Position
Vice President & Chief of Staff
Department
Dean’s Office
Position type
Full-time
Location
City Campus (Sangen-jaya station)
Work hours
37.5 hours per week (9:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday): some evening, weekend and holiday work required; compensatory time available.
Report to
President, CEO, and Dean
Visa Requirement
Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) is able to sponsor a visa for this position.
Salary & Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience.
Twenty (20) days paid vacation in the first fiscal year (July-June) increasing to 28 days after 6 years of employment, plus 5 paid “personal and sick days” each year. In addition, approximately two weeks university-wide break over Christmas/New Year. Japanese social insurance and pension, commuting/telework allowance, a welfare discount program and retirement payment system.
Overview of the Position
As the Japan campus of Temple University (TUJ) looks to expand its impact in international education, President & Dean Matt Wilson seeks to hire a Vice President and Chief of Staff (Chief of Staff). Over the past six years, TUJ has experienced unprecedented growth. The undergraduate student population has tripled, TUJ opened a second location in Kyoto in January 2025, and TUJ is prepared to launch a third location in Kawasaki in August 2026. At this important juncture, we seek a motivated, dynamic, creative, and service-oriented candidate to fill this new role.
Reporting directly to President Wilson, the Chief of Staff role involves helping the university serve its students and working to implement its strategic plan. The Chief of Staff will also be expected to provide strategic, analytical, and logistical support to the TUJ President and executive leadership team; assist with external relations; organize internal operations; manage certain special projects to completion; and assist with the development of new relationships, collaborations, and locations. The Chief of Staff will play a vital role in assisting President Wilson to achieve maximum impact.
The Chief of Staff needs to enjoy working in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will be highly organized, strategic, and action oriented. The candidate will desire to support an active and visible President while striving to positively impact our global institution of learning. The Chief of Staff will have oversight of and collaborate closely with all PDO staff, including direct supervisory responsibility for staff in the President & Dean’s Office.
What Makes TUJ An Exceptional Place?
- The oldest and largest all-service American university in Japan educating over 3,400 undergraduate students, over 250 graduate students, and several thousand non-degree learners (corporate, adults, and children)
- Truly a global community with students from 100 countries and diverse faculty/staff from around the world.
- A rapidly growing source of cutting-edge international education from a world-class university ranked among the top 500 universities globally and within the top 50 public universities in the United States
- Flexible work environment in Tokyo – one of the most exciting, safe, and clean cities.
- Professional development opportunity and mentorship.
- Generous vacation and benefits
Primary Responsibilities
The role of the Chief of Staff will evolve based on the needs of the students and the university. Initially, the role may include:
- Supervising staff and organizing operations.
- Work closely with President Wilson on special initiatives, projects, and implementation of the strategic plan.
- Support President Wilson in external outreach, student recruitment, and community engagement.
- Assist with President Wilson with the crafting of communications and responses as well as the generation of efficiencies and prioritization of actions and responses.
- Help President Wilson engage and build bridges with university leadership and the academic communities at our main campus in Philadelphia and Rome campus.
- Assess alignment between the university’s mission, strategies, and day-to-day operations.
- Help monitor the uniform application of Temple University policies and procedures.
- Seek to solve challenges before they become problematic.
- Organize and analyze key information for President Wilson.
- Draft meeting agendas and generate other materials ahead of key meetings.
- Accompany President Wilson to internal and external meetings and events as needed.
- Participate as a member of the senior leadership team.
- Attend select internal meetings in which President Wilson participates.
- Follow up on key action items or supervise others in performing such actions.
- Identify and assist with areas of improvement.
- Aid with the TUJ’s Board of Overseers and Board of Directors in terms of communication, engagement, and new opportunities.
- Work closely with President Wilson’s support team, Executive Assistant, public relations and communications staff, advancement staff, and others to proactively assist him with relationship-building and stakeholder engagement.
- Provide strategic and analytical support for the President. Gathers helpful information and complete analysis to prepare potential solutions and specific recommendations for the Dean’s consideration. Anticipate needs, challenges, and potential outcomes.
- Provide an independent perspective and observations, share relevant information, and challenge assumptions when appropriate.
- Build relationships throughout the university and serve as a key information facilitator.
- Contribute to open door approach by holding meetings on behalf of President Wilson to vet new ideas, address challenges, or move things forward.
- Work to keep the PDO operating at maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
- Own, manage, and complete projects assigned by President Wilson.
Qualifications and Experience
- Advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in law, business, communications, higher education administration, or related field
- Six (6) years of progressively responsible related work experience.
- Supervisory experience
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities to engage with various stakeholders effectively.
- Service-first mentality and passion for facilitating student success.
- Fluency in English (Reading, Writing and Speaking)
Preferred Qualifications and Experience
- Business level Japanese
- Experience in a multi-cultural environment
- Leadership and/or executive experience in higher education and/or public sector work environment.
- Expertise in academic program management and administration
- Teaching and/or study experience at universities in the United States
- Knowledge of industry trends in higher education
- Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with multiple constituents.
- Demonstrated technical skills using and presenting Microsoft Office Suite, collaboration, presentation systems, etc.