Department Chair’s Assistant & Team Lead

Working at Yale means contributing to a better tomorrow. Whether you are a current resident of our New Haven-based community, eligible for opportunities through the New Haven Hiring Initiative, or a newcomer, interested in exploring all that Yale has to offer, your talents and contributions are welcome. Discover your opportunities at Yale! Overview Reporting to the Associate Director of Finance & Administration, the Department Chair’s Assistant & Team Lead provides advanced administrative leadership for the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. Operating with a high degree of independence, discretion, and professionalism, this role functions as a team lead for the department faculty support team, providing work direction, training, and coordination to 2 administrative staff to ensure consistent, high-quality administrative standards across the department. Hybrid requirement during the academic year is 4 days on campus and 1 day remote with additional flexibility outside of the AY (end of May-mid August). Duties include but are not limited to: Administrative Team Leadership Provides administrative leadership for the departments by developing, implementing, and maintaining office procedures, workflows, and operational standards. Coordinates and guides the work of 2 faculty support staff, delegating and monitoring tasks to ensure consistency, accuracy, and adherence to departmental protocols. Tasks include, but are not limited to: organization of departmental events and seminars, expense reports, requisitions, supplier setup and travel coordination. Serves as the first point of escalation for operational and workflow issues within the support team. Acts as the department’s lead resource on administrative processes related to professional service agreements and other contractual needs; provides guidance, training, and workflow direction to team members as needed. Oversees daily operations of the Chair’s Office with minimal need for higher-level administrative intervention. Chair & Department Support Coordinates faculty meetings, prepares agendas, records meeting minutes and tracks action items. Serves as a primary resource for department and University policies, providing guidance to faculty, staff, students, and visitors. Manages department-wide logistical processes, including key requests, room reservations, directories, and departmental communications. Plans and organizes annual prospective graduate student recruiting weekend, seminar speaker visits, and other high visibility departmental events, including overseeing departmental commencement planning. Provides comprehensive administrative support including purchasing supplies, arranging travel, organizing events, preparing expense reports and reimbursement requests. Provides administrative support to the Department Chair(s) and their lab/students, including purchasing supplies, arranging travel, event support, preparing expense reports and reimbursement requests. Provides administrative support for faculty and academic appointment/reappointment processes (ME), coordination of visiting students, and handling of visa related documentation and requests (ME/MS.) Responsible for the department’s communication strategy, by managing and overseeing the website, weekly newsletter, digital signage, and internal announcements. Undergraduate Registrar Supports the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Coordinates faculty teaching assignments to ensure all core and mandatory courses are offered. Other Duties May perform additional related duties as required or assigned to support the mission of the department. Required Skills and Abilities 1. Exceptional organizational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 2. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft and edit documents and correspondence with accuracy and attention to detail. 3. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) and familiarity with administrative software and systems. 4. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism. 5. Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and work effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders. Preferred Skills and Abilities 1. Experience in leading and overseeing administrative support staff, including task delegation and performance monitoring. 2. Familiarity with higher education or academic settings, including experience with faculty appointments, promotions, and event planning. 3. Advanced proficiency with administrative systems such as Workday, Interfolio, and Yale Message. 4. Experience coordinating international travel and handling complex scheduling arrangements. 5. Bachelor's degree and prior experience providing administrative support in a clinical, academic, or research environment. Principal Responsibilities 1. Leads a unit or function, including overseeing and coordinating projects or work processes, and distributes the work of a minimum of two full time employees. 2. Directs the daily operations of the office. Manages calendars and calls, assesses nature of issues and escalates as appropriate. Serves as principal source of information on policies, procedures, programs, and office activities. Oversees, monitors and controls office budget and spending. 3. Participates in special projects on a variety of topics. Identifies project needs. Researches, gathers and analyzes data and materials. Collects project updates in a timely manner; prepares and maintains documentation, tracking, reports and presentations; follows up as appropriate. 4. Performs on-going review of department processes and systems. Develops, implements, and oversees office procedures designed to streamline operations, eliminates duplication and improves efficiency throughout the department. 5. Monitors and prioritizes communications for action and review; provides background necessary for action/decision-making; flags time sensitive material; initiates follow up. 6. Composes and/or coordinates substantive communications, reviews outgoing material for accuracy and completeness. Develops and/or produces materials for presentations. 7. Prioritizes, assigns and monitors work, sets standards and expectations among the department administrative support staff. Ensures appropriate levels of coverage so department priorities can be met. Evaluates and clarifies roles and responsibilities. Establishes and cultivates productive relationships between teams. 8. Attends meetings and drafts minutes. Performs other duties and responsibilities as necessary to support the mission of the office. 9. Greets visitors, answers and screens telephone calls and assesses nature of business. Responds to requests for information and provides assistance. Screens and responds to mail. 10. May perform other duties as assigned. Required Education and Experience Eight years of related work experience, six of them in the same job family at the next lower level and a high school level education; or six years of related work experience and an Associate's Degree; or two years of related work experience and a Bachelor's Degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Job Posting Date 07/10/2026 Job Category Administrative Support Bargaining Unit L34 Compensation Grade Labor Grade E Compensation Grade Profile Hourly Range $35.64 Time Type Full time Duration Type Staff Work Model Hybrid Background Check Requirements All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website. Health Requirements Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy. Posting Disclaimer The hiring rate of a role is determined in accordance with the provisions outlined in the respective collective bargaining agreement. The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring department. The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran. Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA). Note Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.