Associate Director of Operations
Vanderbilt

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Description

The Associate Director of Operations serves as the operational lead for the newly established Office of the Deputy Provost-an evolving role shaped by Provost C. Cybele Raver's vision and institutional mandate.

Within this new office, the Associate Director of Operations will report to the Director of Strategy and serves as the primary operations lead, spearheading operational excellence, strategic coordination, and cross-functional project leadership. This role plays a foundational part in building the infrastructure, processes, and governance systems required to realize Provost Raver's long-range agenda. The Associate Director of Operations will shape how the office supports academic units, Provost-level initiatives, innovation expansion, and revenue development-ensuring cohesive and effective execution of Vanderbilt's next era of excellence.

The Associate Director of Operations functions as the Deputy Provost Office's operating partner-responsible for translating strategic priorities into executable plans, ensuring disciplined follow-through, and maintaining clear performance tracking. This role serves as the connective tissue between vision, resources, and execution, ensuring initiatives advance on time and with clear accountability. This role operates in a fast-moving, high-ambiguity environment where priorities may shift quickly in response to institutional needs, leadership direction, or emerging opportunities. The successful candidate will be energized-not destabilized-by evolving expectations and competing demands." to signal that 'keeping things running' is not enough-this is an adaptive role.

The Office of the Deputy Provost is an integral part of Vanderbilt's academic leadership structure, created under the direction of Provost C. Cybele Raver to strengthen institutional alignment, accelerate academic strategy, and expand executive capacity across the university. As the Provost's principal deputy, the Deputy Provost leads cross-cutting initiatives, professional education, interdisciplinary program development, institutional partnerships, and more-advancing Vanderbilt's mission. Key areas of oversight include four sub-units: the Office of Academic Program Review, Assessment & Accreditation (OAPRAA), the Office of Learning Innovation (OLI), the Vanderbilt University Press, and the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. With a focus on innovation and results, the Office of the Deputy Provost plays a central role in ensuring that Vanderbilt's academic enterprise is agile, integrated, and positioned for long-term excellence.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operations

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Deputy Provost's Office, including project pipeline management, communications protocols, budgeting processes, and institutional reporting.
• Translate assigned strategic initiatives into operational plans, with clear deliverables, timelines, and cross-unit alignment, and support ODP leaders with their assigned strategic initiatives.
• Design and implement scalable operational systems (e.g., project management platforms, knowledge repositories, reporting dashboards) that enable transparency, accountability, and data-driven decision-making at the executive level.
• Oversee cross-campus project execution and collaboration on initiatives requiring regular reporting or deliverables to the Deputy Provost.

Events & Planning

• Provide operational leadership for high-impact Deputy Provost-level events and programming.
• Oversee end-to-end execution of events and multi-session programs-setting objectives, programming that advances institutional goals, timelines, and roles-while coordinating across academic units, speakers, facilities, and in some cases, external partners.
• Ensure events and programming are operationally sound, brand-aligned, and execution-ready for senior leadership, including briefing materials, run-of-show planning, and post-event follow-through.

Deputy Provost Support

• Serve as the Deputy Provost's primary operational partner, ensuring priorities are reflected in calendars, workflows, and sequencing of commitments.
• Manage scheduling/calendaring with a strategic lens, aligning meetings, convenings, and deadlines with institutional priorities and decision-making cycles.
• Coordinate travel and related logistics to support efficient execution of the Deputy Provost's responsibilities, ensuring compliance with university policies and timely reimbursement.
  

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary
• At least 6-8 years of documented project management experience
• Proven record of leading cross-functional teams, and navigating complex organizational structures.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a high-volume, high-stakes portfolio of work-simultaneously advancing multiple initiatives, anticipating conflicts, making tradeoffs, and maintaining composure under pressure.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders; and proven ability to collaborate across all levels of the organization.
• Experience with strategic planning tools, performance tracking systems, and change management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; capacity to drive institutional outcomes through policy, planning, and execution.
• Maintaining organization while prioritizing and managing multiple projects, responsibilities, and workflows with strict deadlines in a rapidly changing environment is necessary.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to articulate and present information to various and diverse audiences is necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information is necessary.
• Willingness to learn and productively engage with changing technology and systems is necessary.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team is necessary.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software and applications; ability to assess and introduce new applications when appropriate, is necessary.
• Familiarity and experience with a wide range of administrative support functions is necessary, including calendaring (Outlook, Zoom, Teams), expense reports, etc..
• Experience supporting executive or cabinet-level leadership.

ABOUT US

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of "America's Best Large Employers" as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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