Chief of Staff to the Executive President
1. CONTEXT
Bologna University Business School (BBS) is a European business school, established in 2000 by the University of Bologna and several private organisations, whose aim is to provide post-graduate and post-experience interdisciplinary management education.
The School operates as a non-profit private foundation with full strategic, operational, and financial autonomy. Its governance framework ensures both independence from, and integration with, its parent institution and allows for the participation of multiple stakeholders. This setup fosters an exceptional level of collaboration between our academic institution and the world of practice. BBS’s mission is summarised by its motto, ‘Multiplying Opportunities,’ which reflects the School’s commitment to serving individuals, organisations, and society. The School seeks to expand the capabilities of each student, organisation, and institution it touches. As it has pursued its mission, BBS has been recognised as a creative, dynamic, and entrepreneurial business school, thanks in large part to its committed, diverse, research-driven, and practice-oriented faculty.
The School’s unique positioning traits are: its interdisciplinary approach, its pedagogical focus on individual learning in a collaborative environment, and its close working relationship with companies from industries where Italy holds an international leadership position.
After achieving the challenging 5-year EQUIS Accreditation (placing it among the 222 EQUIS-accredited schools in the world, out of about 16,000) and opening a unique, sustainable, and landscape-integrated new campus in 2024, BBS is now entering a new phase of development that includes governance evolution, international growth, and AI-driven transformation.
BBS has launched a phase of governance and organizational evolution by creating a new position of Executive President and a new Dean role, alongside the consolidation of top management. Within this framework, the Executive President chairs the Shareholders’ Meeting and the Board of Directors; oversees governance, strategic vision, and stakeholder relations; and leads Key Account Management, fundraising and alumni relations, corporate identity and communication, international development, and events.
2. JOB
The Chief of Staff operates with the explicit mandate of the Executive President to ensure alignment and execution of presidential priorities.
The Chief of Staff to the Executive President is the President’s closest operational and strategic partner, ensuring that governance responsibilities, strategic priorities, and external engagement initiatives are effectively prepared, coordinated, and executed.
The role acts as a central integrator across the Executive President’s agenda, supporting decision-making, aligning stakeholders, and driving follow-through on key institutional initiatives.
This position supports the Executive President directly and operates within the Executive President Office. It does not replace academic leadership responsibilities under the Dean.
The role focuses on governance, institutional and strategic matters, and does not overlap with academic management responsibilities.
The key responsibilities of the Chief of Staff to the Executive President:
• translating the Executive President’s priorities into actionable plans and execution follow-up
• preparing strategic briefs, decision memos, and governance materials
• supporting Board of Directors and Shareholders’ Assembly processes and documentation
• coordinating cross-functional presidential initiatives and special projects
• ensuring alignment and follow-through across functions reporting to the Executive President
• supporting corporate relations, fundraising, and institutional partnership initiatives
• preparing high-level meetings, institutional engagements, and executive communications
• overseeing the operational activities of the Executive President Office.
Authority & Interfaces will include:
• the Chief of Staff acts on delegated authority from the Executive President to drive execution and ensure follow-through on presidential priorities and strategic initiatives
• is accountable for tracking key decisions, monitoring progress, and ensuring timely implementation across involved functions
• holds cross-functional coordination and execution authority across units reporting to the Executive President, without altering formal reporting lines
• empowered to follow up, request alignment, escalate issues, and remove execution bottlenecks related to presidential initiatives
• directly oversees Executive President Office operations and related governance processes.
• works in close coordination with the Dean and other senior leaders on cross-institutional initiatives and priority projects.
3. EMPLOYMENT FRAMEWORK
The selected candidate will be hired on a permanent employment contract and classified according to their experience and professional profile, within the framework of the National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) for the Tertiary, Commerce and Services sector.
Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s actual skills and experience and may include future developments in line with the Foundation’s policies.
4. PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The requirements for admission to the selection process, which must be met as of the date of publication of this notice, are:
• possession of a university degree
• proficiency in Italian and English
The position requires a professional profile with the following characteristics:
• strong strategic and analytical capability
• excellent executive writing and briefing skills
• strong relational skills, combined with organizational and political acumen
• high judgment, discretion, and reliability
• proven experience in complex or institutional environments
• strong stakeholder and project coordination capability
• comfortable operating close to senior leadership under time and priority pressure
• personal standing and credibility to engage with senior external stakeholders in institutional and corporate contexts, combined with strong relational and interpersonal effectiveness
• direct experience with, or deep understanding of, the international business school landscape and its operating dynamics.
5. SELECTION PROCESS
The Foundation will appoint an Evaluation Committee that will assess candidates on the basis of the submitted curricula vitae and through one or more interviews. Any additional selection methods identified by the Evaluation Committee (such as tests aimed at assessing technical skills and aptitude or motivational aspects) will be communicated to the candidates.
At the end of the selection process, the Committee Coordinator (at the sole discretion of the Committee) will submit to the Foundation a shortlist of candidates deemed suitable. On this basis, the Foundation will identify the successful candidates.
Successful candidates will receive a personal and confidential communication; all other candidates will be informed of the conclusion of the selection process. BBS will publish the names of the successful candidates on its website in compliance with applicable data protection regulations. Selected candidates will be hired, subject to acceptance, within the timeframe indicated in the offer of employment.
Should no suitable candidates be identified or no applications be received, BBS may decide to repeat the selection process or resort to alternative recruitment methods. At its sole discretion, the Foundation may, in the two years following the closure of the selection process, refer to the shortlist of suitable candidates to fill similar positions.
6. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
To participate in the selection process, candidates must submit:
• their application using the attached form (Annex 1)
• a copy of a valid identification document, indicating reference code 2026D-03
• a curriculum vitae preferably in European format (Annex 2).
Applications must be submitted by 1:00 p.m. on 1 March 2026. The selection process will in any case remain open until suitable candidates for the required professional profile are identified.
Applications may be submitted through the following channels:
• by email to: careers@bbs.unibo.it
• by registered mail to: BBS – Via degli Scalini 18 – 40136 Bologna (Italy), for the attention of Irene Battaglia.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
7. PERSONAL DATA PROCESSING
Pursuant to Legislative Decree 101/2018 and Article 13 of GDPR 679/2016, the Data Controller of the personal data provided by candidates is Fondazione Bologna University Business School, Villa Guastavillani, Via degli Scalini 18, 40136 Bologna (Italy). The data will be collected for the purposes of managing the selection process and will also be processed subsequently, in the event of appointment, for purposes related to the management of the employment relationship.
8. MULTIPLYING OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER
For information or clarification, Irene Battaglia, Head of the Selection Process, is available at careers@bbs.unibo.it or by phone at +39 051 2090111.
