Dean of the Olin Business School

 

Washington University in St. Louis seeks a visionary, energetic, and innovative leader to serve as the next Dean of the Olin Business School. It is an incredibly exciting time to join the Olin Business School, building on the tremendous momentum underway as WashU launches its ambitious Strategic Plan. The next Dean will join the leadership of this world-class institution, known for its research and teaching excellence, as well as its collegial community.  WashU is on an impressive trajectory, with strong leadership, substantial resources, and great promise for even further excellence and distinction.  The next Dean will play a pivotal role both within Olin and throughout the entire university to accomplish these goals. 

 

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of the Olin Business School. The Dean manages a budget of approximately $190 million in a Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) budget model that provides enormous influence over hiring decisions, program development, and infrastructure. The majority of operating funds in the school are derived from tuition and fees. The Dean’s responsibilities include strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, curriculum development, faculty and student recruitment and retention, program development and assessment, and general administration.

 

Candidates with diverse professional backgrounds will be considered, although ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience evidencing the ability to lead the following key responsibilities:

  • In partnership with the faculty, set the academic tenor, promoting a culture of outstanding scholarship and innovation to differentiate the Olin Business School from other leading business schools.
  • In partnership with other Deans and university leadership, establish, build, and develop strong cross-school and cross-divisional strategic initiatives and collaborations.
  • Embrace and serve as a champion of the university’s Strategic Plan, created to guide the direction of the university over the next ten years, while also setting the school’s strategic direction.
  • Ensure that Olin has a sustainable business model with sound financial and administrative management, including overseeing its annual operating budget, creating incentives to continue to drive quality and growth, and both anticipating and adapting to competitive threats.
  • Collaborate with university-wide colleagues to innovate and develop financially sustainable academic offerings built to weather ongoing shifts within higher education as well as the global economy.
  • Develop tangible incentives and provide appropriate support to encourage Olin faculty to engage in world-class research.
  • Strengthen Olin’s academic foundation, ensuring it has the resources and the market position to compete for and retain top-tier academic talent in its pursuit to increase its profile as one of the world’s leading business schools.
  • Build on the university’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts, weaving this imperative throughout the leadership and work of the Olin Business School.
  • Bolster relationships with a broad range of external constituents—alumni, donors, employers, public/private/governmental organizations, institutional partners—to expand resources, distinctive programs, and robust and diversified career development opportunities.
  • Ensure the continued development and standard of excellence for the Center for Digital Education (CDE) as the driving force behind the school’s digital experience for students, faculty, and staff, and work toward having the CDE serve as a key resource for the larger university. 

 

The Olin Business School has retained Spencer Stuart to support the search. If you wish to submit your own application materials or nominate someone to serve as the next Dean for the Olin Business School, please send an e-mail message with supporting materials to OlinDean@SpencerStuart.com.

Washington University encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid, and employment. The university does not discriminate in access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, disability or genetic information. Inquiries about compliance should be addressed to the University’s Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Washington University, The Link in the Loop, 621 N. Skinker, St. Louis, MO 63130.

It is the policy of the university to: (1) provide equal employment opportunity to all job applicants and employees; (2) administer recruiting, hiring, compensation and benefit practices, training, upgrading and promotion procedures, transfers and terminations of employment without discrimination because of race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, veteran status, disability, or genetic information; (3) provide a workplace free from harassment based on any of the foregoing factors; and (4) encourage the hiring of minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.

For more information, please visit https://hr.wustl.edu/items/equal-opportunity-affirmative-action/.