and the administration of applicable laws, rules, regulations, codes, and statutes relating to higher education.
• Proven capacity to cultivate trust and credibility with students, staff, and faculty and to build positive and effective relationships with student leaders and colleagues across Salem Academy and College.
• Prior budget management experience.
• Strong interpersonal and administrative skills.
• Excellent skills in problem-solving, conflict resolution, and knowledge of crisis intervention techniques.
• Proven ability to make independent judgments under pressure and respond appropriately in emergency situations.
• Ability to effectively communicate ideas and information in written and oral format to students, staff, professional colleagues, governing boards, and the general public in large or small group settings.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and other relevant software.
• Strong ability to anticipate office needs, plan ahead, and to proactively and strategically meet those needs in a timely manner.
• Ability to follow-up on all projects and tasks until successful completion.
• Ability to gather and analyze data, compile information, and prepare reports.
• Experience with health and/or science partnerships and strategic planning.

Physical Functions:

While performing the responsibilities of the Chief of Staff, the employee is required to sit for varying lengths of time; occasionally stand, walk, and kneel and regularly ascend/descend stairs; use hands and fingers to handle or feel and manipulate keys on a keyboard; perform extended periods of work at a computer workstation, viewing computer monitor; perceive sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and receive detailed information through oral communication; express and exchange ideas by means of spoken word; and work in an office setting.

Application Process

To apply, please send a letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the position along with a resume and three professional references to hr@salem.edu. The letter of interest may be addressed to the “Search Committee.” The review of applications will begin immediately and will be ongoing until the position is filled. Submission deadline is March 15, 2023.

Salem Academy and College is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law.