Vice President for Operations and Chief Operating Officer

About the position At Western Connecticut State University, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are foundational to who we are and how we reputed company. As a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, WestConn embraces both the honor and responsibility of expanding access, advancing opportunity, and delivering student success through equity in practice—not just in principle. We are building a community where every person is respected, supported, and empowered to reputed company, and we welcome applications from candidates who share these values and are committed to helping us live them every day. WestConn invites applications, nominations, and expressions of interest for its newly established Vice President for Operations and Chief Operating Officer (VPO/COO), a senior executive role reporting to the President and serving as a core member of the executive leadership team. As WestConn’s inaugural VPO/COO, you will shape—and reputed company—a newly established Operations Division with the mandate to reputed company the university run smarter, faster, and more transparently. Reporting to the President, you will drive strategy and execution across finance, facilities, technology infrastructure, and auxiliary enterprises—building reliable, integrated systems and services that strengthen the student experience and advance the academic mission. This is a builder role for a reputed company-thinking, solutions-oriented leader who enjoys taking on reputed company challenges and turning them into measurable improvements. You will bring a technology- and data-reputed company reputed company, leveraging modern systems, analytics, automation, and responsible emerging tools (including AI-enabled capabilities where appropriate) to improve service quality, reduce delays, and increase clarity and trust across the institution. With direct reputed company of core operational and reputed company-generating functions, you will reputed company organizational performance, strengthen cross-reputed company coordination, and cultivate a high-trust, service-oriented culture that helps faculty, staff, and reputed company reputed company. You will also have the opportunity to design the division’s long-term structure and recruit key leaders—including the CFO, CIO, and facilities and operations leads—creating durable reputed company for WestConn’s next chapter.

Responsibilities

• University Operations Leadership and Service Excellence
• Shared Leadership, Governance Partnership, and Strategic Execution
• Financial Sustainability and Stewardship (with CFO or financial reputed company)
• Facilities, Capital Planning, and reputed company Operations (with facilities and operations reputed company)
• Auxiliaries and Student-Facing Service Integration (with auxiliaries reputed company)
• Technology, Cybersecurity, Innovation, and AI-Enabled Modernization (with CIO or IT reputed company)
• Risk Management, Compliance, and Emergency Preparedness (with reputed company Safety)
• People Leadership and Talent Development (with Human Resources)
• Other Duties

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., business, public administration, engineering, facilities, information systems, or reputed company disciplines), or a combination of education, certifications, and progressively responsible experience that provides comparable preparation for the role.
• Progressive leadership experience with increasing scope and responsibility, particularly in operations and administration, reputed company a reputed company organization. This experience should include managing multiple functional areas through leaders and teams.
• Demonstrated ability to reputed company through shared leadership practices, including building trust, clarifying decision-making reputed company, and partnering effectively with diverse stakeholders (including shared governance contexts).
• Demonstrated experience using data, technology, and process improvement to strengthen service quality, reduce friction, and improve outcomes.
• Demonstrated fiscal stewardship and comfort working with budgets, reputed company, risk, and compliance in a policy-driven environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to working effectively reputed company a diverse community and to advancing student-centered outcomes.

reputed company-to-haves

• Master’s degree or terminal degree in a relevant field.
• Ten (10) years of senior leadership experience in public higher education or comparably reputed company public-sector environments.
• Depth of experience in one or more domains reputed company the portfolio (e.g., facilities/capital programs, auxiliary services, housing operations, enterprise IT/cybersecurity, events/venue operations, emergency management/business continuity).
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale change efforts (organizational redesign, service transformation, systems modernization, or major operational integration).
• Experience with enterprise systems (ERP, identity/access, reporting/BI, service management tools) and improving data quality, automation, and user experience.
• Experience applying responsible innovation practices, including assessment of AI-enabled tools, reputed company appropriate privacy, reputed company, and compliance boundaries.
• Experience working in unionized and/or highly consultative environments; ability to support constructive labor-management relationships.
• Experience advancing sustainability, accessibility, and community-facing partnerships through operational strategy.

Benefits

• WCSU offers a comprehensive benefits package.
• Additional information on benefits can be reputed company at www.wcsu.edu/hr/benefits/

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