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Req #: 247768

Department: SURGERY

Job Location Detail: Telework available 2 days or less a week

Posting Date: 07/11/2025

Closing Info:

Closes On 07/18/2025

Salary: $6,834 - $7,518 per month

Shift: First Shift

Notes:

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701\_a11y.pdf )

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

POSITION PURPOSE

This 1.0 FTE Assistant to the Chair position provides executive support for the Chair, the Vice Chair of Finance and Administration (VCFA), and the Associate Director, Clinical Programs and Finance (AD) of the Department of Surgery. Work priorities are set by the Chair, and work is organized around the needs of the Chair. Administrative reporting and supervision are delegated to the Vice Chair of Finance and Administration (VCFA) of the department. The Assistant to the Chair is regularly called upon to thoroughly understand and interpret departmental, School of Medicine, and University policy for faculty and staff. They must be comfortable and able to speak for the Chair in the Chair’s absence on matters within the scope of the position. They must have the absolute confidence and trust of the Chair and must regularly exercise independent judgment in a variety of arenas. This position is a senior administrative support position within the department and supervises the 1.0 FTE Conference Coordinator and up to three student employees. As such, the Assistant to the Chair must provide an outstanding example for the other administrative support staff.

The position’s core responsibilities fall into four categories:

• Administrative Management of the Chair’s Office = 40%

• Executive Support for the Department Chair, Vice Chair, Finance and Administration, and Associate Director of Clinical Programs and Finance = 40%

• Operations and Communication Management = 10 %

• Project Management = 10%

Position Complexities:

Given the scope of the Chair’s and VCFA’s jobs and the size of the Department of Surgery, this individual has an extremely complex job. This position must manage the multiple facets of the Chair’s office, balancing each aspect with precision and sensitivity as well as absolute discretion. A high level of discretion and strong “EQ” is a must for the successful incumbent. This individual will be working with individuals throughout UW Medicine, including frequent contact with the Dean of School of Medicine’s office, UW Medicine Executives, and others. They must be able to independently manage projects and programs of significant scope and complexity, while maintaining a smoothly running Chair office. This individual is the first representative of the Chair’s office and must have the ability to manage many situations that call for personal self-confidence and discretion.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI):

The Department of Surgery strives to dismantle systemic racism, eliminate healthcare disparities, and promote health equity in our work. Racism and intolerance have no place in our community. We celebrate our multitude of intersecting identities and commit to the ongoing effort of creating an inclusive and supportive workplace climate for all.

Department Core Competencies

All staff in the Department of Surgery are asked to demonstrate and develop the following core competencies:

1. Quality Focus: strives to deliver the best possible service and results, and continuously seeks opportunities for improvement.

• Key attributes: accuracy, customer service, continuous improvement, problem-solving, and self-development

2. Planning & Organization: completes work in a timely, efficient, and resourceful manner

• Key attributes: priority setting, efficiency, resourcefulness, adaptability and flexibility, organizational awareness, and initiative

3. Teamwork & Relationship Building: builds and fosters positive working relationships with others to achieve shared objectives.

• Key attributes: collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, recognition, accountability, and integrity

4. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: values and honors diverse experiences and perspectives, strives to create welcoming and respectful work environments including dismantling structures of oppression, and promotes and contributes to a culture of access, opportunity, and justice for all.

• Key attributes: respect, cultural humility, inclusiveness, advocacy, and commitment

Position Dimensions and Impact to the University:

The Department of Surgery is among the largest clinical departments within the School of Medicine, and its strategic and financial impact on UW Medicine is disproportionately greater than the size of the Department. The Department has grown substantially over the last 3-4 years, by about 25%, and we continue to add faculty, programs, and staff. As of mid-2025, the Department composition is 145 paid academic faculty located at all the UW clinical sites; 161 clinical faculty located throughout the community and WWAMI region; four (4) ACGME residency programs (General Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Vascular Surgery) with 107 residents in these four programs. Additionally, the department has 20 ACGME and Research Fellowships; 150 Administrative and Research staff.

