Senior Director of Planning and Project Management

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Department:

Planning & Project Management

Time Type:

Full time

Job Type:

Regular

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Work Modality:

Full On Campus Presence

Union:

Job Description:

Summary:

The Sr. Director, Planning and Project Development is responsible for leading strategic planning initiatives, overseeing the development and execution of major capital and operational projects, and ensuring alignment with the University’s long-term goals. This role also leads the Office of Space Planning and Management, ensuring that campus space is effectively planned, allocated, and managed to support academic, research, and administrative priorities.

The Sr. Director develops, evaluates, and presents alternatives related to project scope, budget, and schedule, supporting informed decision-making by University leadership. They may serve in either a leadership or support role on projects as assigned, always ensuring a high degree of responsiveness to service requests and operational needs.

The Sr. Director promotes and enforces a culture of customer service excellence, ensuring that interactions with students, faculty, staff, and other internal and external stakeholders reflect the University’s values of collaboration, respect, and accountability.

This role requires an experienced planner and project manager who can guide complex initiatives from concept to completion while balancing technical knowledge, strategic thinking, and stakeholder engagement.

Essential Functions:

1.) Strategic Planning and Project Development

• Leads campus-wide planning efforts; develops project scopes, schedules, budgets; evaluates and presents planning alternatives; aligns initiatives with institutional goals.

2.) Project Oversight and Support

• Serves in lead or support role on capital and operational projects; coordinates with internal stakeholders; monitors planning milestones and deliverables.

3.) Customer Service and Stakeholder Engagement

• Ensures responsive, service-oriented interactions with students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders; represents the department in meetings and presentations.

4.) Team Leadership and Supervision

• Supervises planning and space management staff; manages workload, mentoring, and performance expectations.

 

5.) Budget and Compliance Oversight

• Develops and manages planning-related budgets; ensures compliance with institutional policies, codes, and regulations.

6.) Other Duties as Assigned

• Performs additional duties or special projects as requested to support departmental or institutional goals.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Directly supervises a team of three full-time planning and space management professionals, providing guidance, performance management, and professional development.

• May also oversee and coordinate the work of student assistants or interns supporting planning and project development activities.

Competencies:

1.) Strategic Thinking

• Demonstrates the ability to align planning initiatives with institutional priorities and anticipate future needs.

2.) Project Management

• Effectively manages complex projects from concept to completion, ensuring scope, schedule, and budget objectives are met.

3.) Space Planning and Utilization

• Applies best practices in space assessment, allocation, and planning to optimize institutional resources.

4.) Customer Service Orientatio