Department
OPS Office VP Operations
About the Department
Job Information
Job Summary:
The University of Chicago is seeking an Interim Associate Vice President of Facilities Services to provide transformational strategic direction and visionary planning for the stewardship of the University’s 217-acre campus, comprised of 170 buildings and 18 million gross square feet, as well as other domestic and international sites. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, the Interim Associate Vice President will shape and champion the long-term physical, operational, and service vision for Facilities, ensuring all activities are fully aligned with the University’s overarching academic and institutional goals. With oversight of a team of approximately 300 staff, the Interim Associate Vice President will drive operational excellence and deliver robust, forward-looking strategies for capital projects, campus planning, sustainability, strategic evaluation, and partnership development. This role positions Facilities Services as a trusted partner—internally and with university collaborators—to enable both current and future organizational success.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Vision and Leadership: Set and execute a comprehensive, long-range strategic vision for the Facilities Services organization, ensuring campus stewardship is consistently aligned with University priorities and advances institutional missions. Advocate for creative, forward-looking infrastructure and operational policies that maximize strategic outcomes.
Internal and External Partnership Building: Build and sustain strategic relationships with University partners—including academic leadership, administrative units, and external collaborators—to integrate facilities planning with academic, research, and business priorities. Serve as a trusted advisor, advancing Facilities as a key strategic asset.
Transformational Campus Planning: Lead holistic campus planning and renewal efforts, ensuring modernization and development initiatives are in concert with the University's mission, future needs, and sustainability goals.
Strategic Capital Project Delivery: Oversee major construction and renovation projects with an emphasis on innovative, strategically sound solutions that achieve program requirements, mitigate risk, and support long-term sustainability. Provide University leadership and the Board of Trustees with high confidence in value creation and stewardship of resources.
Evaluation and Reporting of Facilities Services: Conduct a thorough, strategic evaluation of Facilities Services operations, processes, organizational structure, and outcomes. Deliver a comprehensive written report with actionable recommendations for implementation, designed to align the unit’s performance with the University’s strategic goals. As part of the hiring process, provide examples of previous evaluation reports you have authored, including details about the methodologies and rubrics used. Clearly establish and utilize evaluative criteria such as effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, financial stewardship, stakeholder satisfaction, and strategic alignment, and explain how these inform your approach.
Transparent Communication and Reporting: Clearly communicate facilities goals and strategic priorities to both internal staff and University partners, fostering constructive dialogue and continual refinement. Champion transparency, accountability, and clarity in all reporting and decision-making processes.
Resource Stewardship and Sustainability: Lead a culture of continuous improvement, fiscal responsibility, and sustainability, embedding these principles in both operational and capital program strategies. Advance technology and best practices to enhance efficiency, resilience, and sustainability organization-wide.
Empowerment of Facilities Team: Cultivate a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing culture within Facilities Services, promoting strategic thinking, diversity, and workforce development. Serve as an inspiring staff advocate, encouraging innovation and strategic partnerships.
Customer Service Orientation: Maximize organizational flexibility and responsiveness, upholding a high standard of customer service for all internal and external stakeholders, and ensuring Facilities is recognized as a proactive, solutions-focused partner across the University.
External Representation and Advocacy: Act as a strategic spokesperson and ambassador for the University on all matters related to facilities planning and management, maintaining influential relationships with city, state, and local government agencies and other key partners.
Performs other related work as needed.
Competencies:
Visionary and strategic thinker, able to distill complex challenges and opportunities into clear, actionable plans that align with long-term institutional goals.
Insightful developer of high-performing, diverse leadership teams, fostering innovation and organizational growth.
Proven experience in conducting comprehensive operational evaluations, including development of clear rubrics and criteria for assessing effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, financial stewardship, stakeholder satisfaction, and strategic alignment.
Demonstrated ability to produce substantive written reports with actionable recommendations and measurable outcomes; able to clearly communicate evaluation findings to both internal and external audiences.
Able to present examples of previous evaluation reports and articulate methodologies used, demonstrating rigor, transparency, and objectivity.
Effective collaborator and communicator, skilled at aligning stakeholders and partners across varied institutional and external constituencies.
Exemplifies personal integrity, ethics, initiative, and emotional intelligence; displays sound judgment in all strategic endeavors.
Highly effective negotiator and proactive advocate for institutional interests, both within and outside the University.
Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and economic opportunity in all facilities projects and processes.
Engaging and inclusive leader, continuously seeking input and ideas from partners, staff, and the campus community.
Strong customer service orientation, with a proven ability to maximize organizational flexibility, responsiveness, and stakeholder trust.
Additional Responsibilities
Education, Experience, or Certifications:
Education:
Bachelor’s degree required.
Master’s degree preferred.
Experience:
Minimum 8 years’ experience in facilities leadership at large academic, healthcare, corporate, civic, government, or construction organizations.
Required Documents:
Resume
The University of Chicago has retained The Registry, A ZRG Company, www.registryinterim.com to support this recruitment. Robert Smith, Senior Consultant is leading the search. Inquiries, applications, and nominations must be sent by email to Robert Smith, bob@registryinterim.com. Please note all job seekers wishing to be considered for the position must also submit their materials through the University’s Workday site.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Scheduled Weekly Hours
Drug Test Required
Health Screen Required
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
Pay Frequency
Monthly
Pay Rate Type
FLSA Status
Pay Range
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.