Interim Associate Vice President for Facilities Services

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

5d•$300,000 - $375,000

About The Position

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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum 8 years’ experience in facilities leadership at large academic, healthcare, corporate, civic, government, or construction organizations.
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.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

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.