Chief Operations Officer

NO VISA SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION.
Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a Baskin Engineering or affiliate staff position. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa for staff.

HOW TO APPLY

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 2 weeks

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Originally founded in 1997, the Baskin School of Engineering is the first professional school at UC Santa Cruz. Over the past 25 years, Baskin Engineering (BE) has become a unique 21st century school of engineering, applied science, and technology, characterized by evolutionary growth fueled by ongoing research opportunities that open new areas of intellectual inquiry. Baskin Engineering has grown to include six academic departments, a variety of research centers and institutes, and has ambitious plans for further programmatic growth. The focus of Baskin Engineering educational programming is to instill strong basic knowledge for sound practice in ethical engineering for the well-being of society, and its diverse curricula facilitate creative thinking and prepare students for productive and rewarding careers. Baskin Engineering is focused on building collaborative connections and expanding instruction and research activities for faculty and students in Santa Cruz and at the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus in Santa Clara.

Over the past ten years, Baskin Engineering has experienced tremendous growth in student enrollment and research funding. BE currently supports nearly 30% of all undergraduate students and 40% of all graduate students on campus. BE has 130 senate faculty and 180 professional and research staff. Annual expenditures have been growing at a rate of 12% per year. For FY24, expenditures totaled $130M, including institutional and general operating funds of $70M, $60M in extramural grants and contracts, and $3M in gifts and endowments. The current endowment balance is $20M, and BE is pursuing revenue growth from gifts to support student success initiatives, research endeavors, and capital projects.

BE manages approximately 200k assignable square feet (ASF) in seven separate buildings on the main UCSC campus and at the 18-acre Westside Research Park located in Santa Cruz. BE also supports a cohort of faculty, PhD students, and master's professional degree programs at the UCSC Silicon Valley Campus located in Santa Clara.

Baskin Engineering champions new ideas and upholds the UCSC Principles of Community.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Senior Assistant Dean, the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the Baskin School of Engineering (BE) is a key member of the Dean's Cabinet and is responsible for overseeing some of the school's key day-to-day operational and administrative functions. The COO works closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and partners across campus to ensure the effective and efficient management of the school's resources in support of divisional educational and research goals.

The incumbent employs strong written and verbal communication skills, political acumen, and planning and project management skills to establish operational objectives and work plans across four teams (research administration, labs and facilities, space planning, and ITS). The COO develops, implements, and adaptively manages policies, practices, systems, and processes to streamline business operations and develop a customer-service and results-oriented culture within respective teams. The incumbent navigates a complex and dynamic set of competing demands with competency and flexibility and manages a variety of resources to meet the growing and increasingly complex needs of the BE academic enterprise.

The COO works closely with the Dean, Senior Assistant Dean, Associate Deans, Chief of Academic Operations, Chief People Officer, department chairs, faculty, and research center/institute directors. The incumbent also has regular interactions with senior staff and executives across campus administrative units and serves on campus committees and special task forces. The COO serves as a primary liaison with relevant campus administrative units, such as the Office of Research, Physical Planning, Development and Operations, and Campus ITS.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $159,650 - $190,500/year. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Career appointment

Job End Date: None

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus

Union Representation: Non-Represented

Job Code Classification: 000548 (ADMIN MGR 2) - Grade 27

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

50% - Management and Leadership

• Employs strong management skills to directly oversee three divisional teams: research administration, labs and facilities, and space planning, and oversees an additional embedded ITS team with shared reporting to a central campus ITS unit.
• Directly supervises unit heads across key operational functions: Research Administration, Labs and Facilities, Space Planning, and Information Technology Services (ITS). This includes setting clear performance expectations, ensuring accountability, and driving continuous improvement through regular evaluation and coaching.
• Facilitates collaboration between teams to ensure alignment and cohesion.
• Leads transformation initiatives, especially during periods of scaling, restructuring, or pivoting.
• Applies management principles, practices, and techniques to assess and adaptively manage clear, effective, and efficient workflow systems.
• Provides high-level strategic analysis and guidance to the Dean and Senior Assistant Dean regarding the development, organizational structuring, and resource allocation of the research administration, labs and facilities, space planning, and ITS teams.
• Sets a high operating standard for a respectful and functional work environment, and ensures that the UCSC Principles of Community are adhered to.

15% - Research Administration

• Supervises the Research Administration Manager, who manages a team of professional staff that oversee the administration of a $60M sponsored research portfolio- growing at a rate of more than 15% annually- to ensure compliance with sponsor and university policies.
• Implements policies and employs strong process design and organizational development principles to manage risk effectively while supporting research growth and ensuring Principal Investigators have a clear understanding of fund balances and administrative requirements.
• Ensures accurate and efficient operations, clear processes and communication, and that resources are appropriately right-sized and allocated to meet the division's and campus' reporting metrics and operational goals.
• Develops and implements practices and procedures for research administration, including those related to grant submission, compliance, and reporting. Ensures processes and reporting are clear and accessible to funding agencies and Principal Investigators.
• Ensures divisional research activities comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Works with faculty and staff to ensure compliance with financial, ethical, and legal standards in research, including the handling of sensitive data, intellectual property (IP), and the management of research ethics.
• Instills strong customer service ethics in team operations and implements conflict negotiation and diplomacy skills to ensure smooth operations among team members and relationships with key faculty, staff, and principal investigators.

15% - Labs and Facilities

• Supervises the Director of Labs and Facilities, who manages a team of professional staff that support the operations of labs and facilities on the main campus, the Westside Research Park, and the Silicon Valley Campus.
• Provides general direction and strong project management to the labs and facilities teams to ensure projects move forward efficiently and effectively.
• Ensures the successful execution of new divisional construction, renovation, and major maintenance projects.
• Ensures compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations and oversees emergency response plans.

10% - Space Planning

• Supervises the Director of Space Planning, who manages a team of professional staff that plan and oversee space planning for research labs, as well as staff and faculty offices across divisionally held spaces.
• Oversees the development and implementation of a short-term and long-term space planning strategy that aligns with the division's academic and administrative goals, growth projections, and evolving needs.
• Oversees the creation and maintenance of a divisional master plan, coordinating space allocation for academic, research, student services, and administrative functions.
• Working closely with the Director of Space Planning, continuously evaluates the division's current space usage to ensure efficient and effective utilization across departments, faculty, staff, and student services.

10% - ITS

• Shares supervision and oversight of the division's ITS team with the central Campus ITS division, which includes the Director of IT / ITS Divisional Liaison and professional ITS staff who manage the ITS and computing functions for the division.
• In partnership with Campus ITS, ensures reliable and high-quality delivery of IT services to the Baskin Engineering Community.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in related area and/or equivalent experience and/or training.
• Advanced ability to work as a member of a team.
• Excellent management skills with the demonstrated ability to mentor and motivate staff.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Excellent professionalism and customer service skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively listen and communicate complex ideas and details in a concise manner.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across the organization at all levels; ability to interact with diverse populations.
• Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills and strong political acumen.
• Strong project management skills and demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to evaluate processes to establish and maintain appropriate accountability structures and strong internal control elements and their impact on protecting university resources.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters in Business Administration.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• The selected candidate will be required to work primarily on campus, with periods of remote work possible based on operational needs. If a hybrid work schedule is confirmed, the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
• The selected candidate will be required to work all scheduled hours on-site.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• Ability to travel to multiple work locations on and off campus.
• Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.

MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

- UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
- UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
- Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.