Director, Campus Planning

Brandeis University seeks to hire a Director of Campus Planning who will be responsible for moving forward the university’s mission through the development of near- and long-term plans that foster the strategic use of physical assets across campus – buildings, landscape, infrastructure, and location.  As a service provider to the university community, the multi-faceted role of the Campus Planning office is to:

• collaborate with the Academy and Administration on programming efficient solutions to space requests, based on data-driven analyses;

• develop capital projects for review/approval by senior leadership and implementation by Capital Programs;

• lead campus master planning processes and program-related feasibility studies, typically involving multiple stakeholders;

• support the development of the university’s 5-year capital plan, focusing on program-related capital needs;

• oversee the university spatial database and campus maps;

• provide information on campus properties in graphic and data formats;

• support the university’s quest for donor funding to support capital projects

Reporting to the Vice President for Campus Planning and Operations, the ideal candidate has experience in higher education, has a track record of success in shifting work cultures toward more efficient and shared use of space, can develop and steer complex planning processes with multiple stakeholders, and is able to create and present materials for decision making.

Brandeis is an R1 university located in Waltham, MA, next to the Brandeis/Roberts MBTA commuter rail station on a 200-acre residential campus with nearly 3 million gross square feet of space in 100 buildings. 

For full consideration, applications should include BOTH a resume and a cover letter.  The cover letter is an opportunity for applicants to outline their qualifications for this position and an understanding of Brandeis’ Framework for the Future, while serving as an example of communication skills.

Examples of Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership.  The director co-chairs two university-wide committees: the Classroom Improvement Committee, co-chaired with the Registrar; and the Space Committee, co-chaired with the Senior Associate Provostfor Faculty.  The director’s key responsibilities in leading both committees includes agenda setting for meetings, policy development and implementation, and liaison with university leadership regarding committee recommendations.

• Space planning.  The director responds to space requests from the campus community and/or in support of campus-wide initiatives.  The director’s primary role will be to develop efficient planning solutions, often with multiple concepts for program fit reflecting space allocation metrics, code requirements, preliminary cost estimates, technology needs, and the impact on abutters.  Concepts should be presented in graphic and tabular formats to aid the decision making to proceed, or not.

• Housing. The director is responsible for the final programming on the first phase of a 20-year housing program at Brandeis – new construction of a 600-bed residence hall.  The director’s primary role will be to ensure that the phase 1 space use program meets the needs of undergraduates and is controlled throughout the project.

• Science. The director is a key participant in this complex capital project that involves stakeholders from the Academy, a project governance group comprised of university leaders, colleagues from Capital Programs and Facilities Services, and consultants.  The director’s primary roles are to ensure that the program for space use is achieved,  to inform decision making by the project governance group, and to support potential donor funding.  

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in a field related to planning, design, or project management.  Advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of ten years’ experience in campus planning, preferably in higher education

• Technical skills:  Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, graphic software, and, ideally, in CAFM systems, CAD and Revit. 

• Knowledge of building codes, zoning ordinances, universal access, and regional real estate markets.  Familiarity with various metrics for space allocation, FICM space use codes, and spatial databases.