Department Administrator

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Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Department Administrator II

Job Summary:

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the largest department in the College of Engineering. The department serves over 1,700 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students across three-degree programs: Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, and Aerospace Engineering (launching Fall 2026). ME is currently home to 56 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, 12 instructional staff, 15 administrative staff and 17 research staff. The department manages an annual operating budget of approximately $16 million and supports more than $30 million in annual research expenditures.

The Department Administrator serves as the department's chief administrative officer. This position oversees nearly every aspect of the department's administrative enterprise, including finance, communications, human resources, research administration and facilities. Operating with substantial independence under the general direction of the Chair, the Department Administrator is responsible for ensuring the effective, efficient, and compliant operation of a large, multifaceted department while coordinating a broad portfolio of complex administrative functions in support of the department's teaching, research, and outreach missions. The Department Administrator directly and indirectly supervises the fifteen administrative staff members in the department.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a motivated and accomplished administrator to contribute to the success of one of the nation's premier mechanical engineering departments. The successful candidate will bring exceptional organizational, project management, communication, and supervisory skills, along with the ability to navigate a complex and dynamic academic environment. This individual will play a vital role in supporting the department's strategic priorities while fostering a culture of service, professionalism, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Additional Information:

• It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location 

• The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership in developing and administering budgets. Oversees financial operations including grants, contract, and other funds to ensure adherence to prudent and generally accepted accounting practices, and compliance with Federal, State, university, and sponsor rules, regulations, laws and bylaws

• Provides leadership for faculty recruitment, evaluation, development, and promotion processes

• Provides oversight and management of office and research space on and off campus, department information systems, and regional network development

• Responsible for communication and marketing of department activities, accomplishments, and department philanthropic activities including meeting with and engaging potential donors

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Provides leadership for the strategic and short-term planning processes, as well as obtaining and validating data needed for strategic decision-making

• Provides leadership, guidance, and management of the department's research, teaching and service programs, and staff to ensure efficient and effective operations

• Provides leadership and administrative oversight of basic and translational research programs including staffing, compliance, fiscal, information technology (IT), and facility needs

• Provides leadership and oversight of training programs

Department:

College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Compensation:

The minimum salary for this position is $110,000, with flexibility to offer a higher salary commensurate with the successful candidate's experience and qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

• Extensive business administration experience

• Significant staff supervisory experience

• Experience in managing budgets and creating financial reports

• Ability to manage a collaborative and effective team

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

• Ability to oversee multiple tasks

Preferred Qualifications:

• Significant financial experience including but not limited to:  forecasting, strategic planning, creating and managing budgets, developing reporting frameworks and tracking expenditures

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• Experience with process improvement and project management

• Experience in Higher Education Financial Management

• Experience with Workday and SharePoint

• Experience in Higher Education Human Resources Management

Education:

Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field

Master's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field preferred

How to Apply:

Please go to the “Apply Now” area and select your current UW Employment Status. Applicants are required to upload a resume and a cover letter outlining relevant qualifications and experience as it pertains to the required and preferred qualifications outlined in this job posting.

The search committee will review all application materials after the posted deadline. We will notify selected applicants to participate further in the selection process directly. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified after the search is complete and a candidate has been selected.
 

Contact Information:

Darryl Thelen

1513 University Ave

Madison, WI 53706

[email protected]

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
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