Program Director, Planning and Facilities

University of Colorado•Hybrid, CO

5d•$85,530 - $108,794•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Director of Planning & Facilities for the School of Medicine (School) at CU Anschutz provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the School’s facilities, space planning, and related initiatives. Supporting the Dean and collaborating closely with School leadership, this position leads the planning, development, implementation, and management of facilities and space resources in support of the School’s missions of education, research, patient care, and community service. The Program Director serves as the primary liaison between the School’s departments, centers, institutes, and programs; the Office of the Dean; CU Anschutz administration; University of Colorado Hospital (UCH); Children's Hospital Colorado (CHCO); CU Medicine; and the Fitzsimons Innovation Community (FIC). The position advises School leadership on complex facilities and space matters, develops solutions to address evolving programmatic needs, and oversees the School’s approximately 1.3 million assignable square feet across nineteen campus buildings. Responsibilities include space allocation and utilization analysis, strategic facilities planning, and the management of renovation and improvement projects. The Program Director also oversees The Clubs, a portfolio of shared administrative workspaces supporting more than 1,200 faculty and staff. These include The Hub for clinical faculty, The Cloud for dry research and informatics teams, and The Clinical Collaborative for clinical research coordinators. The Clubs provide flexible workspaces, meeting and telehealth capabilities, technology support, concierge services, and workplace amenities. Working closely with UCH and CHCO, the Program Director coordinates space-related projects and requests to ensure alignment with campus standards, assigned space, and institutional priorities. The position also leads and communicates strategic planning initiatives, implements leadership-directed objectives, and represents the School on campus and health system committees related to facilities, planning, and space governance. As Building Administrator for approximately 15 facilities, the Program Director collaborates with campus partners, including Facilities Management, Environmental Health & Safety, Risk Management, Legal, Regulatory Compliance, Grants and Contracts, and Asset Management, to ensure effective facility operations, regulatory compliance, safety, and long-term planning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in planning, business administration, public administration, facilities management, construction management, or a directly related field from an accredited institution.
Six to eight (6-8) years of professional experience in a complex academic medical center with oversight of facilities management and/or space planning functions.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. We are unable to provide work visa sponsorship and employment authorization for this position now or in the future.
Knowledge of space planning, allocation, and utilization analysis, including the development and application of analytical tools to support facilities planning and decision-making.
Understanding of CU Anschutz and School space allocation principles, BOMA standards, and campus relocation processes.
Ability to analyze and interpret data; apply policies, procedures, and guidelines; and exercise sound judgment in complex situations.
Proven project management skills, including the ability to coordinate multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and resolve conflicts effectively.
Working knowledge of architectural design and construction phases, from conceptual design through construction administration.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively with faculty, staff, students, senior leadership, and campus partners.
Experience facilitating stakeholder engagement, managing competing interests, and achieving consensus across diverse groups.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, WebSpace, and Archibus for space planning, design, and facilities management.
Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
Outstanding customer service skills.

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or formal project management training preferred.
Experience in an academic medical center, university, healthcare, research-intensive, or similarly complex environment.
Demonstrated ability to lead and influence diverse stakeholders, build collaborative partnerships, navigate sensitive organizational and political dynamics, and present data-driven recommendations to executive leadership and key decision-makers.
Experience leading high-volume, complex projects involving strategic negotiations, consensus-building, risk management, budgeting, scheduling, and coordination of multiple internal and external stakeholders.
Experience with enterprise facilities, space management, and project management systems, including Archibus, WebSpace, AutoCAD, Smartsheet, Adobe Creative Suite, DocuSign, or similar applications.
Experience with research space management, utilization reporting, laboratory planning, space governance, occupancy transitions, relocation planning, and long-range institutional planning initiatives.
Direct experience supporting development and expansion initiatives within the Fitzsimons Innovation Community (FIC), including space planning, cross-organizational coordination, commercial lease negotiations, partnership agreements, and strategic growth initiatives.
Experience supervising and developing professional staff, including performance management, coaching, and team leadership.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic space and facilities planning for the School, providing executive-level analysis and recommendations to support long-range institutional, research, and programmatic growth.
Manage and maintain comprehensive space and facilities records, including space commitments, reassignments, agreements, and institutional space tracking systems.
Coordinate, analyze, and report on the School’s research productivity and space utilization metrics, assessing the efficient use of research space through measures such as expenditures per square foot and occupancy per square foot analyses.
Lead the quarterly Archibus and annual Webspace data collection, validation, and reporting processes in partnership with the Offices of Institutional Planning and Finance. These reports support Facilities & Administrative (F&A) rate development and ensure compliance with campus infrastructure, space utilization, and reporting policies.
Direct the planning, design, budgeting, and construction management of major renovation and facilities projects in collaboration with Facilities Management, Facilities Projects, and Construction Services, including the review and approval of project estimates, budgets, and change orders.
Represent the School in architect, engineer, and construction manager selection processes, ensuring facilities investments align with institutional priorities, strategic objectives, and operational needs.
Oversee the School’s space request and reassignment process, coordinating stakeholder meetings, site evaluations, space assessments, and test-fit analyses to support informed space allocation decisions.
Represent the School in the review, negotiation, and coordination of off-campus lease agreements and School-funded renovation projects, ensuring alignment with institutional space, financial, and operational objectives.
Serve as the School’s representative on university, campus, and state-mandated facilities planning initiatives, including master planning efforts, space governance committees, and facilities-related working groups.
Advise School leadership and support faculty recruitment efforts by reviewing space commitments in recruitment packages and participating in executive search and recruitment committees for academic and administrative leadership positions.
Oversee facilities-related operational impacts affecting School-occupied spaces, including utility interruptions, decommissioning and demolition activities, and the coordination of mitigation strategies to minimize disruptions to research and academic operations.
Represent the School on campus-wide initiatives that support sustainability and operational efficiency, including My Green Labs, freezer procurement requirements, shared equipment programs, and asset management alignment.
Oversee the management of School resources, including equipment and furniture reuse programs, as well as incoming and outgoing laboratory transition processes.