Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is seeking experienced, motivated, and dedicated leaders and educators to participate in the design and delivery of an innovative four-year medical school curriculum that engages medical students in active and novel learning.
Job Description:
Job Title: Chief of Staff
Reports to: Dean, CEO
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)
Date Reviewed: 12/2025
Who We Are
Founded in 2021, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is a nonprofit, four-year MD program that will enhance traditional medical education with the arts, humanities, and whole health principles. The school’s culture embraces self-care to empower students to care for their own well-being as well as their patients’. The school’s state-of-the-art medical education facility is located in Bentonville, Arkansas on the Crystal Bridges campus, home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. The school has been granted preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
About The Position
This senior level, full-time position will report directly to the Dean of the Alice Walton School of Medicine. The Chief of Staff strategically manages all functions and activities of the Office of the Dean and works with the senior leadership team to ensure steady operational progress. The Chief of Staff will serve as a trusted partner, operator, implementer, and integrator to advance work initiatives for the Alice Walton School of Medicine.
This role develops, integrates, and unifies mission critical efforts and principles within the organization.
The ideal candidate will bring strategic leadership with the ability to implement systems, execute objectives, and promote efficiency. The Chief of Staff will work in close coordination with the Dean on strategic initiatives, institutional planning, program development and implementation, operational efficiency, and problem resolution.
This role requires a highly resourceful, emotionally intelligent, detail oriented, and self-motivated individual with a combination of focus and flexibility. The ability to simultaneously think about the big picture and execute on day-to-day management and planning is critical. This role is for someone passionate about strategy, operations, and team synergy with an ability to bring ideas to fruition based on the mission, vision, and values of the organization. This position will manage the Office of the Dean administrative assistant staff.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the Dean and ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
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Lead and manage special projects, cross-departmental initiatives, and institutional planning efforts.
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Coordinate institutional planning efforts, often aligning with accreditation standards. Lead and manage goal setting and performance tracking
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Manage, oversee and anticipate issues for discussion, and participants.
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Manage, coordinate, and anticipate government affairs and special executive projects.
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Prepare reports, briefings, presentations, and other materials for executive meetings and decision-making.
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Draft speeches, reports, and correspondence for the Dean; maintain consistent internal and external communications.
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Facilitate collaboration among senior leadership, organize leadership meetings, and track follow-up actions.
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Assist with policy development and implementation; prepare decision memos and monitor outcomes of leadership initiatives.
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Oversee, manage administrative staff within the Dean’s office, streamline workflows, and manage calendars and priorities.
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Act as liaison to key committees, ensuring agendas, minutes, and follow-up documentation are completed.
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Handle sensitive issues discreetly and serve as point of contact for faculty and external stakeholders on critical concerns.
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Serve as liaison to the medical school Board of Directors, coordinating and reviewing meeting materials and related communications
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Assist with coordination and review of material for, and act as liaison with medical school board of directors.
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Other duties as assigned.
People Leadership
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Lead, coach, and develop direct reports, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance.
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Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and performance evaluations, providing feedback and professional development opportunities.
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Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of direct reports to ensure alignment with organizational standards and practices.
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Monitor and manage team performance, addressing attendance, conduct, or productivity issues promptly and professionally.
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Model professionalism and service excellence, serving as a role model in maintaining quality and operational standards.
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Encourage employee engagement and morale through recognition and open communication practices.
Qualifications and Requirements
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Minimum of ten years of progressive leadership experience in roles such as Chief of Staff, Chief Administrative Officer, or Director-level positions with broad cross-functional oversight, required.
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Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, required.
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Background in academic medicine, healthcare administration, or related fields, required.
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Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with faculty and key internal stakeholders, including Legal, Communications, Human Resources, Finance, IT, and Facilities, required.
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Proven track record in leading complex, multi-stream projects from initiation through successful, on-time, and on-budget completion, required.
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Experience in developing, executing, and overseeing strategic plans and major institutional initiatives, required.
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Deep understanding of organizational operations, governance structures, and executive office workflows, required.
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Exceptional written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, persuasive documents and presentations, required.
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High level of judgment and discretion in managing sensitive and confidential information, required.
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Strong problem-solving skills and ability to operate independently with significant responsibility and autonomy, required.
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Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and collaboration tools such as Teams, required.
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Advanced degree (MA, MBA, JD, or PhD) from an accredited institution, preferred.
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Experience in a medical school or higher education environment, preferred.
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Familiarity with accreditation standards and compliance requirements in academic medicine, preferred.
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Experience with organizational change management and process improvement initiatives, preferred.
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Knowledge of project management methodologies and tools, preferred.
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Familiarity with expense reporting tools and virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, preferred.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
Physical Demands: In the work environment described, position requires sitting at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching, and physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.
Work Environment: Work is performed full-time (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Some local travel will be required, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.
Alice L. Walton School of Medicine is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.
All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.
