Vice President Institutional Operations (University Setting)

Job Description

Our client, a local NYC metro University is seeking an accomplished and visionary executive to serve as Vice President of Institutional Operations — a pivotal leader responsible for advancing the President’s vision and ensuring seamless alignment of strategy, operations, and culture across the institution.

This newly established position represents the University’s continued evolution into a world-class institution, building on its 90+-year legacy while embracing its future as a dynamic, globally engaged center of learning and innovation.

Serving as the President’s senior strategic partner and a unifying force among executive leadership, the Vice President will translate vision into coordinated action—driving clarity, accountability, and measurable progress toward the University’s most important goals.

The ideal candidate is a systems-minded leader who can connect strategy to execution, align priorities across diverse functions, and ensure every part of the organization is working in concert to advance institutional excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as a senior advisor and operational partner to the President, translating institutional vision into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Partner with the President and Leadership Team to define annual priorities, track progress on key initiatives, and ensure accountability across academic and administrative areas.
• Represent the University and the President at executive, board, and community engagements, articulating mission and impact with clarity and conviction.

Institutional Operations & Effectiveness

• Lead initiatives that enhance communication, collaboration, and efficiency across the University.
• Optimize systems and processes to improve decision-making, resource allocation, and performance.
• Partner with senior leaders on organizational design, policy development, and change management initiatives that drive strategic priorities.
• Oversee select cross-functional projects on behalf of the President, ensuring alignment, momentum, and measurable results.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.
• 10–15 years of progressive leadership experience, ideally within higher education or a similarly complex organization.
• Proven record of leading large-scale initiatives and uniting cross-functional teams around shared goals.
• Strong communication, analytical, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across all levels.
• Deep commitment to the University’s mission of access, equity, and opportunity for economically and socially diverse students.