Assistant Vice President for Real Estate, Capital Planning, and Utilities

MSU Internal Job Postings Details•East Lansing, MI

5d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly collaborative leader who can bring together planning, design, real estate, utilities, and institutional priorities into a unified strategy for campus development. This individual must be skilled in developing sound business cases, engaging senior leaders and stakeholders, building consensus, and communicating project vision, value, risks, and outcomes. Success in this role requires the ability to synthesize complex information, navigate governance processes, and guide strategic initiatives from concept to approval, implementation, and completion. The Assistant Vice President for Real Estate, Capital Planning, and Utilities (AVP RECPU) provides leadership and strategic vision for a multidisciplinary organization of approximately 165 support staff, including temporary, on-call, and student employees. Reporting as a senior leader within Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, this position is responsible for advancing an integrated planning and asset management model that supports the full lifecycle of university assets—from strategic acquisition, planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, occupancy, and renewal through eventual disposition. The position is responsible for shaping the organization to reinforce collaboration, accountability, innovation, stewardship, and service excellence while fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment that values continual learning and achievement of results. The AVP RECPU provides executive leadership for the university's capital planning and project delivery programs, utility infrastructure systems, and real estate portfolio. This includes oversight of the planning, design, construction, commissioning, and closeout of capital projects; strategic real estate acquisitions and asset management; leasing and occupancy planning; utility infrastructure planning, operation, and maintenance; and alternative project delivery models, including public-private partnerships. The position oversees annual operating and capital budgets, including utility operations, fuel, salaries, supplies, services, and major capital investments. The AVP RECPU is responsible for ensuring the reliable, efficient, and sustainable delivery of campus utility services while aligning infrastructure investments with institutional priorities and long-term campus development goals. The AVP RECPU provides leadership and oversight for the offices of Campus Planning, Planning, Design and Construction, Capital Renewal, Real Estate, Leasing and Property Management, and Utilities. Through this broad portfolio, the position administers the continuum of university infrastructure and asset management, ensuring the strategic integration of campus development, utility systems, capital investments, and real estate initiatives to support the university's academic, research, and operational mission.

Requirements

10+ years of progressively challenging professional experience, in a functional leadership role managing a team of diverse professionals with varied backgrounds and capabilities all working toward measurable bottom-line results and successes.
Experience with large complex budgets from multiple funding sources.
Experience with professional facilities planning on a large campus with multiple customers.
Experience with city scale utility systems including distribution and generation.
Experience with large capital construction at multiple sites.
Experience with real estate acquisitions, sales and leases utilizing multiple financing tools including P3’s.
Experience with fuel and energy procurement processes.
Proven track record of excellent project management and strategic planning skills.
Proven track record of effectively managing multiple projects with various deadlines and budgets.
Experience with positively and productively leading change with previous organizations/facilities.
Exceptional time management skills with proven ability to meet deadlines.
Outstanding communicator, both written and verbal; especially as it relates to communicating efficiently and effectively with customers, stakeholders, and staff.
Established network connections within field of expertise.
Creative thinker who can attentively and actively listen, and skillfully and knowledgably communicate with the appropriate level of business acumen to all levels within the university to faculty, administration, and staff.
Demonstrated past success in planning, developing, and implementing complex strategic goals and program initiatives that require the effective management of resources over short and long-time frames.
Demonstrated effectiveness in negotiations with internal and external constituencies to meet the needs of the university and arrive at effective solutions.
Ability to work effectively and purposefully during crises and emergency response conditions.
Knowledge of fundamental principles of construction standards and maintenance operations.
Demonstrated experience managing and developing complex budgets, and effective resource management.
Excellent leadership, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills while promoting teamwork.
Exercises good judgment, with integrity, and observes ethical standards ensuring university policies and procedures are being upheld.
Executes professional responsibilities with due care, competence, and diligence in accordance with the standards established for the profession.
Experience in a large, complex organization or facilities.
Experience with analyzing data and developing key performance indicators to develop reports and present findings.
Experience with performance-based budgeting and forecasting.
Experience and a passion for sustainable ecosystems (or environments).
A bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Planning, Construction, Real Estate, Architecture, Business Administration, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
10+ years of progressively challenging professional experience leading large and complex teams with a history of demonstrated leadership aptitude.
Ability to coordinate activities of multifaceted operations that provide support and services to a diverse constituency in a customer service centered manner.
Experience in largescale procurement and vendor management.
Experience in large contract negotiation.
Experience in creation of construction and maintenance metrics.
Experience in risk assessment.
Experience in public/private partnerships.
Experience in strategic planning.
Experience in capital financing.
Experience with managing multiple viewpoints and gathering relevant information through a variety of methods (i.e., surveys, focus groups, industry best practices, benchmarking) to provide recommended action and to build consensus.
Experience implementing strategic frameworks, mission, vision, values, and action plans.
Experience leading within a complex, interdisciplinary, union environment that deploys business intelligence tools for reporting, queries, and analysis.

