Chief Facilities Officer

Chief Facilities Officer - Facilities Management Job Post

Description: Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University, one of the nation`s leading research universities, seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative leader with a strong track record of building relationships and strengthening communication across complex organizations to serve as its next Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer. This rare opportunity offers the chance to shape one of higher education`s most dynamic facilities portfolios and help guide Vanderbilt through a period of significant growth, expansion, and institutional transformation.

Reporting to Carl Rodrigues, Vice Chancellor for Real Estate, Facilities and Development, and serving as a key member of the university`s leadership team, the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer will oversee three direct reports, an annual operating budget of approximately $100 million, and a typical annual capital budget of approximately $500 million. Vanderbilt University Facilities is home to a skilled, service-oriented team of more than 530 professionals responsible for the university`s physical infrastructure, including two combined heat and power plants, extensive underground utility systems, capital project delivery, and environmental health, safety, and sustainability programs.

Vanderbilt Facilities is part of the Division of Real Estate, Facilities and Development (REF&D), which shapes and sustains Vanderbilt`s physical environment in support of institutional priorities. The division integrates real estate strategy, facilities operations, and campus development across Vanderbilt`s 340-acre Nashville campus and more than 8 million square feet of building space. REF&D also oversees commercial and multifamily properties, manages major capital projects and renovations, and leads strategic acquisitions that strengthen the university, enhance the campus experience, and support innovation and community engagement. The next Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer will play a critical role in advancing the division`s priorities through collaborative leadership, operational excellence, and strategic vision.

A defining aspect of this opportunity is Vanderbilt`s expansion beyond Nashville through a network of new campuses in New York City, San Francisco, West Palm Beach, and Chattanooga. The Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer will lead the planning, development, and execution of these high-profile initiatives’ design, and construction from concept to execution, working with university leadership, external stakeholders, developers, architects, and community leaders to shape a connected, multi-campus enterprise.

The Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer will provide strategic and operational leadership across Vanderbilt’s expanding campus network, overseeing design and construction, facilities management, utilities and energy systems, and environmental health, safety, and sustainability. They will advance the university’s physical and operational strategy by applying leading practices, directing major capital investments, modernizing infrastructure, adopting emerging technologies—including AI-enabled solutions—enhancing customer service, and aligning facilities priorities with Vanderbilt’s academic, research, and student-centered mission.

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.