Senior Director of Research Operations and Academic Space Management

Overview

The Office of Academic Space Management (ASM) coordinates the operation, planning, and stewardship of research, teaching laboratory, and academic space across Arts, Sciences & Engineering (AS&E), including both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. ASM serves as a strategic resource to school leadership, academic units, faculty, and university partners in setting priorities for the development, assignment, renovation, and use of research and academic spaces.

ASM directly manages multiple facilities on the Medford/Somerville campus, including the Tsungming Tu Complex, Collaborative Learning and Innovation Complex, Joyce Cummings Center, Science & Technology Center, Barnum Hall, Eaton Hall, and Bacon teaching laboratories, while also providing planning and project support across AS&E's broader academic and research space portfolio.

This is an exciting opportunity for a collaborative and strategic leader to shape the future of research operations and academic space across a highly research-intensive environment. The Senior Director of Research Operations and Academic Space Management will play a critical role in supporting faculty success, faculty recruitment, research growth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the effective stewardship of laboratories, research facilities, classrooms, and academic spaces that advance the teaching and research mission of Tufts University.

Application Materials: A cover letter is required as part of the application process. Please review the Application Instructions section below for additional details.

What You'll Do

Reporting jointly to the Executive Administrative Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Executive Administrative Dean of the School of Engineering, the Senior Director of Research Operations and Academic Space Management serves as a strategic advisor and operational leader responsible for helping shape the future of research and academic space across Arts & Sciences and Engineering.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for research operations, laboratory and academic space planning, building operations, and space governance. You will partner with faculty, department leaders, and university stakeholders to ensure that research, teaching, and academic spaces effectively support faculty success, faculty recruitment, research growth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the long-term priorities of both schools.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Research and Academic Space Planning

• Develop and implement short- and long-range space strategies, including a multi-year research space plan that supports the schools' academic, research, and strategic priorities.
• Advise school leadership on the effective, safe, and compliant use of research laboratories, teaching labs, offices, classrooms, and academic support spaces.
• Partner with faculty, academic departments, and university stakeholders to assess space, equipment, infrastructure, and access needs in support of faculty recruitment, onboarding, retention, and research growth.
• Lead and support space assignments, renovations, decommissioning efforts, and new construction planning across the schools' research and academic portfolio.
• Advance initiatives that promote interdisciplinary teaching, research collaboration, and effective stewardship of shared resources.
• Partner with school leadership on capital planning and budgeting efforts, ensuring that space and infrastructure priorities are aligned with long-term institutional goals.

Research Operations, Facilities Management, and Project Leadership

• Serve as the primary school-level liaison with Campus Planning, Planning Design & Construction, Facilities Services, University Information Technology (UIT), Environmental Health & Safety, Public Safety, vendors, architects, and contractors.
• Help prioritize, scope, plan, and oversee research, laboratory, academic, and facilities-related projects, ranging from laboratory renovations and infrastructure upgrades to space reconfigurations and occupancy initiatives.
• Ensure projects are appropriately budgeted, scheduled, communicated, and executed in alignment with school priorities and university standards.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across the schools to support building operations, infrastructure planning, access management, technology needs, furniture planning, equipment storage, and related operational initiatives.

Space Analytics, Governance, and Decision Support

• Maintain and oversee space inventories, databases, utilization metrics, and related reporting tools that support data-informed decision making.
• Analyze research productivity, space utilization, occupancy, and operational data to inform planning, resource allocation, and policy development.
• Prepare recommendations, presentations, and analyses for faculty leaders, department administrators, and senior leadership.
• Support the identification, tracking, and sharing of research equipment, facilities, and other high-value resources across the Medford/Somerville campus.
• Develop and support policies, practices, and governance processes that promote effective use of research and academic space.

Research Infrastructure, Laboratory Operations, and Compliance Coordination

• Partner with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities Services, faculty, department administrators, and academic leadership to support research and teaching laboratory operations.
• Coordinate planning related to laboratory readiness, research infrastructure, equipment needs, hazardous materials storage considerations, and compliance-related space requirements.
• Support initiatives that strengthen shared research infrastructure, improve utilization of specialized equipment, and enhance the stewardship of high-cost scientific resources.
• Foster collaboration and operational excellence across research and teaching environments while supporting the evolving needs of faculty and researchers.

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Academic Space Management team, fostering a culture of collaboration, service, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish team priorities, oversee day-to-day operations, and develop consistent practices related to research operations, space planning, building management, and academic space stewardship.
• Oversee budgets, administrative processes, and service functions supporting ASM-managed facilities and programs.
• Partner with school leadership on special initiatives and strategic projects that advance the research and academic mission of Arts & Sciences and Engineering.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to faculty and senior leadership on research operations, academic space strategy, facilities planning, and institutional priorities.

What We're Looking For

Application Instructions:

Please submit a resume and cover letter (2 pages maximum) for consideration.

In your cover letter, describe your experience leading research operations, academic and research space strategy, and complex institutional initiatives. Highlight one or two significant accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to use data to inform decisions, balance strategic objectives with operational realities, and partner effectively with faculty, researchers, and senior leadership. Please also share what interests you about this opportunity and the unique perspective or expertise you would bring to Tufts University.

Basic Requirements:
Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• Ph.D. in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with experience working in a wet-laboratory environment.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in research operations, laboratory management, academic administration, facilities management, space planning, or a related field.
• Significant experience supporting research space planning and management, laboratory operations, facilities projects, and/or academic space management.
• Experience working in a higher education, academic research, science, engineering, healthcare, medical, or other research-intensive environment.
• Experience supervising professional staff and coordinating work across faculty, academic departments, facilities teams, vendors, and university partners.
• Demonstrated success managing complex research operations, laboratory infrastructure initiatives, facilities projects, and scientific space portfolios.
• Strong understanding of laboratory infrastructure, research equipment needs, space utilization, hazardous materials considerations, and faculty research support.
• Ability to analyze operational, utilization, project, and budget data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communication, organizational, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, databases, project tracking systems, and space management tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience as a research faculty member, postdoctoral researcher, laboratory leader, research administrator, or similar professional actively supporting sponsored research in a wet-laboratory environment.
• Experience supporting science, engineering, or interdisciplinary research programs.
• Experience with Archibus or similar integrated workplace management or space management systems.
• Experience supporting faculty recruitment, laboratory start-up planning, research expansion initiatives, or other activities that support the growth of a research enterprise.

Pay Range

Minimum $143,900.00, Midpoint $179,800.00, Maximum $215,800.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.