Director of Parking Operations

Special Instructions to Applicants: 

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. We suggest the documents be in a PDF format to avoid formatting issues 

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Director of Parking Operations (DPO) provides leadership and operational oversight for a high-demand campus parking system, ensuring safe, efficient, and customer-focused service for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This role blends people leadership, parking operations expertise, facilities knowledge, and strong campus partnership to support daily operations, major events, and long-term parking initiatives.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate is a people-first leader who knows parking operations inside and out and earns trust by being present, knowledgeable, and consistent. They are equally comfortable picking up trash, resetting barricades, and having strategic conversations with senior leaders. 

This individual is a motivator who builds a strong team culture with low turnover, sets clear expectations, recognizes great work, and isn’t afraid to make tough people decisions when needed. They are service-conscious, technologically savvy, and experienced in managing facilities, systems, and projects from concept through completion. 

Workplace Requirements:
This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at the Central Parking Office. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change. Exposure to various weather conditions is possible. This role is classified as an essential position, requiring on-site presence to effectively carry out its vital functions.

Annual Hiring Range: $80,000 - $92,500
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree

  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

• 4+ years of experience in parking operations to include strong supervisory experience

  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

• Licenses / Certifications: Valid Texas Driver's License (or ability to obtain within 30 days of employment) required with no more than three moving violations within the past 36 months and no convictions or deferred dispositions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) within the past three years. 

• Skills:

  • Strong knowledge of parking operations and facilities, including the maintenance, operation, design, and layout of surface lots and parking structures; ability to apply planning and analytic