Assistant Vice Chancellor/Executive Director

The Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director, Campus Network Strategy and Implementation is a senior leader within the Division of Administration responsible for designing and operationalizing the administrative, financial, and governance models that support Vanderbilt University’s expanding national campus strategy.

Vanderbilt is entering a period of bold and accelerated growth. At a time when many institutions of higher education are contracting, the university is extending its presence through strategic investments in New York City, West Palm Beach, San Francisco, and Chattanooga. These initiatives are designed to expand Vanderbilt’s academic excellence, research innovation, and community engagement into dynamic markets across the country.

Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Administration and working in close partnership with the Division’s Chief Operating Officer, this role serves as a key bridge between institutional strategy and execution. The Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director will translate strategic priorities into scalable operating frameworks that enable campus launch, growth, and long-term sustainability across multiple locations.

This role operates at the enterprise level and partners across academic and administrative units to define how work is structured, delivered, and integrated across campuses. The Assistant Vice Chancelor and Executive Director will lead the development of cross-campus operating models, ensuring alignment in governance, financial structures, service delivery, and administrative systems while allowing for appropriate local adaptation.

The position is ideal for a strategic operator who combines strong financial acumen, organizational design expertise, and higher education fluency with the ability to execute in complex, fast-paced, and evolving environments.

About the Work Unit

The Division of Administration supports Vanderbilt University’s academic mission by providing essential services that ensure a safe, efficient, and welcoming campus environment. These services span a broad portfolio of operational, administrative, and student-facing functions that enable the university’s teaching, research, and community engagement activities.

As Vanderbilt expands its presence beyond Nashville, the Division of Administration plays a critical role in designing and delivering the infrastructure that supports extended campuses. This includes developing scalable operating models, aligning systems and processes, and ensuring consistency across locations while allowing for local adaptation.

The Executive Director, Campus Network Strategy and Implementation is embedded within this broader effort and focuses on enterprise design and cross-campus integration. This role partners closely with leaders across Academic Affairs, Finance, People, Culture and Belonging, Real Estate, Facilities and Development, and other administrative units to establish a cohesive approach to governance, operations, and service delivery across Vanderbilt’s growing network of campuses.

Operating in a highly dynamic environment, this role requires balancing near-term execution with long-term design, ensuring that Vanderbilt’s expansion is supported by strong, sustainable, and integrated operational foundations.

Key Functions and Expected Performance

External Campus Operating Model Design

• Develop and implement a scalable, enterprise-wide operating model for Vanderbilt’s external campuses 
• Define administrative, academic, and operational frameworks that ensure consistency while allowing for regional flexibility 
• Establish governance structures, reporting relationships, and functional alignment across core areas including HR, Finance, IT, Legal, Communications, and Facilities 
• Design staffing and leadership models aligned to campus size, complexity, and growth trajectory 
• Create transition strategies to support campuses as they evolve into mature, long-term operating units 

Financial Strategy, Planning and Capital Infrastructure

• Develop multi-year financial models and operating budgets for each external campus  
• Establish financial governance standards, reporting structures, and performance expectations 
• Align operating and capital planning with enterprise-wide strategic priorities 
• Design stage-gate processes for major investments, including leases, renovations, and capital projects 
• Ensure disciplined financial stewardship while supporting institutional growth and expans