Manager of Strategic Initiatives

About the role

The Manager of Strategic Initiatives reports to the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Real Estate. This role is integral to the Vanderbilt University Real Estate, Facilities, and Development (REFD) division, focusing on complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives that enhance the University's real estate and development priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects across the real estate portfolio, ensuring projects advance on schedule and within defined scope.
• Cook up project plans, timelines, deliverables, and governance structures; manage cadence of meetings, scheduling, documentation, and senior-leadership updates.
• Oversee consultant workstreams, scopes, contract processes, and performance.
• Support real estate team members in advancing major initiatives such as the innovation neighborhood, campus expansions, and interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Conduct financial modeling, scenario analysis, NPV/IRR analyses, operating pro formas, feasibility studies, and project-level financial evaluations.
• Develop dashboards, KPIs, and data tools to track progress across real estate strategic initiatives.
• Work closely with Business Operations on contract spend, vendor invoices, budget tracking, and financial components of strategic initiatives.
• Strategically coordinate across the organization, working with the Assistant Vice Chancellor to understand all real estate-related activities and act as a connector between Real Estate, university departments, and external partners.
• Build project narratives, briefing materials, presentations, and analyses for senior executives, governance bodies, and cross-campus groups.
• Maintain documentation, metrics, and outcomes for the department, developing and overseeing program-level tracking and reporting.
• Contribute to broader planning efforts, including acquisitions/dispositions, land-use issues, portfolio strategy, and major development planning as necessary on behalf of the Assistant Vice Chancellor and with colleagues.
• Drive organizational change and technology adoption initiatives, including implementation of AI-enabled tools, data systems, technology platforms that increase efficiency, planning, workflow automation, and reporting.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree is required. Two years of direct experience are preferred, with experience as a real estate financial analyst, asset manager, or development analyst being beneficial. Project and/or program management experience, along with the ability to utilize relevant technology, are essential.

• Excellent organizational and planning skills are necessary.
• Superior time management skills with the ability to manage multiple, complex projects efficiently and effectively with quick turn-around are necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and understand data, to create a compelling narrative and recommendation, and to develop executive-level presentations is necessary.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and maintain vibrant connections with individuals across the university and externally are necessary.