How this Position Contributes:

The Assistant to the Chair contributes substantially to the teaching, research, and clinical mission of improving health of the public by providing the Chair and VCFA of the Department of Surgery with superior executive level assistance, planning and budgeting for department-wide events, and executing on specific initiatives and programs of the Chair, such as the continued development of the Center for Surgical Ethics.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative Management of Chair’s Office = 40%

• Sets routine priorities independently and sees to satisfactory conclusion of tasks and requests

• Works collaboratively with department senior leadership, faculty affairs, other members of the DoS team, and external collaborators to ensure the work of the Chair is completed in a timely and efficient manner

• Seeks to continuously improve processes in support of the Chair and office administration

• Supervises and manages the work of the Conference Coordinator, providing support to the Chair’s Office

• Will assist in the recruitment and hiring of students to support the work of the Chair’s office, as necessary and as approved by the VCFA

Executive Support for the Chair and Vice Chair, Finance and Administration = 40%

• Understands the value and limitations of the Chair and Vice Chair’s time and applies that knowledge when managing the calendars and time of the Chair and VC

• Provides information management support by drafting, editing, finalizing, and publishing public and confidential reports, complex correspondence, and presentations on behalf of the Chair and VCFA

• Ensures the appropriate individuals/offices receive appropriate communications in a timely manner

• Understands the Chair and VCFA priorities and successfully liaises and promotes beneficial working relationships with faculty, residents, staff, and external stakeholders

• Expertly manages calendars of the Chair and Vice Chair, ensuring appointments are made promptly and with attention to all relevant factors of a particular appointment

• Proficient in organizing and managing digital files and calendaring programs with ongoing attention to maintenance and improvement

• Ensures Chair and Vice Chair understand resources and can easily access information critical to their needs

• Manages meetings led by the Chair and VCFA, including agenda management, follow-up on action items, and produces high high-quality and timely summary of meetings

• Communicates accurately, confidently, and skillfully with customers of the Chair’s office in written or oral formats; successfully discerns between mission-critical and trivial information while actively applying appropriate etiquette and discretion to any situation

Operations and Communication Management = 10 %

• Becomes increasingly expert at knowing who, how, and when to loop in the appropriate people to solve issues; ensures the appropriate people/offices receive appropriate communications

• Understands and independently applies the “Need to Know” policy, balancing the need to keep information confidential, yet keep work flowing smoothly, consistent with requirements, regulations, and policies related to the department, university, and UW Medicine

• Communicates accurately, confidently, and skillfully in written or oral formats; successfully discerns between mission-critical and trivial information while actively applying appropriate etiquette and discretion to the situation

• Manages Leadership Council, Faculty, and Resident Breakfast meetings with the Chair. Work includes agenda management and producing high-quality and timely summaries of meetings. Organizes and manages annual staff lunches with the Chair

• Understand Chair’s clinical, educational & research priorities. Successfully liaises, understands, and promotes beneficial working relationships with faculty, residents, staff, and external clients.

• Manages department-wide communications such as the org chart and admin contact sheet

• Ensures the Chair’s list serves are up to date

Project and Program Management = 10%

• Organizes and manages projects for the Department of Surgery Chair’s office, including development of the Center for Surgical Ethics in coordination with the Chair, designated faculty and other staff

• Oversees multiple department-wide lectureships that serve to underscore and highlight the educational, research and patient care missions and achievements of the department

• Oversees planning of annual Surgical Ethics Conference, an international summit hosted by the department

• Oversees planning of department events such as annual holiday party where the Chair highlights the contributions of faculty, residents, fellows, and staff to our core missions

• Oversees planning of Harkins Society events that strengthen the department’s connections with its alumni

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• BA in Business, Health Sciences, English, Communications, or equivalent experience

• Minimum of 3 years of administrative support experience

Additional Requirements:

• Expert working with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with executive-level business norms and processes

• Experience with matrixed reporting relationships

• Project Management experience

• Experience with self-directed work, with setting and adjusting of priorities as needed by the

Department Chair or Vice Chair of Finance and Administration

• Familiarity with UW systems and processes

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• This position requires confidentiality and discretion. The successful candidate will understand that they may be asked questions regarding sensitive or strategic matters, and they must be comfortable declining or deferring commentary to the Department Chair or the Vice Chair of Finance and Administration

• The Department Chair is onsite 2-5 days per week due to the nature of their clinical and administrative work. As a representative of the department Chair, the successful candidate will maintain a predominantly onsite presence with limited opportunity for remote work. Some presence for meetings as early as 6 AM and as late as 7:30 PM will be required.

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.