Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

Position Title: Chief of Staff for the President and Secretary to the Board of Regents

Department: President’s Office

Classification: Exempt  

FTE: 1.0 

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work schedule is Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; flexible work arrangements can be proposed and are subject to approval by Human Resources and the President. This position can entail some evening and weekend hours, and is on-call for emergencies outside of regular working hours. Some travel is required.   

Salary Range: $150,000-170,000

Essential Job Duties: 

• Secretary to the Board of Regents
  • Coordinate and prepare materials for Board of Regents meetings, ensuring timely and comprehensive documentation to support board deliberations using a digital board book.
  • Coordinate staff support for the Board of Regents’ committees.
  • Partner with Events on planning for Board of Regents meetings. 
  • Attend meetings of the Board of Regents, including documenting deliberations and decisions.
  • Prepare draft minutes of Board of Regents meetings and committee meetings and coordinate the Board of Regents Chair and/or committee chair, the President and the General Counsel on the final version of meeting minutes.
  • Oversee the orientation of new members of the Board of Regents and ongoing training for members of the Board of Regents.
  • Oversee all materials to be included in BoardEffect.
• Strategic Partner and Advisor
  • Provide strategic counsel to the President on institutional priorities, operations and emerging opportunities or challenges.
  • Challenge assumptions, extend ideas, and offer honest feedback to ensure thoughtful decision-making. 
  • Provide a campus-wide perspective that bridges the community and elevates underrepresented voices.
  • Assist the President with implementation of the Strategic Plan.
• Presidential Initiatives and Project Management
  • Lead, coordinate, and monitor progress on major initiatives and special projects prioritized by the President.
  • Facilitate cross-functional collaboration among President’s Leadership Team and other senior leaders to ensure timely and effective execution of goals.
  • Oversee presidential office workflows and ensure alignment among support staff and campus stakeholders.
• Liaison and Communication
  • In collaboration with the Executive Assistant, manage access to the President, triaging requests, and elevating critical issues, as needed.
  • Serve as a key point of contact between the President’s Office and internal departments, Regents, faculty, students, alumni, and external partners.
  • Manage the flow of information and ensure clear, consistent, and strategic communication from the President’s Office.
  • Serve as a second voice in crisis communications and institutional messaging.
• Operational Oversight and Support
  • Review presidential communications, speeches, policy briefs, and strategic documents.
• Leadership and Team Development
  • Represent the President in meetings or events as necessary, maintaining institutional voice and consistency. 
  • Foster a collaborative and inclusive environment among senior staff and across the college.
  • Support institutional governance by coordinating with the Board of Regents and key administrative units.
  • Coordinate the weekly President’s Leadership Team meeting agenda with the president and track progress on commitments made at weekly meetings.
• Support, respect, and commit to embracing diverse backgrounds, values, and points of view to build a strong and inclusive community
• Complete and meet deadlines for required training and performance management cycle.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisor Received and Exercised: 

• Reports to the President of St. Olaf College
• This position does not supervise staff or students.

Required Qualifications: 

• Education:  Bachelor’s degree required; Ph.D. degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 7–10 years of experience in higher education leadership, executive administration, or a comparable strategic support role. Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and advise senior leaders. Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills. Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and tact in high-pressure situations. Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and the mission of higher education.

Prerequisites:

• Employment in this position is conditioned upon successful completion of a background check which may include criminal background checks, reference checks, verification of work history, verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, a motor vehicle check, verification of DOT certification, a credit check, employment eligibility verification, and/or a pre-employment physical. Whether a background check is deemed successfully completed will be at the sole discretion of St. Olaf College.  Please note, St. Olaf College reserves the right to conduct periodic background checks at its sole discretion.

Disclaimer:

• This position may require you to report early, stay late or work different shifts depending on staffing levels. It may also require you to perform all essential job functions whenever needed and during campus emergencies when necessary.
• This job description is for general information purposes.  It is not intended to list all duties and responsibilities of the position.  This job description is subject to change at any time by St. Olaf College, with or without prior notice.
• Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the hire is complete. We accept only online applications.