How to Apply

A cover letter addressing your specific interest in the position and outlining your skills and experience that directly relate to this position is required. Attach the cover letter to your resume.

We are seeking a high-level Chief Administrator for the unit who is an experienced and dynamic leader who can partner with the Chair, Dean's office, and colleagues to create an effective and robust administrative structure to support and promote optimal departmental functioning.

History has 51 tenure-track Faculty FTE's, 4 lecturers, and 8 regular staff. The Department has 136 PhD students across the History and Anthropology programs, 286 undergraduate majors, and 153 minors.

Key skills and attributes required by all members in the Chief Administrator community include:

• An individual who embraces the mission, vision of LSA and the Department, and the Chief Administrator's community leadership values
• High-level administrative experience in an academic setting
• Excellent change management skills to guide administrative and personnel transitions
• Commitment to improving administrative processes and building efficiencies within and across departments and the School
• Ability to engage in strategic planning to set and reach both short- and long-term goals
• Commitment to establishing, maintaining, and sustaining an environment where individuals from all backgrounds feel valued, empowered, and able to succeed
• Experience with financial management, budgeting, and expenditure projection
• Experience in research budgeting and oversight
• Experience and demonstrated success in leading and managing administrative, technical, and research staff.
• A commitment to collaboration and partnership
• Strong communication skills, with excellent people skills and experience building and leading teams
• Experience with grants management, HR policies and procedures, and processes related to student funding and support.

What You'll Do

FINANCIAL RESOURCES RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide budgeting and expense projections; Establish controls to maintain budget oversight; Review business transactions for compliance with relevant policies and regulations and provide departmental authorization for these transactions; Manage and oversee all research (including external grant funding), operating (general fund), discretionary, designated, recharge and endowment funds including the implementation of fiscal policies and procedures; Monitor and maintain budget policies set forth by the College of LS&A and Department leadership; Advise the Chair regarding optimal uses of financial resources for planning and management discussions. Working with the LSA services areas, prepare special budget and financial reports with statistical analysis where required.

STUDENT ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide leadership in the unit's academic services area for undergraduate and graduate students and staff; work directly with the Chair, Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate studies to create student retention and success models; lead initiatives to assess the impact of student support and programing; lead the student services area to create, disseminate and maintain resources, policies and procedure for the unit and School; provide guidance and develop best practices.

HUMAN RESOURCES RESPONSIBILITIES

Facilitate the successful performance and continuous development of staff. Coordinate the work of staff, providing leadership in a collaborative, team-oriented environment with support for professional development; approve job descriptions for non-academic positions; review positions for appropriate classification and compensation level; provide oversight for procedures related to faculty recruitment, appointment, review, retention, and promotion. Work collaboratively with LSA Human Resources to develop job descriptions, review positions for appropriate classifications, and rates. Assist and guide the Chair, UMOR research track hires, LEO lecturer appointments and renewals, sabbatical and other leaves, and emeritus status. Create and update Memorandums of Understanding to specify research, teaching, and service commitments for faculty with split appointments.

Analyze and evaluate the administrative staffing needs of the department.

FACILITIES

Partner with the Chair on long-range planning of facilities and space utilization, which includes research labs, administrative space, and instructional space.

DEPARTMENT, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY RESPONSIBILITIES

Be familiar with UM policies and procedures and ensure awareness and compliance among faculty, staff, and students. Routinely monitor departmental activities to ensure variance is within an acceptable range and proactively address issues. Interpret and provide information related to University, School, and Department policies and business procedures to all faculty, students, and staff. Approve the annual unit's space surveys. Represent the Department to other University units and administrators and outside units with authority to make financial and operational commitments. Resolve operating problems, employee complaints, and grievances. Serve on University, School, and Department committees.

Partner with the Department Chair on long-range planning and strategic operations. Assist in developing policies and procedures, interpret University and College policies and procedures for the faculty, staff, and students. Oversee all aspects of and provide leadership in student services areas, including: GSI appointments, fellowships, graduate student recruiting, graduate student services, and undergraduate student services. Oversee development activities, including alumni relations, donor stewardship, and fundraising; manage, plan, and coordinate facilities use and renovation. Actively participate in the LSA's Chief Administrators group; Serve as a liaison for administrative matters to the College of LSA.

Required Qualifications*

Bachelor's degree or equivalent required. Five to seven years of administrative work in an academic environment; strong financial management skills in budgeting and expense reporting; strong experience developing a highly interactive and collaborative team environments; demonstrated ability in managing staff, leadership through change, and working within a complex and collaborative administrative structure; excellent verbal and written communication skills; excellent interpersonal and leadership skills; strong organizational skills; demonstrated ability to manage various aspects of a complex organization. Five or more years of experience supervising, mentoring, and professionally developing a variety of staff. Experience with management of externally funded sponsored research, experience with undergraduate and graduate student programs. Experience in a research environment in conjunction with grant/contract proposal preparation. Ability to work proactively in a fast-paced, dynamic unit and the ability to work independently and interactively as part of a team. Excellent communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills are necessary. Strong organizational skills, competency, and experience using technical and administrative tools to effectively manage a unit's business practices.

Desired Qualifications*

Master's degree level of education preferred.

Knowledge of UM policies and procedures strongly preferred

While you will primarily work from our central campus in Ann Arbor, LSA offers flexible work options. To support work-life balance, LSA has an email policy that limits non-essential emails to weekday business hours. We invite you to take a look at LSA's mission, vision, and values .

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes .

Additional Information

As one of the world's great liberal arts and sciences colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision, and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision .

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

Job Detail

Job Opening ID

279913

Working Title

Chief Administrator, LSA History

Job Title

Business Administrator Senior

Work Location

Ann Arbor Campus

Ann Arbor, MI

Modes of Work

Hybrid

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

FLSA Status

Exempt

Organizational Group

College Of Lsa

Department

LSA History

Posting Begin/End Date

7/10/2026 - 7/17/2026

Salary

$100,000.00 - $121,366.00

Career Interest

Administration