Vice President for Construction, Facilities, and Real Estate - University of Florida

Vice President for Construction, Facilities, and Real Estate

You belong at a university that’s leading the way!

The University of Florida has strengthened its ranking among the nation’s top-10 public universities, listed as the No. 1 public university in The Wall Street Journal’s 2024 Best U.S. Colleges and ranked by Forbes as the No. 4 public university in the nation and among the top institutions in the country for return on investment, according to the magazine's 2024-25 list of America's Top Colleges. 

UF’s Vice President for Construction, Facilities, and Real Estate will serve as collaborative leader, fostering a culture of excellence and delivering upon an unparallelled service mission within operational areas of oversight, and across the university community, at-large.  Above all, this person must exhibit and align to the core values of UF and be exceptional in people development and culture building.

This strategic thinker serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing specific support services in Planning, Design and Construction, Facilities Services, and the Office of Real Estate for UF’s main campus in Gainesville, Florida.  This role also coordinates with major off-campus initiatives such as UF Health, UF’s Jacksonville Campus and the Gainesville Innovation District.   

This service portfolio includes Planning, Design, and Construction’s (PD&C) current oversight of 40 major construction projects and 457 minor construction projects, with a combined total of value of approximately $2 billion in all phases of construction.  PD&C is responsible for UF’s long-range campus master planning activities, as well as the development and implementation of a Capital Improvement Plan, acting as the Owner’s Representative for the corresponding building, planning, programming, budgeting, design and construction team selection, project design, bidding, and construction management activities.  PD&C also administers the Sustainable Building program, which UF has the most amount of green certified space of any University. 

The Vice President’s portfolio includes UF Facilities Services, which delivers the maintenance, custodial, grounds, refuse, and utility services to include performance-based energy efficiency contracts on a magnitude comparable with most small municipalities. Specifically, Facilities Services is responsible for the operation and maintenance of 400 buildings on campus with more than 8 million square feet in Educational and General buildings and an additional 4.5 million square feet at UF’s Health Science Center. Additionally, Facilities Services provides leadership in custodial and maintenance operations within Housing and Residence Life, encompassing an additional 3 million square feet and 100 buildings.  

In addition, the Vice President will oversee UF’s Office of Real Estate, which handles all aspects of real estate transactions, including leases, purchases, dispositions, development, valuations, easements, negotiations, and closings for a variety of property types, including general and medical office, research / lab, data center, land, residential, and warehouse / storage facilities.  In support of the University of Florida Development Corporation, the Office of Real Estate oversees the management and development of university owned property in the Gainesville Innovation District. 

Responsibilities

As the Vice President for Construction, Facilities, and Real Estate this senior leader will oversee UF functions of campus planning, construction management, facilities and grounds maintenance, utilities, real estate operations, and all related aspects of budgeting, planning and regulatory compliance for these functions.

Job Specific Duties

• Provides strategic direction
• Manages an exceptional team of professionals
• Liaison to UF Cabinet/Administration, the Board of Trustees, the Florida Board of Governors and other local, state and federal officials related to UF’s construction and development activities
• Ensures appropriate compliance and regulatory oversight of all associated processes
• Oversees the development of UF’s Capital Improvement Plan and Educational Plant Survey project coordination
• Manages an annual operating budget in excess of $280,000,000
• Participates and provides input into UF’s long-term campus master planning activities
• Partners with on and off campus stakeholders for issues related to development, utilities, and infrastructure

Leadership & Governance

UF is led by  the university’s senior leadership, including the president, vice presidents and college deans. UF has 16 colleges and numerous institutes as well as the UF Health system of hospitals and clinics, and associated colleges and research institutes.  UF is governed by the Board of Trustees (BOT). The BOT sets policies and is the legal owner and final authority. Six members are appointed by the governor, and five citizens are appointed by the state’s Board of Governors . The chair of the faculty senate and the student body president are ex officio members of the BOT and are also voting members. The Board of Governors is a 17-member governing board for all state University System (SUS) public universities in Florida.

Our Commitment 

We value providing spaces for collaboration and camaraderie where employees can show up for work at their best, feel supported and have a sense of connection through purposeful interactions.  

This culture is supported by the University of Florida, an equal employment employer that is committed to non-discrimination with respect to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other nonmerit-based factors. These protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring, appraisal systems, promotions, training, and career development programs.

The “government in the sunshine” laws of Florida require that all documents relating to the search process, including letters of application/nomination and reference, be available for public inspection upon request. 

Salary is commensurate with education and experience. The University of Florida offers a total rewards package that includes generous health insurance and retirement plans, life, and robust leave, and wellbeing programs along with other perks and offerings. 

Master’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization and eight years of appropriate experience; or a bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and ten years of appropriate experience.

• Experience in construction, at a large land-grant institution, preferably with a medical research enterprise and teaching hospital
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects, teams, and budgets
• Experience working with a senior-level board structure
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills and presentation experience 
• A creative and entrepreneurial approach
• Energy and enthusiasm for new ideas
• Ability to effect change through influence and collaboration
• Commitment to the highest ethical standards and commitment to transparency

Interested applicants must submit an online application with the following materials: 

• A cover letter highlighting relevant qualifications 
• A resume
• A list of three professional references

Review of applications will begin on Thursday, September 26, 2024 and full consideration will be given to all applications submitted by Friday, October 4, 2024 at 11:55 p.m. Applications submitted after this date may be considered at the discretion of the hiring authority.  Inquiries can be made to Audrey Gainey, Director of Talent Acquisition and Onboarding - Strategic Talent Group at STG@ufl.edu.