Senior Director, Strategy & Innovation

Job Profile:

Administrative Operations Manager 3

Job Family:

Administrative Operations

Time Type:

Full time

Max Pay – Depends on experience:

$150,000.00 USD Annual

Apply before 11:59 PM Arizona time the day before the posted End Date.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and seven (7) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field including two (2) years managerial experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Job Description:

The Senior Director for Strategy & Innovation is a high-impact, facilitative leader who serves as a primary strategic advisor and force multiplier for the Dean of the School of Technology for Public Health (STPH). This role is responsible for designing, aligning, and executing the Dean’s most critical strategic priorities, ensuring they are mapped to broader university, state, and presidential initiatives.

Operating at the intersection of research strategy, university-wide partnerships, and executive operations, the Senior Director advances STPH’s mission with speed, precision, and scalability. This role requires deep familiarity with the ASU Charter and design aspirations, and the ability to navigate and leverage ASU’s unique structure, systems, and culture to accelerate institutional growth.

The Senior Director acts as a bridge-builder across ASU Health, ASU Knowledge Enterprise, and other internal and external partners, with a strong emphasis on rapid expansion of the school’s research and innovation portfolio.

Salary Range: $103,700 to $150,000; DOE

Essential Duties:

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Serve as a proxy for the Dean in high-level university meetings, committees, and task forces to ensure alignment with Provost and Presidential priorities.

• Lead the development and operationalization of major school initiatives (e.g., AI strategy, health policy initiatives, statewide data platforms) from concept through execution.

• Monitor and evaluate progress toward STPH’s strategic goals and ASU Charter commitments, proactively identifying barriers and implementing solutions.

Research Portfolio Acceleration & Knowledge Enterprise Integration

• Serve as the primary liaison to ASU Knowledge Enterprise to streamline research administration and identify large-scale funding opportunities.

• Partner with school leadership and faculty to develop and implement strategies that increase competitiveness for center-level and large-scale grants.

• Utilize data-driven approaches to track research performance and identify emerging areas for growth and investment.

Strategic Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Support the launch and ongoing development of the school’s public health technology incubator, advancing translation from research to real-world application.

• Build and manage relationships with external partners, including healthcare organizations, state agencies, and industry leaders.

• Facilitate strategic partnerships that enhance innovation, commercialization, and public impact.

Executive Operations & Leadership Support

• Manage the strategic flow of initiatives within the Dean’s Office, ensuring effective prioritization and execution.

• Provide high-level strategic communications, including drafting briefings, white papers, and policy narratives for executive audiences.

• Represent STPH in cross-functional initiatives and institutional collaborations as needed.

• May supervise staff or student workers; provide guidance and support to STPH employees as needed.

• Other duties as assigned.

Desired Qualifications:

• Progressive leadership experience within a complex organization, including service in a Director-level or comparable senior leadership role.

• Experience within a research university environment preferred. Familiarity with the ASU ecosystem strongly desired.

• Master’s degree or higher; PhD or terminal degree preferred.

• Demonstrated experience in research strategy, administration, or development, including familiarity with federal funding mechanisms and large-scale grant development.

• Proven success managing high-visibility, cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders across academic and administrative units.

• Ability to translate complex research and innovation priorities into actionable strategies that drive institutional impact.

• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain effective relationships across stakeholders, including faculty, senior leadership, and external partners.

• Strong operational leadership skills, with the ability to independently drive initiatives from concept through execution with minimal direction.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing briefings, reports, and strategic materials for executive-level audiences.

• High level of emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and discretion in navigating complex and sensitive organizational environments 

• Ability to clearly communicate to perform essential functions

Working Environment:

• Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting with extended periods of sitting, keyboarding, and computer use.

• Position requires the ability to stand for varying lengths of time and walk moderate distances to attend meetings and events.

• This role offers flexibility with in-person or hybrid work arrangements.

• Hybrid arrangements will require a minimum on-site presence, with expectations to be present for key meetings, events, and strategic engagements.

• The primary work location is the Downtown Phoenix campus; travel to other campuses or off-site locations may be required.

• The role involves frequent interaction with senior leadership, faculty, and external partners.

• May require work during evenings and weekends to support events, critical meetings, or high-priority deadline.

Department Statement:

The School of Technology for Public Health at ASU is pioneering a new field that re-imagines public health infrastructure for the 21st century by creating more integrative, responsive and resilient systems to protect the health of people in Arizona and beyond.

Designed in collaboration with national leaders and informed by listening sessions with local communities and health departments, the School is the first-of-its-kind in the nation to train students who are bilingual in public health and technology. By teaching students to be “technofluent,” the School serves as a catalyst to build and deploy the products, programs and systems needed to shape the future of public health this decade and beyond.

As part of ASU Health’s dynamic, innovation-driven ecosystem, the School integrates public health, engineering, data science, design thinking and community-engagement to develop leaders who will transform health systems, advance equity and drive impact at scale.

Join us as we build the future of public health — where technology and humanity converge to protect communities, improve outcomes and re-shape what it means to keep people healthy.

Driving Requirement:

Driving is not required for this position.

Location:

Campus: Downtown Phoenix

Funding:

No Federal Funding

Instructions to Apply:

Current employees, student workers seeking staff opportunities, and students applying for student worker positions must apply directly through the Workday Jobs Hub.

Please use the link below to log in using single sign-on.

https://www.myworkday.com/asu/d/inst/1$9925/9925$21424.htmld

To be considered, your application must include all of the following attachments:

• Cover letter

• Resume or CV

Multiple documents may be uploaded in the attachments section. Alternatively, applicants may combine all required materials into a single PDF for submission. Please ensure uploaded documents are clearly labeled and include your name.

Please ensure your resume includes all employment information in month and year format, for example 6/04 to 8/14, along with job title, job duties, and employer name for each position. Your resume should clearly demonstrate how your experience and background meet the minimum and desired qualifications for this position. Incomplete applications or missing required materials may not be considered.

Important: Do not withdraw your application to make edits. Once an application is withdrawn, it cannot be edited, reactivated, or replaced with a new submission. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact The Office of Human Resources Talent Acquisition before the posting close date.

Graduate Assistant, Intern and part-time positions are counted as half time for experience equivalency, meaning one year equals six months of experience.

Only electronic applications will be accepted for this position. By submitting an application, you confirm that the information provided is accurate and complete.

ASU Statement:

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions inclusive excellence, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

ASU is a tobacco-free university. For details visit https://wellness.asu.edu/explore-wellness/body/alcohol-and-drugs/tobacco

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Notice of Availability of the ASU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report:

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

Relocation Assistance – For information about schools, housing child resources, neighborhoods, hospitals, community events, and taxes, visit https://cfo.asu.edu/az-resources.

Employment Verification Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening which may include verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

Background Check Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the background check.

Fingerprint Check Statement:

This position is considered safety/security sensitive and will include a fingerprint check. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the fingerprint check.