Senior Program Planner - Strategy & Programs

Senior Operations Manager

Provides senior-level operational, planning, project, program, and performance leadership in direct support of the Vice Chancellor, Enterprise Physical Operations, Infrastructure, Capital Programs, and Real Estate. Supports the full scope of responsibilities assigned to that position by translating strategic direction into coordinated work plans, supervising teams and cross-enterprise efforts, managing execution risk, and ensuring timely delivery of institutional commitments. Serves as a central integrator across WashU Medicine and the Danforth Campus, working closely with facilities leadership teams, schools, departments, academic chairs, executive administration, and cross-functional partners. Provides functional and, where assigned, direct supervision of staff, project teams, consultants, and enterprise initiatives and requires strong communication, diplomacy, strategic planning, financial acumen, and risk management skills. Requires a servant leader who leads by mission, with empathy, in accordance with our departmental and university core values. Ensures continuity, alignment, and follow-through across complex initiatives and may serve as a primary point of coordination and representation in the Vice Chancellor's absence, as delegated.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provides direct operational, planning, project, program, and performance support to the Vice Chancellor.
• Supports execution, coordination, and follow-through of initiatives, priorities, and responsibilities assigned to the Vice Chancellor, translating direction into organized workplans, schedules, and deliverables.
• Exercises delegated decision-making authority related to sequencing of work, prioritization of deliverables, and day-to-day execution decisions, escalating policy, budget, or high-risk issues as appropriate.
• Prepares leadership briefings, analyses, presentations, and recommendations.
• Tracks priorities, risks, decisions, and follow-up actions across all assigned areas.

Functional Leadership, Supervision & Enterprise Coordination

• Provides functional leadership for teams and cross-enterprise initiatives spanning operations, planning, projects, and programs.
• Supervises assigned staff, project teams, consultants, and workgroups, including setting priorities, coordinating workplans, monitoring performance, and supporting professional development.
• Leads cross-functional teams through collaboration, influence, and clear communication to achieve shared outcomes.
• Navigates competing priorities and differing stakeholder perspectives with professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Represents the Vice Chancellor's priorities and direction in meetings, working sessions, and cross-campus forums, as delegated.

Departmental & Institutional Strategic Planning

• Coordinates development, tracking, and reporting of departmental and service-area strategic plans across operations, planning, and facilities functions.
• Ensures departmental strategies align with institutional goals, capital plans, and program priorities.
• Consolidates, synthesizes, and presents strategic updates and progress reports for leadership review.

Operations, Planning, Projects & Programs Integration

• Leads and coordinates integration of operations, planning, projects, and programs across WashU Medicine and, as assigned, the Danforth Campus.
• Aligns operational activities, capital and facilities planning, project delivery, and program execution with institutional priorities and approved plans.
• Tracks enterprise milestones, interdependencies, risks, and decision points across multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Supports strategic planning efforts at the institutional, departmental, and service-area levels.

Capital Planning, FCA, Data Governance & Performance Information

• Supports development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of capital planning, program management, and performance databases in coordination with senior leadership teams and WashU IT.
• Coordinates integration of Facilities Condition Assessments (FCAs), operational risks, renewal priorities, and capital needs into planning and reporting tools.
• Tracks, analyzes, and reports on FCA findings, trends, risk exposure, and reinvestment needs across WashU Medicine and WashU.
• Ensures accuracy, consistency, and appropriate use of planning, capital, and performance data used for institutional decision-making, working with IT, finance, and data governance partners.
• Develops standardized dashboards, reports, and leadership summaries to support short- and long-range planning.

Budget, Financial Stewardship & Resource Coordination

• Supports budget development, tracking, and variance analysis for assigned programs, projects, and planning initiatives.
• Coordinates with finance partners to align budgets with approved plans, schedules, and priorities.
• Prepares budget-related briefings and analyses to support leadership decision-making and risk assessment.

Performance Management, Risk & Reporting

• Coordinates development and production of annual performance reports and enterprise progress updates.
• Tracks institutional commitments, customer-facing deliverables, and outcomes related to operations, planning, projects, and programs.
• Identifies execution, operational, financial, and planning risks; assesses impacts; and elevates issues with recommended mitigation strategies.
• Translates complex operational and planning information into clear, leadership-ready narratives and visual materials.

Change Management, Communications & External Coordination

• Supports change management and communications strategies related to operational, planning, and program initiatives.
• Develops stakeholder engagement approaches, implementation plans, and messaging to support adoption of new processes, systems, or organizational structures.
• Coordinates with external partners, consultants, and affiliated organizations in support of operations, planning, projects, and programs, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and standards.

Continuity, Governance & Institutional Memory

• Serves as a primary point of continuity and coordination during periods of leadership absence or transition, as delegated.
• Supports governance processes related to operations, planning, capital programs, projects, and performance management.
• Maintains clear documentation of decisions, actions, and outcomes to ensure transparency and institutional continuity.
• Contributes to continuous improvement of enterprise execution, coordination, and reporting practices.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:
Job Location/Working Conditions

• Normal office environment.

Physical Effort

• Ability to travel to various on- and off-campus locations.
• Alternative work schedule as a regular part of the job (on-call, shifts, evening, weekends).
• On-Call.
• Typically sitting at desk or table.
• Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement.
• Occasional lifting (< 25 lbs.).

Equipment

• Office equipment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree

Certifications /Professional Licenses : No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience: Business Strategy And Operations Planning And/Or Business Analysis (5 Years), Administration And Office Support (5 Years), Planning And Prioritization Of Strategic Organizational Objectives (5 Years), Relevant Experience (5 Years)

Skills: Not Applicable

Driver's License: A driver's license is not required for this position.

More About This Job

WashU seeks highly motivated individuals who are able to perform duties in a manner consistent with our core mission and guiding principles.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education: Master's degree

Certifications /Professional Licenses : Facility Management Professional (FMP) - International Facility Management Association (IFMA)

Work Experience: Higher Education, Preferably In A Complex University Environment (7 Years), Progressive Facilities Operations (10 Years)

Skills: Administrative Support Services, Capital Planning, Change Management, Complexity Management, Coordinating Programs, Cross-Functional Initiatives, Database Systems, Effective Written Communication, Facility Operations, Facility Planning, Fast-Paced Environments, Higher Education Administration, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Key Stakeholder Relationships, Leading Project Teams, Managing Ambiguity, Operations Support, Organizational Communications, Program Coordination, Reporting Systems, Risk Management, Sound Judgment, Strategic Initiative, Supervisory Management

Grade: G15

Salary Range: $84,200.00 - $148,500.00 /