Special Assistant to Chancellor Emeritus

Remote or Hybrid

The Division of Cardiology seeks a highly motivated individual to serve as the Special Assistant to the Chancellor Emeritus. This role functions as an independent strategic operator responsible for leading and executing a portfolio of strategic initiatives that advance the Chancellor Emeritus’ institutional and national impact.

The incumbent independently drives the development, planning, and implementation of complex initiatives spanning health policy, biomedical science, and strategic partnerships. This includes producing advanced written content, managing external stakeholder engagements, and advancing programmatic efforts from concept through execution.

The incumbent will serve as a key thought partner to the Chancellor Emeritus providing high-level and independent research and project management support across a portfolio of strategic initiatives that will be undertaken by the Chancellor Emeritus. The incumbent will ensure the Chancellor Emeritus is thoroughly informed and prepared for planned addresses, remarks, task forces, and national and international committee leadership activities.

This role may regularly interact with an array of external collaborators including government agencies, academic centers, advocacy organizations, and health care organizations, and with senior leadership and researchers across Duke University.

The incumbent works with the Administrative Assistant to ensure the Chancellor Emeritus has all necessary background information and preparatory materials for meetings, speaking engagement, travel, and events; as requested, attends meetings with and/or for the Chancellor Emeritus, takes notes, and facilitates follow-up; and proactively maintains awareness of all activities, boards, and committees with which the Chancellor Emeritus is involved.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

1. Serves as the Chancellor Emeritus’ thought partner, leading all research, writing, and content-focused activities. Drafts correspondence, background briefs, speeches, presentation slides, talking points and manuscripts across a wide range of health and science topics.
2. Support engagement efforts and development of funding support to explore new programmatic areas, and to further expand the Chancellor Emeritus’ impact for Duke Health.
3. Strategic and programmatic planning of special initiatives from concept ideation to implementation, including scoping, agenda development for special convening sessions, event logistics, and post-event project management to drive initiative success.
4. Proactively maintains awareness of all health and science activities involving the Chancellor Emeritus. Serves as a trusted and effective communicator and advisor.
5. As requested, attends meetings with the Chancellor Emeritus and facilitates follow-up actions. Ensures the Chancellor Emeritus is prepared for all meetings in advance by working with the EA to gather bios, developing meeting agendas, and collecting background information for pre-meeting briefs.
6. Develops written materials, such as papers, manuscripts, recommendation letters, and other correspondence on behalf of the Chancellor Emeritus. May draft, edit, and facilitate response to review for scientific articles and other written products.
7. Communicates regularly with experts and leaders from government agencies, foundations, academia, international organizations, etc.
8. Collaborates with senior staff in the development of new programs/projects, including developing prospectuses, and identifying potential sponsors and partners.
9. Interact with a broad range of constituents within Duke University, including the Duke Global Health Institute, Institute for Health Innovation, Duke Margolis Institute, among others.
10. Assist in the identification of content experts and stakeholder groups to engage in projects and events through independent research, phone interviews, and correspondence.
11. Monitor developments in relevant content areas by attending meetings and engaging in ongoing review of relevant sources (e.g., news, legislation, policy statements, etc.); prepare internal briefing materials on assigned topic areas. Independently notify colleagues of policy changes and provide in-depth analysis of impacts to the policy landscape.
12. Suggest project ideas, innovations, and workflow improvements

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training

Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in a scientific field, public health, public policy, or related field.

Experience

Preferred: 4 years experience in project management, health policy, public health and/or research in an applicable domain.

Skills

The successful candidate must be solution-oriented, driven to succeed, adaptive and comfortable with the unknown, resilient, and coachable. Must possess outstanding research and critical thinking skills, be able to quickly and thoroughly gather and analyze information on a wide range of health topics. Must be able to operate with the highest level of discretion and diplomacy, work independently yet collegially, and demonstrate outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.

Knowledge of the scientific, technical, or policy issues in health care policy, public health, and biomedical science. Strong program/project management and facilitation skills. Ability to understand and share technical/scientific issues with diverse audiences. Ability to solve problems using originality and ingenuity. Ability to operate using substantial latitude for independent judgment and action. Ability to independently manage multiple and complex projects. Experience working in complex environments with a high degree of organizational effectiveness. Excellent communication and team-work skills with a proven ability to effectively interact with all levels of staff, faculty, and constituents.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.