Princeton University has retained Helbling to conduct an executive search to secure an Executive Director for Administration, Office of Capital Projects.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Capital Projects within the Facilities Organization, the Executive Director for Administration will play a critical role in the Office for Capital Projects (OCP) in providing strategic support services to the Program Managers and Project teams executing on Capital Plan II. The Executive Director collaborates closely with other officers and senior administrators in Facilities and University wide to facilitate the implementation of critical projects and initiatives in support of the goals for OCP. The Executive Director will manage the administrative team headed by the Office Manager, the Building Documents coordinator, and the Regulatory Team. 

Working with the Program Managers, the incumbent actively participates and provides input in the strategic planning and aids the Department in its execution of all design and construction projects and major renovations. In addition, the Executive Director reviews, recommends, and advises the Associate Vice President on the standards, policies, and procedures associated with the successful implementation and execution of complex, overlapping design and construction projects throughout OCP. The Executive director enforces department policies and procedures, establishing and enforcing document and operations QA/QC of all department projects. The incumbent is accountable for effective coordination and provides high level management oversight of related department activities.

The Executive Director is engaged in a broad range of activities, both highly strategic and tactical, to assist the AVP in executing their duties; concurrently works on initiatives and issues in multiple campus departments and leads cross-University projects; manages negotiations with outside entities; performs analysis, and writes and makes presentations on behalf of the OCP executive team; and provides counsel to, and follow-up on behalf of, the AVP in relation to administrative services.
 
This individual must embody core values essential to the Facilities Organization including collaboration with senior leaders, team members, and campus partners to support the Capital Plan, and must also cultivate and sustain cooperative working relationships with the Office of the Provost, the Offices of General Counsel, Campus Life, University Services, and Finance and Treasury, the Department of Public Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, and others.
 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities  

• Create a vision and action plan for administrative services for the Office of Capital Projects and establish a service model to support projects and initiatives.
• Draw on internal and/or external resources to evaluate opportunities to refine services, help secure required resources, and launch and implement administrative initiatives.
• Lead hiring, onboarding, resource, and training initiatives across the department. 
• With engagement from other OCP senior staff, develop department processes, procedures, and policies that accurately reflect department business practices. Provide training and deployment strategies for all new policies and procedures.

• Manage campus partnerships as necessary, and numerous other specialized areas of expertise that may be required. Create and be accountable for managing scope, budgets, and service delivery to the project / program teams. 
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to Capital Projects team in support of their work as required. 
• Participate in the selection process for consultant, preconstruction, and contractor selection, when appropriate as required. 

• Participate in a wide and diverse array of special projects and initiatives as directed by the AVP. 
• Prioritize numerous competing projects in alignment with AVP and OCP priorities.

• Maintain and grow partnerships with internal Facilities partners such as Facilities Finance and Administrative Services; the Offices of Sustainability, Operations, and Engineering and Campus Energy; and the Office of the University Architect. 
• Maintain and grow partnerships with external Facilities partners such as the Office of the Provost, University Services, the Department of Public Safety, etc.
• Provide supervision, leadership, and training to the Administrative Team’s administrative, document processing, regulatory team, and special projects staff.
• Oversee all the department’s operational and business processes through the administrative staff.
• Oversee the Regulatory Team, ensuring projects under review remain on schedule. Coordinate with the design teams and the local regulatory authorities to ensure project approvals are received on time to maintain project schedules.
• Mentor staff.

About Princeton

Princeton University is a private, Ivy League research university set on a 600-acre suburban campus in Princeton, NJ. Princeton was ranked #1 in National Universities in the 2022 Best Colleges Rankings of U.S. News & World Report. The University is home to world-class research facilities that are available to researchers across disciplines and departments. Princeton University is classified as "R1: Research Universities (Highest research activity)" in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Having the strengths of a major research university with the qualities of an outstanding liberal arts college makes Princeton University truly exceptional.

Location

Princeton, NJ

Helpful Links

• Princeton University: http://www.princeton.edu
• Princeton University Office of Capital Projects: https://facilities.princeton.edu/about-us/office-of-capital-projects 
• Princeton Current Campus Plan: https://campusplan.princeton.edu/current-campus-plan
• Visit Princeton: http://www.visitprinceton.org

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as engineering, architecture, real estate, business, etc. or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Experience in managing capital design & construction projects.
• Familiarity with all aspects of how to effectively support large-scale critical projects in a university setting. 
• Significant demonstrated success in leadership of both people and/or real estate organizations, with proven skills in leadership and communication to effectively engage and motivate staff. 
• Extensive experience and a well-developed maturity in decision processes and leading/managing diverse teams with conflicting needs or requirements. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as the ability to develop and maintain effective customer relationships within a team approach to project management. 
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex matters and an excellent problem solving (e.g., strategic, structured, and data-driven) and project management capabilities.  Ability to manage multiple complex projects with varying scope and multiple stages of completion.
• Assertive and collaborative skills capable of maintaining momentum of the project and ability to continually exercise exceptional judgment and integrity. 
• Highly independent and able to lead complex initiatives with a minimum amount of direction.
• Effective organizational, prioritization, and multi-tasking skills. 
• Ability to understand existing policies, processes, and procedures; and conceive of and implement new work procedures to enhance efficiency or execution to individual project circumstances.
• Strong ability to analyze complex data and discover insights that produce real-world impact and improvement.
• Political and organizational savvy, remaining sensitive to the culture of the University and its many constituencies, but driven both to accomplish progress and to develop others.
• Inherently collegial and service-oriented approach and style.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment is essential. 
• A demonstrated interest in, familiarity with, and understanding of the wide range of issues affecting Princeton University. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, architecture, business, or related field.
• Previous experience working in the higher education environment, the construction industry, or real estate development.