Commensurate with education and experience

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO)

• Leadership and Integration: Provide strategic leadership to achieve the full integration and alignment of HR, IT, Capital Projects, Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Facilities and Operations, and Strategic Initiatives across all campuses.
• Operational Efficiency: Oversee the development and implementation of operational policies and procedures that enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and service delivery, ensuring a seamless experience across all university operations.
• Human Resources: Partner with the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to ensure talent management strategies align with the university’s goals and foster a supportive, inclusive, and engaged workforce across all campuses.
• Information Technology: Work closely with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to ensure campuses leverage technology to drive innovation, enhance services, and meet the operational needs of faculty, staff, and students.
• Capital Projects and Facilities: Oversee planning, execution, and management of all capital projects, ensuring timely completion, budget adherence, and alignment with the university's long-term goals. Ensure campus facilities are maintained to the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and functionality.
• Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Collaborate with the appropriate departments to meet the highest standards of health, safety, and emergency readiness. Develop, implement, and oversee comprehensive emergency preparedness plans, ensuring the university is equipped to respond effectively to a wide range of emergencies. Coordinate training and drills to prepare staff, faculty, and students for various emergency scenarios, fostering a culture of safety and preparedness across all campus operations.
• Strategic Initiatives: Lead the implementation of high-impact strategic initiatives that support the university’s long-term growth and operational excellence. This includes identifying and driving operational improvements and innovations that enhance the university’s overall mission.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Build strong relationships with university leadership, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders to align operational functions with the university's broader academic, research, and community goals.
• Board of Regents Interaction: Collaborate with the University President and executive leadership team to provide reports and updates on operational functions and strategic initiatives to the Board of Regents. Present and discuss key operational matters and decisions that impact the university’s long-term goals.
• Government and Community Relations: Collaborate with the Chief of Staff/VP of Executive Affairs along with local, state, and federal government officials to ensure compliance with regulations, promote university interests, and advocate for initiatives that support the university’s operational and strategic goals. Together, represent the university in discussions with public and private sector leaders regarding operational partnerships and infrastructure projects, aligning them with the institution's long-term objectives.
• Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities for process optimization, cost savings, and operational efficiency while ensuring high standards of service and compliance with university policies and regulations.

• Institutional Operational Alignment – Lead the OneOU Initiative by streamlining administrative and technology systems across the institution. Ensure consistency in platforms such as student information systems, email clients, hiring platforms, and CRMs, fostering efficiency and cross-campus collaboration.
  • Conduct a comprehensive audit of existing administrative and technology systems across all three campuses (Norman, HSC, and Tulsa).
  • Identify key integration opportunities for systems such as student information systems, hiring platforms, CRMs, and email clients to streamline processes.
  • Create an implementation roadmap for the OneOU Initiative, with stakeholder buy-in and phased timelines.
• Optimizing Resources & Operational Efficiency – Identify and eliminate redundancies across reporting areas and other administrative functions. Implement data-driven strategies to improve efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and service quality while aligning resources with institutional priorities.
  • Identify redundancies in reporting structures and administrative functions to establish baseline efficiencies (Norman, HSC, and Tulsa).
  • Launch at least one major cost-saving initiative that reduces administrative burden without sacrificing service quality.
• Strategic Planning & Execution – Oversee the Strategic Initiatives Office by developing, executing, and monitoring key strategic initiatives. Ensure initiatives are benchmarked, measured, and reported timely, accurately, and clearly to leadership, driving progress toward institutional goals. Identify key strategic ideas that often cross functional areas (e.g., University Hotel, Campus Corner development, property development, etc.) to ensure value-add opportunities are discussed with university leadership.
  • Establish a clear structure for tracking and reporting progress on strategic initiatives, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  • Develop an evaluation framework for projects that cross multiple functional areas (e.g., University Hotel, Campus Corner, property development) to measure feasibility and institutional impact.
• Campus Operations & Service Excellence – Oversee critical campus services, including housing and food, police, facilities, parking, real estate, and printing. Implement best practices to enhance service delivery, safety, and affordability while ensuring a seamless experience for students, faculty, and staff.
  • Conduct a university-wide service assessment for critical operations (housing, food, police, facilities, parking, real estate, printing).
  • Implement quick-win service improvements in high-need areas to enhance student, faculty, and staff experiences.
• Internal/External Leadership –Foster a culture of collaboration and high performance across academic and administrative units. Build relationships with key external constituencies across the State to help position the University for success in development/fundraising and also execution of the Strategic Plan Refresh.
  • Build strong relationships with university leadership, faculty, and administrative teams (Norman, HSC, and Tulsa).
  • Develop and leverage relationships with external partners to position the university for success in achieving its strategic goals.

• Consistent systems and processes across campuses (in partnership with VP and CFO) – Applicant Tracking, Back Office Support, Time System, Web Platform, Data/Reporting, Training Module, Grant Modules, On-Boarding System, Systemwide Employee Engagement Initiatives
• Data standards/integrity system wide
• Strategic Plan Implementation (With Leadership):
  • Publication of Dashboards
  • Campus and College strategic plan alignment
• Consolidation of Emergency Preparedness Function
• Consolidation of OUPD Function
• Established strong relationships built on mutual respect/trust with key campus, local, and state leaders
• Employer of Choice in our markets:
  • Compensation
  • Work Life Balance
  • OU Employee Health Plan – Competitive and Cost Effective

• Strong leadership and team-building skills with the ability to inspire and motivate staff at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to positively engage and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, project management, and implementing large operational improvements.
• Deep understanding of HR, IT, facilities management, and safety operations in a higher education or similarly complex setting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a focus on achieving results.

• Strong leadership and team-building skills with the ability to inspire and motivate staff at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, project management, and implementing large operational improvements.
• Deep understanding of HR, IT, facilities management, and safety operations in a higher education or similarly complex setting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines effectively.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a focus on achieving results.

• Visionary & Strategic Thinker  - Takes a long-term view and builds a shared core purpose with others; influences others to translate core purpose into action/behaviors.
• Creative & Innovative Problem Solver - Adaptable to trends and abilities to evaluate the costs, risks, and benefits associated with alternative actions and innovative solutions.
• Data-Driven & Process-Oriented - Understands the complexity of key issues and crystallizes its components through qualitative and quantitative measures toward streamlining processes and achieving objectives.
• Change Agent & Adaptable Leader - Success leading transformative change and strengthening cross-organizational strategy and impact. Initiates and implements support for innovation and for changes needed to improve efficiency/effectiveness; helps others move from a current to desired state.
• Collaborative & Relationship-Oriented - Establishes and fosters mutually beneficial relationships, networks and strategic alliances, both internally and externally, which create opportunities benefiting all parties.
• Decisive & Results-Driven -  Identifies critical issues and uses logic, judgment, and data to evaluate alternatives and recommends solutions to achieve the desired organizational goals outcomes.
• Transparent & Ethical - Maintains highest levels of personal and professional integrity, demonstrating clear and unhindered honesty in business practices; lacks hidden agendas or conditions; fully discloses timely and accurate information.