Assistant TO CHAIR, Mechanical Engineering-Operations

Job Description

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has an outstanding opportunity for an Assistant to the Chair to join their team.

Reporting to the Department Chair, the Assistant to the Chair (ATC) provides high-level administrative and operational support to advance the priorities of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This role requires sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to independently manage a wide range of responsibilities in a fast-paced environment. The ATC serves as a key liaison, representing the Chair and the department to faculty, staff, students, external partners, and University leadership through written communications, meetings, and events.

The position also plays a central role in tracking and advancing strategic projects and initiatives on behalf of the Chair, and provides administrative and operational support to the Department Administrator as needed.

• Act as liaison for the Chair with key University officials, faculty, staff, students, industrial contacts, foundations, government representatives, and the general public.
• Communicate frequently with the Chair, keeping them appraised of deadlines, policies, changes, and any other relevant information coming from the Dean’s Office or central university offices.
• Manage the Chair's schedule: organize activities, set meetings at the department, college, university, and national level, ensuring that the Chair's priorities and obligations are met. Prepare background materials for meetings.
• Coordinate travel arrangements for the Chair; arrange contacts and meetings at the travel destinations; ensure all travel objectives are accurately and completely carried out; process travel requests and reimbursements; keep stakeholders informed of travel impacts to timelines and processes.
• Compose and edit correspondence, memos, and reports in a concise manner for the Chair’s signature, often handling confidential and sensitive material.
• Gather data relevant to the department and prepare project surveys, summaries, and reports as requested.
• Assist the Chair with administrative functions related to advancement, including direct interaction with donors and UW advancement offices.
• Communicate with donors and advancement office staff, handling inquiries regarding alumni, tracking, special reports, etc. (via Advance).
• Write thank‑you letters on behalf of the Chair for gifts received from donors.

• Manage department academic human resources processes for tenure, tenure‑track, teaching and research faculty, adjunct and affiliate faculty, visiting graduate faculty, and postdoctoral fellows. This includes gathering teaching evaluations, processing faculty awards, coordinating paid professional leave and retirements, and adhering to College of Engineering and University deadlines and procedures.
• Ensure annual reappointments of adjunct and affiliate faculty and maintain a schedule for reappointments, promotions, and other changes in faculty status (retirements, leaves of absence, sabbaticals).
• Manage the department's promotion and tenure process in Interfolio, including establishing timelines, managing letters from external reviewers, faculty votes, and preparing dossiers.
• Manage the department's merit review and peer review processes, coordinating meetings and ensuring timely completion. Collect updated CVs from all faculty prior to merit review meetings.
• Provide administrative support with position requisition, advertisement placement, search committee support, and preparation of hiring packets.
• Coordinate the interview process for faculty searches, including independent correspondence with candidates, preparing complex interview schedules, and handling logistics and travel.
• Prepare faculty offer letters and other hiring paperwork; organize and coordinate the hiring process through final hire and relocation.
• Coordinate the process for faculty and staff reporting of outside professional activities (1460 and 1555 forms).
• Coordinate permanent residency and visa applications and renewals for all foreign faculty, visiting faculty, and postdoctoral…