Designated ADMIN MGR SENIOR II (Chief of Staff

Introduction

MD Higher Education Commission is seeking an highly driven Chief of Staff to act as a strategic and operational advisor.

This is a Special Appointment position which serves at the pleasure of the Appointing Authority

24

217

E. Redwood St.,
Baltimore, MD 21202

The Chief of Staff is an executive leader serving as the operational, strategic, and cultural anchor for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Operating dually as the agency’s Chief People and Performance Officer, this executive translates the Secretary’s vision into sustainable organizational capacity. Serving as the agency’s principal liaison to the Moore-Miller Administration’s Performance Cabinet, this role champions cross-agency collaboration and data-driven alignment.

Crucially, the Chief of Staff is the architect of MHEC’s internal culture, fostering a highly collaborative, mission-driven workplace rooted in a profound culture of public service. By leading the Agency Strategic Plan and providing end-to-end administrative leadership for the appointed Commissioners, the Chief of Staff ensures that MHEC’s human talent and operational workflows provide a seamless foundation to deliver on the transformative potential and lifelong impact of higher education for all Marylanders.

• Serve as the agency’s Chief People Officer, partnering with the Director of Operations and an Operations Coordinator to manage the agency's daily internal operations and administrative workflows. Cultivate a deeply human-centered organizational culture focused on collaborative success, talent acquisition, and talent retention. Actively foster a workplace environment that values professional fulfillment, mutual support, and a deep culture of service to Maryland's students.
  
  Empower staff with the clear communication, tools, and frictionless administrative support required to succeed.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous evaluation of the internal Agency Strategic Plan. Actively apply this plan to advance the goals of the  Maryland State Plan for Higher Education and the overarching Moore-Miller State Plan, while using it to inform and shape the agency's internal structure and organization. Ensure all strategic initiatives and internal key performance indicators (KPIs) integrate seamlessly with the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM).
• Managing for Results (MFR) framework. Define the human resources capabilities and operational capacities necessary to support these goals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and cross-team collaboration.
• Direct the comprehensive administration and logistics of all Maryland Higher Education Commission meetings. Strategically align the appointed Commission's priorities with the daily work of the agency, ensuring these priorities directly feed into and support the Agency Strategic Plan. Oversee the development of meeting agendas, ensure the timely curation and distribution of executive briefing materials, and manage all statutory requirements. Ensure appointed Commissioners are proactively briefed and thoroughly equipped to fulfill their statutory duties.
• Guide the agency's internal and external communications strategy by providing direct support and supervision to the Director of Communications. Ensure public messaging is cohesive, engaging, and accurately reflects the Commission’s vision and the agency's mission. Serve as a strategic advisor on public relations, media engagements, and sensitive issues management to thoughtfully protect and elevate MHEC's public profile and statewide impact.
• Lead MHEC’s engagement with the Moore-Miller Administration’s Performance Cabinet, managing the agency’s deliverables across the administration’s cross-agency priority areas. Architect and manage the internal executive operating rhythm, fostering cross-divisional partnerships to ensure MHEC remains aligned with statewide priorities. Translate state policy goals into highly collaborative operational frameworks, utilizing a deep understanding of state government mechanics to navigate complexities and dismantle organizational silos.
• Serve as the…