Associate Vice President for Operations & Strategic Initiatives

About the Role

The Associate Vice President serves as the operational leader and second-in-command of a multi-lane revenue and community-prosperity division. Partnering closely with the Chief Revenue Officer/Senior Vice President, the AVP turns strategy into disciplined execution by building and running the Division’s operating cadence, driving accountability across teams, and directly leading the central office team including operations, administration, and marketing/communications functions. The AVP also owns and personally delivers complex, large-scale development and capital projects, and leads government and community affairs and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Translate divisional strategy and revenue goals into clear quarterly priorities, plans, and measurable scorecards; drive execution and accountability against them.
• Establish and lead the Division’s operating rhythm — leadership-team meetings, reporting cadences, and project management — ensuring decisions are made, owned, and followed through.
• Serve as day-to-day operational leader of the Division, enabling the CRO to focus on vision, strategy development, external relationships, principal gifts, and overarching strategic priorities and flagship initiatives.
• Directly lead central office team including development operations, administration, strategic marketing & communications; champion data integrity and the CRM and reporting infrastructure that underpin decision-making.
• Own, structure, and personally deliver complex, large-scale community- and economic-development and capital projects, holding external and internal partners to milestones and driving each initiative through execution to completion.
• Lead government and community affairs and build and steward the coalition of civic, corporate, philanthropic, and community partners on which the community-prosperity agenda depends; build and lead the portfolio’s eventual team.
• Coordinate and support the revenue-lane teams across philanthropy/giving, earned revenue, and venture/innovation; keep lanes clear and commitments met.
• Identify operational risks and bottlenecks early; resolve conflict constructively; protect team focus and strengthen the Division’s partnership with the broader university community.

Supervisory Responsibility

Directly leads a team that includes development operations, administration, and the Division's strategic marketing & communications, as well as the economic/community-development, government affairs, and community engagement functions. Provides coordination, oversight, support, and accountability to all revenue-generating lanes and team members across philanthropy/giving, earned revenue, and venture/innovation.

Qualifications

To perform this job satisfactorily, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability, and environmental conditions required.

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Demonstrated success as an operational leader, integrator, chief of staff, senior project management, or COO-type role, including building management systems and driving accountability in a complex organization/projects.
• Proven ability, experience, and substantial success in community development, economic development, and community engagement, including conceptualizing and personally managing and delivering complex, large-scale development projects to completion.
• Experience directly leading operations and/or marketing/communications teams; experience leading and developing professional staff and comfort holding strong peers and leaders accountable.
• Proven ability to prioritize amid competing demands and lead execution to completion; strong data, planning, and process orientation with sound judgment under ambiguity and pace.

Preferred: Experience in higher-education advancement, development operations, or a mission-driven enterprise; familiarity with operating frameworks such as EOS/Traction and with CRM and fundraising/operations analytics; a track record in a growth, startup, or turnaround environment; and alignment with community-prosperity mission.

Education & Physical Requirements

• Required Formal Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Physical Requirements: Typical office and campus environment. Regular use of a computer and standard office equipment. Some regional travel and evening/weekend hours required for partner, employer, and community engagements.