Deputy Chief of Staff

Salary Range: $95,000 Annual 

Employee Class: Administrator 

Department: President's 

Full-time/ Part-time: Full-time 

Hours Per Week: 40+ 

Standard Work Week: Monday-Friday, Occasional evenings and weekends 

Benefits: This position is eligible for health, dental, life insurance and other benefits through Chicago State University. Click here for a complete list of benefits: https://csu.edu/humanresources/benefits.htm

Job Summary:  Chicago State University (CSU), is the oldest public university in the Chicago metropolitan area. Chicago State University is Illinois’ only four-year U.S. Department of Education-designated Predominantly Black Institution (PBI). CSU serves over 1,500 undergraduate students and nearly 900 graduate students. The university is a nationally accredited university with five colleges in Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Health Sciences and Pharmacy and proudly supports a diverse and non-traditional student population that hails from 28 countries and 36 states. 

Discover the latest advancements and milestones achieved by CSU in our Annual Report: https://www.csu.edu/president/annual_report.htm. 

The Deputy Chief of Staff will work directly with the Chief of Staff to manage a variety of institutional projects and initiatives on behalf of the Office and help to manage priorities towards the advancement of the University’s Strategic Plan and the President’s vision for the university. CSU is searching for a committed problem solver who takes a values-based approach to leadership and service. The successful candidate will be a practiced leader who is comfortable working in a transformational culture with strong knowledge of leading strategic initiatives, experience with complex project management, and skilled in executive writing. 

Responsibilities: 

• Work with the Chief of Staff to prioritize, communicate, and manage organizational priorities and initiatives 


• Serve as the primary writer for executive correspondence, including but not limited to public addresses (speeches, talking points, remarks, published letters, etc.) on behalf of the Office of the President 


• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and manage external-facing projects on behalf of the University 


• Manage complex projects with competing deadlines, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure completion 


• Leads select projects assigned by management to advance the University Strategic Plan 


• Participates in and leads key internal and external meetings, as needed or as delegated 


• Work across the organization to help ensure coordination and alignment on goals and objectives, while identifying opportunities, challenges, and barriers to success 


• Other duties as assigned 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university 


• Minimum of 3 years of progressive leadership experience in a relevant field (administration, project management, or other related field), or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience in administrative roles within organizations 


• Proven track record of developing and managing effective partnerships across disparate groups to organize and facilitate decisions and ensure implementation

Preferred Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree or other advanced degree 


• Experience in a university or college environment 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with proven professional written assets (samples will be requested) 


• Excellent organizational and time management skills 


• Knowledge and experience in building strong partnerships across different stakeholder groups and fields (for example, education, private sector, and community-based organizations) to build or strengthen initiatives 


• Ability to influence indirect reports and peers towards project and task completion 


• Ability to learn quickly and are comfortable in taking broad direction 


• Ability to effectively communicate with various groups of internal and external stakeholders


• Ability to simultaneously manage and advance multiple projects 


• Ability to work independently without direct supervision and also collaboratively when necessary 


• Ability to make decisions in a changing environment and anticipate future needs 


• Record of accomplishment for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output

Posting Specific Questions 

1. Do you have experience writing at an executive level? For example, have you written speeches, talking points, or other documents for executives?

Applicant Documents 

Required Documents 

1. Resume


2. Cover Letter


3. References 

Optional Documents

1. Transcripts


2. Letters of Reference 


3. Writing Sample