Additional Info

Serve as a trusted senior advisor to the President on institutional, strategic, organizational, and operational matters. Assist the President in establishing and maintaining priorities for the University and the Office of the President. Identify matters requiring presidential attention and provide the President with appropriate context, analysis, options, and recommendations. Anticipate emerging issues, opportunities, and institutional needs and coordinate appropriate analysis and response. Provide candid and objective advice to the President while maintaining the confidentiality and discretion required of the position. Help ensure that the President's time and attention are focused on matters of greatest strategic importance to the University and the State of Nebraska.

Coordinate implementation of major presidential priorities and University-wide initiatives, particularly those involving multiple campuses, System offices, or external partners. Translate presidential decisions into clear assignments, deliverables, timelines, and follow-up actions. Establish mechanisms for monitoring progress on significant initiatives and commitments and regularly brief the President on status, risks, decisions, and matters requiring intervention. Convene and coordinate cross-campus or cross-functional teams when requested by the President. Identify barriers to implementation and work with responsible University leaders to facilitate resolution. Support the President in maintaining alignment among strategic priorities, institutional resources, and implementation activities.

Support effective communication and coordination between the President and the Chancellors of the University's campuses and other University-wide officers. Facilitate preparation for meetings of the President's executive leadership team and other University-wide leadership groups. Coordinate agendas, background materials, decision items, and follow-up activities for executive meetings. Ensure that decisions and assignments arising from executive discussions are appropriately documented and communicated. Facilitate collaboration on issues that cross campus or functional boundaries while recognizing the authority and responsibilities delegated to Chancellors, Vice Presidents, and other University officers. The Chief of Staff does not serve as an additional supervisory layer between the President and officials who report directly to the President.

Support the President in maintaining an effective working relationship with the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Work closely with the Corporation Secretary and other appropriate University officials in preparing the President for Board meetings, committee meetings, retreats, and other Board activities. Coordinate preparation of presidential briefings, presentations, background materials, and responses to Regent requests. Track matters requiring presidential or administrative follow-up following Board meetings and discussions. Assist the President in anticipating issues that may require Board awareness, consultation, or action. Respect and maintain the distinct governance, administrative, and fiduciary responsibilities of the Board, the President, the Corporation Secretary, General Counsel, and other University officers.

Support the effective operation of the Office of the President and promote a culture of responsiveness, coordination, professionalism, and accountability. Coordinate the flow of information, decisions, correspondence, and issues to and from the President. Work closely with staff supporting the President to ensure effective management of the President's schedule, meetings, travel, briefing materials, correspondence, events, and institutional commitments. Establish processes for tracking presidential commitments, decisions, assignments, and follow-up activities. As assigned by the President, provide supervision and leadership for designated staff or functions within the Office of the President. Promote effective coordination among the Office of the President and other System Administration offices.

Develop and coordinate briefing materials for significant decisions and meetings involving the President. Synthesize complex information from multiple sources into concise analyses identifying key facts, considerations, alternatives, risks, and decisions required. Ensure that the President receives timely and appropriate information from responsible University officials while avoiding duplication of their subject-matter responsibilities. Coordinate follow-up on presidential decisions and ensure that responsible leaders understand expectations and timelines. Maintain appropriate records of significant presidential decisions and commitments in coordination with responsible University offices.

Support the President in fulfilling the University's statewide leadership and engagement responsibilities. Coordinate with University leaders responsible for external relations, government relations, communications, economic development, advancement, and community engagement in preparing the President for significant external activities. Assist with presidential engagement with state and local leaders, business and community organizations, higher education partners, alumni, donors, and other constituencies. Ensure that the President receives appropriate background information, institutional context, and briefing materials before significant external meetings and events. Represent the President at meetings and events when requested and when appropriate to the role. The Chief of Staff's responsibilities are coordinating and advisory and do not replace the responsibilities of University officials assigned primary responsibility for government relations, communications, advancement, legal affairs, or other external functions.

Work with University communications leadership and other appropriate officials to support consistent and effective presidential communications. Assist in identifying opportunities for the President to communicate University priorities, accomplishments, challenges, and strategic direction. Coordinate development of briefing materials, talking points, correspondence, presentations, and other executive communications. Review materials prepared for the President to ensure consistency with presidential priorities and awareness of relevant institutional considerations.

Lead or coordinate special projects at the direction of the President, particularly projects requiring collaboration across campuses or organizational boundaries. Conduct or coordinate research and analysis on significant institutional issues. Establish project teams, objectives, timelines, responsibilities, and reporting mechanisms for presidential initiatives. Provide the President with regular assessments of progress, risks, unresolved issues, and decisions required. Complete other assignments of significant institutional importance as directed by the President.

The Chief of Staff reports directly to and serves at the direction of the President. The position has broad access to University leadership and information necessary to carry out responsibilities assigned by the President and may communicate presidential requests, decisions, and expectations on the President's behalf. The Chief of Staff exercises authority delegated by the President but does not independently exercise the statutory, governance, administrative, academic, financial, or legal authority assigned to the President, Chancellors, Vice Presidents, General Counsel, Corporation Secretary, or other University officials.

In particular, the Chief of Staff:

• Does not serve as an intermediary through whom Chancellors or Vice Presidents are required to report to the President;
• Does not independently direct the administration of individual campuses;
• Does not assume responsibility for academic, financial, legal, governmental, communications, or other functions assigned to established University officers;
• May coordinate cross-functional activities and request information on behalf of the President; and
• May represent the President when specifically authorized to do so.

The effectiveness of the position depends upon credibility, relationships, sound judgment, and the ability to achieve coordination without unnecessarily duplicating existing organizational authority.

The Chief of Staff will:

• Maintain the highest standards of integrity, discretion, confidentiality, and professional judgment.
• Provide candid, objective, and well-informed advice to the President.
• Maintain a University-wide perspective while recognizing the distinct missions and responsibilities of the University's campuses.
• Develop trusted working relationships with Regents, Chancellors, Vice Presidents, faculty and staff leadership, and other University stakeholders.
• Promote collaboration and information-sharing across organizational boundaries.
• Distinguish matters requiring presidential involvement from matters appropriately resolved by other University leaders.
• Facilitate decisions and execution without unnecessarily centralizing authority within the Office of the President.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to the University's missions of teaching and learning, research and innovation, health care, extension, engagement, and service to Nebraska.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the responsibilities associated with serving a public university accountable to the people of Nebraska.

• Strategic Judgment: Ability to understand the broader institutional implications of issues and determine which matters warrant presidential attention.
• Institutional Perspective: Ability to balance campus, System, statewide, and stakeholder perspectives while maintaining focus on the interests of the University as a whole.
• Executive Communication: Exceptional ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it clearly and concisely to executive audiences.
• Relationship Management: Ability to establish trust and productive working relationships with Regents, University leaders, faculty, staff, students, government and community leaders, and other constituencies.
• Execution: Demonstrated ability to move complex initiatives from discussion and decision through implementation and follow-through.
• Influence: Ability to achieve results through collaboration, credibility, persuasion, and coordination rather than reliance on formal organizational authority.

Office

Operation of standard office and computer equipment