Nice To Haves

Licensure as a professional engineer, architect, or landscape architect.
Master’s degree and/or professional certification such as, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED/LEED-AP) certification, or Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP).
Experience in developing and implementing alternative delivery models such as public private partnerships.
Experience in real estate development.
Knowledge of Environmental Health & Safety regulations.
Experience in a higher educational setting.
Experience in contract interpretation, negotiation, grievance process and managing a unionized work force is desired.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and strategic vision for a multidisciplinary organization of approximately 165 support staff.
Advance an integrated planning and asset management model that supports the full lifecycle of university assets.
Shape the organization to reinforce collaboration, accountability, innovation, stewardship, and service excellence.
Foster a diverse and inclusive work environment that values continual learning and achievement of results.
Provide executive leadership for the university's capital planning and project delivery programs, utility infrastructure systems, and real estate portfolio.
Oversee the planning, design, construction, commissioning, and closeout of capital projects.
Oversee strategic real estate acquisitions and asset management.
Oversee leasing and occupancy planning.
Oversee utility infrastructure planning, operation, and maintenance.
Oversee alternative project delivery models, including public-private partnerships.
Oversee annual operating and capital budgets, including utility operations, fuel, salaries, supplies, services, and major capital investments.
Ensure the reliable, efficient, and sustainable delivery of campus utility services.
Align infrastructure investments with institutional priorities and long-term campus development goals.
Provide leadership and oversight for the offices of Campus Planning, Planning, Design and Construction, Capital Renewal, Real Estate, Leasing and Property Management, and Utilities.
Administer the continuum of university infrastructure and asset management.
Ensure the strategic integration of campus development, utility systems, capital investments, and real estate initiatives.
Demonstrate strengths in strategy and leadership across a variety of teams and functions.
Promote and monitor operational excellence.
Build consensus and foster effective teams.
Establish strategic direction and set priorities to develop and grow.
Create and assess decision variables and KPIs to monitor performance and support strategic approaches.
Develop, direct, and serve as a centralized point of contact to lead, evaluate, and manage all types of projects and partnerships.
Collaborate with and seek relevant guidance from campus stakeholders, cultivating a high level of trust and collaboration.
Align and elevate the continuum of campus planning and capital planning from inception to completion.
Connect capital asset management seamlessly to both emerging and long-range university needs and strategic endeavors.
Collaborate with campus partners to nurture a continuous planning and innovation cycle that aligns with university goals and plans.
Ensure a culture that practices and enables a diverse and inclusive environment.
Build a participative team climate that assumes a proactive stance and seeks innovation solutions.
Enhance partnership with university stakeholders (on campus and across the state), delivering outstanding service and creating value for users.
Broaden the capabilities of the Utilities team to take on more value-added initiatives which improve the effectiveness and efficiency of campus operations.
Set a tone of fiscal diligence, advancing sound fiscal management and employing effective strategies that balance mission with cost effectiveness, innovative solutions, and high-level service and quality.
Promote and ensure compliance with university policies, procedures and ordinances, state, and federal laws.
Establish and build trusting relationships with customers and campus and community partners.
Use Performance Excellence as a planning and evaluation tool to guide, engage and motivate staff to succeed by using T-shape goal development, with a concentration on succession planning and life-long learning.
Recruit and retain a diverse staff of well-qualified and highly performing professionals.
Create a positive work environment for employees, incorporating the university’s commitment to equal opportunity and diversity in hiring, retaining, and promoting employees.
Promote employee engagement by coaching and mentoring current staff to develop talent and expertise and empower employees to use their full range of strengths and abilities.
Lead with emphasis on employee engagement by interacting with staff at all levels and encouraging collaborative communication and innovation through teamwork.
Cultivate a team culture that assumes a proactive stance and seeks innovative solutions, enhancing trust and partnership with university stakeholders (on campus and across the state) by delivering outstanding service and creating value for users.
Own the responsibility for articulating and reinforcing the culture of IPF.
Initiate and lead customer engagement initiatives to bridge communication between employees and customers.
Act as a steward to preserve and maintain the campus as a teaching, demonstration, and research resource for university faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
Ensure organizational accountability through consistent adherence to university policies and procedures, with an emphasis on safety, compliance, and responsible use of resources.
Lead, oversee, and set direction for reporting units and directors.
Provide fiscal guidance and oversight of assigned areas.
Advocate and support the development of a strategic asset management portfolio that spans real property management and facilitates high level assessment and strategic decision making.
Advance a strategic and integrated approach to developing the university facilities.
Provide leadership in the implementation and execution of the university campus plan.
Oversee the development of major construction and renovation projects, including relevant public-private and public-public partnership projects.
Establish and implement short- and long-range goals, objectives, and KPI; monitor and evaluate programmatic and operational effectiveness and implement changes required for improvement.
Collaborate effectively with other university leaders and campus partners.
Coordinate with and present to executive leadership, state agencies, the legislature, county, local agencies, and respective communities.
Determine long-range needs of facilities and proper use of resources while managing expenditures of funds and ensuring all department operations are within annual budget.
Represent the university with state and federal agency concerns regarding regulatory compliance.
Provide signature and certification of compliance documents required by the Michigan State University Renewable Operating permit and Safe Water Drinking Act.
Understand and operate in compliance with regulatory rules for power generation.
Evaluate performance of the business areas by setting key performance indicators (KPI), establishing measurable metrics, and reporting through an IPF balanced scorecard and quarterly reporting.
Assist with problem solving and resolution of budgetary, operational, and staffing accountability activities in the assigned business areas.
Review estimates, plans, specifications, reports, and studies.
Oversee identifying and implementing long-range planning operational objectives.
Execute final approval of unit’s annual Action Plans and their implementation.
Champion a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.
Maintain a respectful, positive work environment that supports the professional growth of all personnel.