Assistant Vice President Auxiliary Services

Rhode Island School of Design•Providence, RI

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Vice President of Auxiliary Services provides strategic and operational leadership for RISD’s diverse portfolio of campus services. The role ensures that services supporting students, faculty, staff, visitors, and the broader RISD community are high-quality, responsive, financially responsible, and sustainable, and aligned with institutional priorities. The Assistant Vice President develops a cohesive vision for Auxiliary Services while addressing the distinct operational needs of each area. The position is responsible for strategic planning, service delivery, financial management, revenue generation, workforce planning, vendor and contract management, regulatory compliance, sustainability, and continuous improvement. Working across RISD, the role identifies ways to improve services and operational effectiveness, enhance the campus experience, and responsibly grow or diversify auxiliary revenue. It establishes performance expectations and measures and develops leaders and teams to deliver services in a complex campus environment. The role maintains a regular on-campus presence across multiple campus locations and is available to respond to significant operational issues outside normal business hours as needed. It has direct and indirect supervisory responsibilities. The position is hybrid eligible and is full-time, regular, and exempt. A bachelor’s degree and seven to ten years of significant, progressively responsible leadership experience overseeing complex service-oriented operations are required, with an equivalent combination of education and experience potentially substituting for the minimum education requirement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, hospitality management, higher education administration, facilities or operations management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute for the minimum educational requirement.
Seven to ten years of significant, progressively responsible leadership experience overseeing complex service-oriented operations.
Experience leading multiple operational functions and managing managers or senior-level staff.
Strong financial management experience, including budget development, forecasting, financial analysis, cost management, and evaluation of revenue-generating operations.
Ability to develop strategy and translate strategic priorities into effective operational plans.
Experience managing contracts, vendors, procurement processes, and service-level expectations.
Strong understanding of customer- and community-focused service delivery.
Ability to use operational and financial data to evaluate performance and inform decisions.
Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, or service redesign.
Strong leadership and staff development skills, including the ability to build effective, collaborative teams.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to develop productive relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to navigate competing priorities and make sound decisions in a complex institutional environment.
Commitment to sustainability and responsible resource stewardship.
Commitment to supporting an inclusive work environment and ability to work respectfully and effectively across differences in background, role, and perspective.
Ability to maintain regular on-campus presence across multiple locations and respond to significant operational issues outside normal business hours as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in higher education and/or a unionized environment.
Experience with auxiliary, hospitality, enterprise, or other complex service operations.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and overall direction for RISD’s Auxiliary Services portfolio.
Develop and implement short- and long-term goals aligned with institutional priorities, operational needs, and community expectations.
Establish service standards, performance measures, and accountability structures for operational effectiveness, customer experience, financial performance, and service quality.
Assess operations and recommend improvements to organizational structures, processes, technology, staffing models, facilities, and resource allocation.
Identify opportunities to expand, consolidate, or redesign services to improve efficiency, sustainability, and responsiveness.
Plan for effective operations, service continuity, and coordination across departments, including services operating beyond traditional business hours.
Advise institutional leadership on auxiliary operations, emerging needs, opportunities, risks, and investments.
Develop and oversee portfolio operating budgets and direct financial planning, forecasting, expense management, and performance analysis.
Identify and evaluate revenue-generation, cost-efficiency, partnership, and service-expansion opportunities consistent with RISD’s mission.
Establish financial and operational metrics, monitor results, and implement performance improvements.
Evaluate service models, pricing, resource utilization, and investments to balance financial performance with service quality and accessibility.
Collaborate with Finance and institutional partners on financial reporting, procurement, capital planning, and long-range resource planning.
Promote service excellence, responsiveness, reliability, accessibility, and continuous improvement across auxiliary operations.
Build relationships with students, faculty, staff, institutional leadership, and external partners to understand needs and align services with institutional priorities.
Gather and respond to community feedback and use operational data to improve services and customer experience.
Coordinate with academic and administrative departments to support campus programs, activities, and institutional operations.
Balance operational demands, customer expectations, financial considerations, and institutional priorities in service decisions.
Represent Auxiliary Services on institutional committees, working groups, and planning initiatives as appropriate.
Oversee significant contracts, vendor relationships, and external service partnerships.
Set and monitor vendor performance expectations, service quality, financial performance, contractual obligations, and compliance.
Partner with Procurement, Finance, General Counsel, Risk Management, and other stakeholders on contracts, negotiations, renewals, and competitive procurement.
Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, safety requirements, and RISD policies and procedures.
Identify operational risks and implement controls, procedures, and continuity plans.
Advance sustainable practices, responsible sourcing, resource conservation, waste reduction, and related institutional initiatives.
Lead, support, and develop managers and staff, setting expectations for performance, accountability, collaboration, and service.
Build a leadership team capable of managing varied and complex operations and fostering coordination across service areas.
Partner with Human Resources on organizational design, workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, employee development, and employee and labor relations.
Evaluate staffing structures and workforce needs to ensure appropriate coverage, efficiency, and responsiveness.
Foster open communication, collaboration, problem-solving, continuous improvement, and professional development.
Maintain regular on-campus presence and engagement with operations across multiple campus locations.
Respond to significant operational issues outside normal business hours as needed.
Perform other related duties as assigned.