Department

BSD GPA - Cluster Directors

About the Department

The University of Chicago biomedical enterprise houses three entities: the Biological Sciences Division (BSD), the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM), and the Pritzker School of Medicine. Collectively called UCM, we are one of the nation's leading academic medical institutions and have been at the forefront of discovery, education, and clinical care since 1927. Located 20 minutes south of downtown Chicago, our Hyde Park main campus provides a single environment for learning, world-renowned basic science and clinical research, and outstanding clinical care.

The BSD is the largest academic unit within the University. The BSD is comprised of faculty from ten basic science departments, 13 clinical departments, and several Centers and Institutes. The approximately 1,300 faculty and 3,000 staff members working in the BSD collaborate across the organization to achieve our Mission, Vision, and Values (MVV):

MISSION: As part of the University of Chicago, we pursue globally impactful solutions to seemingly unsolvable challenges. Through our rigorous research, innovative education, and comprehensive care and healing, we collaborate on life-changing advancements that create meaningful results for our community and the world, including a greater, more equitable future for all.

VISION: Together, we elevate the human experience with knowledge and health care.
VALUES:
• Commit to Excellence: We contribute our exceptional talents to all we do and empower the same spirit of excellence in others.
• Embrace Curiosity: We stay open to new ideas, champion diverse perspectives, and drive a culture of thoughtful risk-taking to deliver transformative innovation.
• Embody Equity: We identify systemic issues and then foster change to drive a more equitable environment inclusive of diverse people, ideas, and fields of science.
• Grow Together: We meaningfully collaborate with one another to create something bigger than we could ever achieve alone.
• Make a Difference: We lead with heart and compassion in all our interactions. We create positive change in our areas of influence, whether expanding scientific inquiry, developing the next generation of leaders, or healing our community.
• Take Ownership: We accomplish what we say we will and hold ourselves and one another accountable for our actions.
The MVV serves as our True North, charting our strategic plan for the next ten years and beyond. It is an exciting time to be a part of the University of Chicago and the BSD. Our team is helping to shape the future for our learners, staff, faculty, patients, and community.

Job Summary

This position leads a graduate training cluster — supervising administrators and overseeing recruitment, curriculum, events, budgets, fellowships, and student data — while holding Division-level responsibility for the coordination, compliance, and consistency of all BSD training grant programs as the central Dean of Students Office point of contact.

Responsibilities

• Works with faculty leadership to hire, train, and supervise the cluster's graduate education administrators, ensuring staffing coverage for training-related activity across all graduate students and faculty trainers.
• Directs cluster activities such as recruitment, registration, and special events, and ensures compliance with BSD and University policies.

• Oversees program administrators in handling day-to-day execution of cluster activities, including Registrar coordination for courses and time schedules, room reservations at BSLC, GCIS, and KCBD, TA listings, and recurring quarterly tasks such as seminar speaker payments, student registration, committee meetings, and Stellic.

• Manages all cluster budgets, monthly expenditure reporting, and the annual operating budget in consultation with faculty leadership; reviews and approves requisitions and purchasing, reviews and approves consolidated documentation and Oracle orders prepared by administrators; and manages fellowship support for all students in the cluster.

• Manages graduate student data tied to the cluster's training grants in collaboration with the Dean of Students Office (DoS), faculty and program chairs, and department staff; oversees cluster communications and program websites; and maintains comprehensive alumni tracking.

• Advises on and solves problems of varying complexity across academic and administrative policy, admissions, curriculum, and budget.

• Supports divisional and institutional efforts to recruit and support a diverse student body.

• Responsible for division-wide coordination and oversight of all BSD training grant programs, serving as the central DoS point of contact across programs.

• Ensures consistency, compliance, and communication among training grant administrators and RAO.

• Oversees program administrators across the Division on day-to-day execution of training grant programs, providing oversight, guidance, and divisional-level coordination.

• Directs trainee appointment and termination processes across all BSD training grant programs, including review of appointment letters and xTRAIN submissions, monitoring of nomination timelines such as predoctoral quarterly appointments, and ensuring timely communication to program, pre-award, and post-award offices so that upcoming charges are properly anticipated.

• Directs predoctoral admissions and fellowship application processes, including quality control, coordination with home and source programs, and shared nomination processes (GME, MCB, DBTG, and CVTG in June), in coordination with program administrators.

• Coordinates Division-wide program evaluation, including monitoring of trainee academic progress, course and program activity participation, and collection of trainee progress reports.

• Leads training grant tracking and reporting, including direction of the master spreadsheet templates maintained by program administrators.

• Provides programmatic stewardship and advisory review of trainee and program expense (TRE) submissions in consultation with DoS Finance.

• Coordinates with DoS Finance to establish new item types when required so that financial aid is charged correctly to the appropriate training grant accounts.

• Tracks NSF fellows across the Division annually to determine each fellow's funding-year status and on/off fellowship support for the coming year, and issues reminders regarding Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) requirements and deadlines.
• Solves complex problems in areas such as academic and administrative policy, student admissions, curriculum research and development, and budget development. Advises various campus-wide and program committees in various aspects of student life.
• Leads and recommends process improvements for programs that relate to critical student-life improvement, including emergency management, accommodations for students with disabilities, and/or the administration of health care services and programs for students.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

• Master’s degree strongly preferred.

 

Experience:

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible supervisory and administrative experience strongly preferred.

• Experience in student affairs, academic support, or a related area strongly preferred.

 

​Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage a budget, track spending, and prepare financial reports.

• Ability to handle confidential information with utmost discretion and diplomacy.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to handle student concerns with empathy.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including formulating recommendations and developing presentations.

• Ability to collaborate successfully in a matrix academic environment.  

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to prioritize and manage recurring deadlines, timelines, and reporting cycles across multiple programs simultaneously.

• Ability to analyze data and trends to monitor progress, program participation, and outcomes, and to translate findings into clear reporting for leadership and external sponsors.

• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, students, department staff, and other stakeholders.

• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including delegating routine work appropriately to enable focus on higher-level, strategic priorities.

• Ability to identify process gaps or inconsistencies across programs and recommend and implement improvements preferred.

 

Working Conditions

• Office Environment.
• Weekend/Evening Hours: As needed.

 

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$80,000.00 - $120,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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